Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and I am making no profit from this story, it is only for entertainment.
I don't have my laptop over the weekend so enjoy this chapter a day early!
All translations of techniques used in this chapter are in the end notes. Hope you enjoy as I have never written this many fight scenes in my life!
Chapter Summary: In which Team 7 fight with varying degrees of success
Chapter 16: There Can Be Only One
Naruto stood from his crouch and swung an arm across his chest, pulling it into his chest to feel the stretch in his shoulder. Letting go, he repeated the action with his other arm, rotating the limbs to loosen them up.
They'd arrived in Kumo yesterday with the Hokage and his guards and he'd actually managed to get a semi-decent night's sleep. He hadn't been able to train for this as much as he had wanted to but Kazuya had been so mad at him that, for once, he hadn't been willing to risk it.
How was he supposed to know that his cold was so bad? And yes, maybe he shouldn't have taken those extra soldier pills but it had all worked out in the end.
Kazuya had now picked up the morning habit of shoving a couple of oranges at him and glaring down at him until he ate them. He liked oranges but not with a side of threats of bodily harm. Rio hadn't suspected anything other than exhaustion thanks to Kazuya; he would have to make a better impression on his brother's new friends when he next saw them though.
They had overreacted by banning him from training; a whole week gone that he could have spent working on his taijutsu. He had spent it working on his seals so it wasn't a complete waste but he still felt like he wasn't ready for today.
They had drawn random lots for the tournament but judging by the fact that there was a chance that five of the six Kumo-nin could advance to the next round, Naruto didn't put much faith in their 'random' system.
The tournament was being held in a large stadium under the hot August sun just outside the borders of Kumo, with thousands of filled seats and a small roofed viewing area that he could sense Jiji and another large signature in. He and his team were at the railing with the other competitors; the seats were about two metres behind them and a metre up. This structure allowed a view into the fighting area below which had no landmarks; just flat, hard-packed dirt.
He glanced up at the board once more.
Uzumaki Naruto (Konoha) – Takeuehi Denki (Kumo)
Harada Nobu (Kumo) – Ozaki Sajin (Suna)
Ishida Yoshiaki (Iwa) – Jin Izanagi (Kumo)
Nii Yugito (Kumo) – Arai Kazuya (Konoha)
Inuzuka Hana (Konoha) – Nakahara Tamiko (Iwa)
Yamane Atsushi (Kumo) – Koga Etsuko (Kumo)
Naruto bounced on the tips of his toes, finally finished stretching.
"Ready?"
He looked up to see Genma-sensei grinning around his senbon.
"I'm gonna kick his ass," he grinned back. "Kumo ain't going to know what hit it."
"I don't doubt it."
His sensei laughed and moved to ruffle his hair. Naruto shot him a playful scowl as he moved out of the way; he'd tamed his hair into his favourite half-up, half-down style. He had tied the bottom half into a braid and twisted it into a bun; no one could grab it and use it against him like this. There was no way he was re-doing it.
Genma-sensei's expression softened as he looked down at him and confusion began to distract Naruto from the bundle of excitement in his gut.
"Genma-sensei?"
"I'm really proud of you guys. I know I don't say it often but I wanted to tell you guys now, before it all kicks off."
Hana and Kazuya stopped their own stretches and looked up at their sensei with the same confusion that Naruto felt.
"You've come a long way," Genma-sensei continued. "No matter what happens today, you're the best genin team to compete at any chunin exam as far as I'm concerned."
Naruto exchanged a look with his teammates before he joined them in collectively glomping their sensei. He closed his eyes for a moment and soaked up the warmth from his team, the vibrations from their laughter, and the familiar buzzing of their chakra.
"You're secretly sappy, aren't you?" Kazuya smirked as they separated.
Genma-sensei eyed them, his mouth still curled up at the corner.
"Tell anyone and I'll transfer you to Gai."
Naruto laughed at the horror that descended over his friend's face before Hana spoke.
"When we become chunin, you'll still be our sensei. You know that, right?"
"Don't think you'll get out of paying for ramen every time I master a new jutsu," Naruto nodded seriously.
"Or dango," Kazuya added quickly.
"Team dinner is still the first Friday of every month at your place," Hana finished for them.
Genma-sensei looked at each of them silently for a long moment before nodding, his smile soft and genuine.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world."
Their attention was abruptly drawn down to the arena as the proctor began to speak.
"Welcome to the third and final round of the Chunin Exams. Will Uzumaki Naruto and Takeuehi Denki make their way to the arena?"
Naruto bounced over the railing to the chorus of 'good lucks', rolling as he hit the dirt. As he took his position across from his opponent, he took a moment to scan him. Takeuehi was older than him, at least five years, and dressed in the standard navy Kumo uniform. Yellow eyes were narrowed at him beneath a mop of black hair; he had several inches on him but didn't look physically strong or burly. He was lean; should be pretty fast then.
Inei looked between the pair of them before he lifted his hand, snapping it down as he jumped back.
"Begin!"
Naruto ducked beneath a punch and swept his legs underneath his opponent. Takeuehi jumped over the assault and swung his leg into Naruto's face. He barely got his arm up in time for his brace to take the impact; using the momentum he rolled backwards, using the same move as the cliff face to slam a foot into his opponent's chest. As he came back up, knees bent in a ready position, Takeuehi was coughing harshly.
Naruto grinned.
He darted forward, swinging his own leg. Swears escaped the Kumo-nin as he brought up his arms into a block. He kept up his kicks, dancing around his opponent as Takeuehi blocked and got in a few good punches of his own. He had been right earlier; Takeuehi was fast. The Kumo-nin kept up with him as they exchanged blows.
Naruto had always been at a disadvantage in taijutsu, being the youngest and smallest in all his matches since he entered the academy. He had had to come up with his own ways of fighting back, since he couldn't fight them their way. He was fast and flexible which made him harder to hit; using his legs also gave him more power, almost equal to his bigger opponents using their fists.
He tried to smash an axe kick onto the top of Takeuehi's head but the Kumo-nin snapped his head back and pulled out a kunai, aiming for his leg. Naruto's mind raced and he abruptly shoved his weight forward; the kunai missed as his leg slammed towards the ground but he crashed into the Kumo-nin. As they hit the floor he flung his body away from his opponent, feeling a sharp sting on his thigh.
"Raiton: Raikou Hitofuki no Jutsu."
Naruto dove to the side as lightning struck the ground where he'd been standing. Forming the bird seal, he sucked in a deep breath as he rose to his feet from the dodge.
"Fūton: Daitoppa!"
The burst of chakra-infused air disrupted the lightning jutsu. As Takeuehi shielded his eyes from the attack, Naruto whipped through another set of hand signs with his right hand and huffed under his breath,
"Bunshin no Jutsu."
Four more versions of him appeared to flank the Kumo-nin and Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. Even three years after graduating, he wasn't sure about that technique. He joined his clones in diving for his opponent.
Takeuehi stabbed a kunai into the first clone and yelled a loud 'fuck' as it went straight through. Naruto took out his own kunai and rolled as a clone chucked itself directly for the Kumo-nin's face. Coming up behind him, Naruto slammed his kunai into the back of Takeuehi's neck and his opponent dropped like a stone.
A moment of silence followed as Naruto finally became aware of his burning lungs and he struggled to inhale enough air. His leg burned and he felt like he was bruised all over. He dismissed his clones as applause washed over him. His head snapped up as he took in the hundreds of cheering spectators; he'd forgotten they were even there. Their chakra signatures had always been in the back of his mind but in the fight, it had been unimportant. He had not focused on his sensing once the whole fight; no point in a one-on-one.
It had been almost refreshing.
"Takeuehi Denki is unable to continue. Uzumaki Naruto is through to the next round!"
Naruto grinned at the grumpy look Inei threw him and walked to the wall, channelling chakra to his feet to make his way back to his team. As he popped over the wall, he greeted his team with a peace sign.
"Damn Aka-chan, you really did kick his ass."
Naruto was about to reply to his friends when he spotted the considering look from his sensei.
"You beat him almost purely with taijutsu, only resorting to ninjutsu at the end," Genma-sensei said slowly. "Not a single seal, trap, or use of sensing ability."
Naruto's grin started to drop but his teacher continued.
"You are definitely ready to be a chunin if you're beating people without using your best weapons."
He laughed as Hana threw an arm around his shoulders, only wincing slightly at the forming bruises. He rolled his eyes fondly as Kazuya approached with bandages, eyes locked onto his leg. His team was the best.
"Will Nii Yugito and Arai Kazuya make their way to the arena?"
Kazuya stood from his seat on the floor and stepped over the railing, walking down the wall. He watched his opponent leap down across from him in a single bound, landing in a crouch. Nii Yugito. She had a Bijū sealed inside her, just like Rio. Rio was harmless, but it didn't mean she would be; she might know how to use the massive amount of chakra that Naruto could sense.
As he stood across from her, her dark eyes piercing his, he took a deep breath. He rubbed his hand together, the rough leather of his gloves grounding him.
"Begin!"
Kazuya flashed through seals, thankful for those hours Genma-sensei spent making them practice them over and over as he finished before Nii could lunge.
"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"
He unleashed the giant fireball from his mouth and leapt back to create some distance, shoving his hand in his pouch to grab some of his kunai. He watched as Nii jumped through the centre of the fireball and loosened his grip on his kunai for a moment. Maybe this match would be over quicker than they thought.
He startled back as a claw swiped at his face, catching his cheek. He flipped away as he dodged the other claw. Bringing out his kunai, he stared at his opponent. Her nails had grown out into sharp points, one currently dripping with his blood.
"You're fireproof?"
She wasn't even singed.
She aimed a feral grin at him before she lunged at him once again. Kazuya brought up a kunai and caught her arm; the poison would take only a few minutes. He had designed these ones specifically with these one-on-one matches in mind. She swiped at him again and he caught the same arm again, while sustaining another scratch on his own arm. If he got enough poison in her system, she might drop before he got more damage.
Nii flipped away and Kazuya hung back, watching. As she examined the cuts, Kazuya flipped through more hand seals.
"Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!"
As the small fireballs left his mouth, he flung his shuriken inside them. Nii smirked at him as she looked up from the steaming cuts.
"Didn't learn the first time, Konoha?"
She let the first ball hit her and her smirk dropped. As she dodged the others, Kazuya let his own smirk surface.
"Bit cocky there, Kumo?"
She snarled and pulled his shuriken out of her shoulder. Kazuya's own eyes widened as hers flickered red. He watched in confused horror as steam rose from her wounds.
"No use waiting for your poison to work," Nii sneered, her eyes now completely red and slit like a cat. Her canines had grown past her lips and her toenails had grown to match her hands. "It's been burned out of my system."
So katon jutsu and poison were out; so was genjutsu if Naruto was right about the size of her chakra supply. Chakra scalpels were still an option with his taijutsu, but she was both stronger and faster than him. He was just barely able to dodge as she lunged at him claws first.
He tried to concentrate his chakra to form the scalpels but couldn't focus as he desperately flung himself out of the way of Nii's claws. He quickly gave up on that tactic and dug out another kunai as he rolled across the dirt. He managed to get a few slashes in but Nii didn't even appear to notice as her crimson eyes burned into his.
His lungs burned as he tried to think of something that might give him an edge in this match. Something snagged his foot and he only had time to think 'oh shit' before he fell to the ground. He fought the instinct to shove his hands out; he could not break his wrists here. A weight pressed on his back and his right arm was rammed up his back and Kazuya bit through his lip keeping the yelp in as he felt the bone give way.
He heard footsteps nearby.
"Can you continue, Arai?"
Kazuya huffed into the dirt. His arm was not only definitely broken but still in the sharp clutches of his opponent. None of his main weapons had worked; she was fireproof, immune to poisons and outclassed him in taijutsu enough that his medical jutsu was useless. His face was still bleeding along with all the other wounds she had inflicted on him and if he had to be absolutely honest, he was exhausted.
"No," he scowled. "I forfeit."
His arm was released as his defeat was announced to the audience. Kazuya gritted his teeth as pain throbbed through the limb and he held it close to his body as he stood. He looked over at his opponent and was somewhat mollified to see that she was at least roughed up and bleeding, if not outright beaten like him. The animalistic features had faded and her black eyes scanned him thoughtfully.
Was this what happened when people had a Bijū? Would he one day look at Rio and see red eyes looking back at him?
Kazuya wasn't sure how he felt about that.
He limped his way over to the wall and shook his head at the Kumo medics who were starting to make their way over to him. He sighed, channelling chakra to his feet and heaving himself up the wall. He didn't look at his teammates as he reached the platform.
He sat and leaned his back against the wall, fighting back tears. His hand glowed green as he scanned his broken upper arm; only one fracture on the humerus but it was a spiral fracture. It would take at least couple sessions of healing to fully recover and he would need to avoid using the limb until he could get it x-rayed properly back in Konoha. He channelled his chakra into a white orb in his working hand and started healing the scratches, starting with the one on his face.
A few moments passed before a pair of sandals entered his vision. He looked up to see Naruto smiling softly down at him. His friend crouched opposite him and held out a fist. Kazuya stared at it for a moment before he released the jutsu and bumped it with his own.
"You did amazing, Kazuya."
"You really did," Genma-sensei added, coming up behind the redhead. "She was a strong opponent and it was a bad match-up."
"Who the fuck is fireproof?" Naruto muttered beneath his breath.
"I lost," Kazuya said quietly, roughly wiping away the tears that had managed to fall.
They were supposed to win it all. Naruto had kept his end of the promise, but he had failed at the first hurdle.
"You did," their teacher nodded. "And what did you learn?"
Kazuya reviewed the fight in his head.
"I need more variation in my ninjutsu. I also need to be able to create my chakra scalpels under any conditions, not just ones where I have time to concentrate. My taijutsu needs way more work too."
"You're never going to win every fight," Genma-sensei shrugged. "That's not what being a chunin is about. Surviving the fight and learning from it is always going to be more valuable in my book."
The unpleasant churning in Kazuya's gut eased slightly at his teacher's words. He nodded and dug out a sling from his first aid supplies.
"For now though, it's time to support Hana."
Kazuya shot a look at Naruto and they both rushed to the railing to see their female teammate take her stance across from her opponent.
Hana returned the glare from the Iwa kunoichi across from her. The image of her teammate being pinned beneath that Kumo kunoichi still hadn't left her thoughts. Kazuya was always the optimistic, ambitious one of their team; she had never seen him so crushed as when he'd come back after that match. She wanted to tear Nii Yugito apart for doing that to her friend.
The Haimaru brothers stood at her heels, hackles raised and growls deep.
"Begin!"
"Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!"
"Dōton: Doryūheki!"
Hana's fireballs slammed harmlessly off the tall mud wall that had risen from the ground. She gestured to her pups and they darted forward. She followed them up the mud wall and as she stood on top, she directed her companions.
"Dainamikku Maakingu!"
She grinned at Nakahara's confusion as the three dogs jumped around the kunoichi, releasing their urine onto the Iwa-nin to her loud disgust. As Nakahara flipped through more seals, Hana jumped back behind the mud wall and the dogs quickly joined her.
"Dōton: Iwadeppō no Jutsu!"
Hana heard the thump of dirt hitting the wall and earth crumbled down on her as the wall began to fail. It soon stopped and silence fell. She stood and looked through the holes in the wall; there was no sign of Nakahara. Hana stepped away from the wall completely and looked around. The Iwa kunoichi wasn't in the area. She looked down at her companions.
"Find her."
The three Haimaru brothers spread out with their noses attached to the ground. Soon enough the eldest began scratch at the ground and Hana nodded at him.
"Follow her and let me know when she starts to rise out of the ground."
He nodded and Hana gestured to the younger two. She threw the pair each a soldier pill and took one herself. She flipped though the seals.
"Inuzuka-Ryū Jinjū Kongō Henge: Santōrō."
She closed her eyes as the solider pills and chakra took effect and when she opened them she was staring down at the eldest Haimaru brother. This technique was always a rush; no one outside her clan could even begin imagine what this felt like.
A short bark attracted their gaze.
Nakahara burst through the ground, already finished her seals.
"Dōton: Ganchūsō!"
The spikes of rock shot towards Hana's large form but she swiped at them with a paw. The spikes broke and she bared her teeth at the scent of fear that reached her from her opponent. Her eldest dog clamped onto the kunoichi's leg and as Nakahara was distracted, Hana began to spin.
"Garōga!"
She followed the scent of the urine that the Haimaru brothers had covered the opponent in earlier and as the eldest let go and dove out the way, they slammed into the Iwa-nin straight on. Nakahara went flying back into the opposite wall and Hana released the technique as she felt her chakra reserves run low.
The proctor went over to check on the bloody Iwa-nin as Hana panted and dug her hands into her dogs' fur.
"Nakahara Tamiko is unable to continue. Inuzuka Hana is through to the next round!"
The applause roared through the stadium as Hana made her way back to her team. Naruto high-fived her and Kazuya rolled his eyes fondly, smiling in his sling. Naruto hunkered down to hug the Haimaru brothers as Kazuya came over to scan her with his diagnostic jutsu.
"Not even a bruise," he announced. "Just filthy as fuck."
"Hey, there was a lot of dōton jutsu," laughed Hana. "Bound to get a bit dirty with that."
"Well done, Hana," Genma-sensei grinned. "You're dependent on your clan jutsu but they're very effective."
"I almost felt bad for that Iwa-nin," Kazuya peered down at the arena where she was being carried off by the medics. "You literally just stomped through her last attack like it was nothing."
"I don't know if I'll ever get use to you turning into a giant three-headed dog." Naruto was covered in the dogs by this point.
"Right," Genma-sensei clapped his hands. "There's the Kumo match next then a short break so we should take this time to get some food in you to build your chakra supply back up. Naruto, you're the first match again. Hana, you'll be third."
Hana added to the chorus of 'yes, sensei' and went to grab some lunch from her pack.
"Will Uzumaki Naruto and Ozaki Saijin make their way to the arena?"
Naruto leapt over the railing and moved to once again stand across from his opponent. Kazuya had healed the cut on his leg and any bruises he had picked up so he was feeling as good as when he had faced the Kumo-nin earlier.
He hadn't caught much of Ozaki's match earlier but he had fūton jutsu in his arsenal. He could work with that. The Suna-nin wore loose, black clothes with his head wrapped in white cloth, his headband tied around his forehead and extra fabric hanging down around his face.
"Begin!"
"Fūton: Daitoppa!"
"Fūton: Daitoppa!"
The jutsu clashed together in the centre of the arena and Naruto cursed, shoving his hand into his pocket to grab a bunch of kunai. As the wind died down he flung the kunai out in all directions, making sure they were further apart than when he had pulled the same trick on Genma-sensei last year.
"Kai!"
He blew up the one closest to his opponent but Ozaki dove out of the way, forming hand seals.
"Fūton: Kūdan!"
Naruto swapped with a kunai on the other side of the stadium as the air bullets slammed into the ground.
"Kai!"
Another explosion rocked the arena and Naruto grinned as Ozaki rolled away, smoking curling away from his uniform.
"Fūton: Shinkūgyoku!"
Naruto swapped with the furthest away kunai as the bursts of wind spread throughout the arena, dislodging most of his kunai. He glared at the Suna-nin from across the stadium and activated the few kunai left on the ground.
He darted forward as the explosions began but his stomach dropped as he heard Ozaki through the commotion.
"Fūton: Daitoppa!"
The fire from the explosions roared as they grew in size. He could hear Ozaki cursing above the noise and was at least gratified to know that it wasn't just him caught out by the size of the flames. He saw a burst of fire heading straight for him and tore a seal out of his pocket, slamming it down on the ground and desperately channelling his chakra.
A block of ice appeared in front of him and Naruto ducked behind it, narrowly avoiding the fūton-fuelled fire. The flame died down, leaving behind an arena full of smoke. Naruto could feel Ozaki across from him and he stepped out from behind the melting ice, silently moving towards his opponent. He frowned as he felt chakra constructs leave the Suna-nin and he moved to the left as a chakra string hit the ground to his right.
The chakra strings moved randomly around the arena and Naruto dodged them with ease. The smoke was taking a while to dissipate but as long as he could take out Ozaki before they could see again, he would win this.
He'd managed to get to within two metres of the other shinobi when he felt a sharp thud in his chest. Looking down, his eyes widened at the sight of a shuriken sticking out of his shirt. It was in the lower right quadrant and every breath he took began to hurt. He pressed a hand to the wound and blood began to seep between his fingers.
He'd been so focused on the chakra strings and Ozaki's chakra signature he hadn't even thought to consider watching for other weapons. Maybe he was too dependent on his sensing.
"Fūton: Daitoppa!"
The wind blew the smoke away and Naruto was left standing in the middle of the arena, clutching his chest as he sank to one knee. He looked up with a glare as Ozaki came up to him with a kunai, moving to hold it to his throat. The Suna-nin looked worse for wear and his white head wrapping was now a sooty black.
"Good match."
Naruto snarled as Inei came over.
"Can you continue, Uzumaki?"
Naruto tried to take a deep breath but the pain was too much. He didn't think he could overpower Ozaki to get away from the kunai like this.
"No."
Inei turned to the crowd as Ozaki pulled away the kunai.
"Uzumaki Naruto is unable to continue. Ozaki Saijin is through to the next round!"
As the applause started up, Naruto pushed himself to his feet. He swayed for a moment before hands came to steady him and he looked up at his sensei.
"Hey, Naruto," Genma-sensei smiled softly. "Let's get you to Kazuya."
Naruto nodded, his mind starting to go fuzzy as the blood continued flowing through his fingers. It wasn't so bad if he kept his breathing shallow. His teacher picked him up and when Naruto opened his eyes Kazuya was staring down at him in concern. When had he closed his eyes?
"Hana is going to pull out the shuriken now, okay?"
Naruto bobbed his head and braced himself.
Kazuya channelled his chakra in preparation for the healing jutsu into one hand and as Hana got a firm grip of the embedded shuriken with the other. They'd have to be quick. He nodded to Hana; she yanked the weapon out of Naruto's chest and Kazuya immediately pushed the white orb of chakra into the wound, blood initially pouring out as he shoved his chakra into the jutsu.
The injury slowly sealed itself up and Kazuya made sure that the muscles and arteries beneath the skin knitted themselves together properly, before he closed over the skin. His friend would have a small scar for a while but otherwise he would be fine.
He sat back and stared into Naruto's soot streaked face. When the smoke had cleared and Naruto had been kneeling in the middle of the stadium and clutching his chest, Kazuya's heart had jumped into his mouth. He had been doing so well up until that point.
"How is he?"
Kazuya looked back up at Hana and their sensei.
"He'll be fine. It didn't go deep, just nicked his lung really," he shrugged, feeling the drain on his chakra supply. "There was some minor smoke inhalation too but that won't need treatment."
"Oh thank Kami," Hana sighed in relief.
She held the bloody shuriken between two fingers away from her body. Kazuya held out his hand and she dumped the weapon in it. He tucked it into his pouch, out of the way. He frowned at the splatters of blood on his sling.
"Have some faith in me, guys."
They turned collectively to stare at the grinning redhead. Naruto poked at his newest scar before pulling himself to his feet. He scratched the back of the head sheepishly.
"Sorry I couldn't take Konoha into the finals."
Genma-sensei ruffled his hair and Naruto let out an indignant squawk.
"You did well," he said proudly. "You showed what you could do and you'll learn from what you didn't."
"Besides, we still got Hana in the game," Kazuya grinned, throwing an arm around their final teammate.
"Hana is the strongest," Naruto nodded seriously.
Hana blushed a brilliant red and beamed at the pair of them.
"I'm actually interested in how ice got onto the field," Genma-sensei continued.
"Oh, my ice seal."
"Ice seal?"
"Yeah, remember when Aka-chan spent two months freezing us out of our own home trying to get that modified storage seal to work?"
"I did not."
"The two months you and Rio spent invading my apartment for dinner?" Genma-sensei clarified.
"They came to our clan for breakfast," Hana added.
"You don't hear me complaining when you make your belladonna whatever-it-is in the family teapot!"
"No, instead you watch as I drink tea out of that same teapot and laugh as you drag me to the hospital."
"Back to the ice seal," Genma-sensei raised an eyebrow.
"Well," Naruto sent a glare towards Kazuya, to which he stuck his tongue out in return. "I was thinking about explosion seals."
This drew twin looks of confusion from the two who didn't live with him and his thought process.
"An explosion seal essentially coverts chakra into potential energy. This potential energy builds up inside the seal and once disrupted, causes a massive change in that energy which fails to be contained within the seal. This results in the energy leaving the seal in the form of a heated explosion."
Kazuya shared a look with Hana. The mechanics of Naruto's seals were always completely beyond him. Give him a nervous system any day. Their sensei just looked thoughtful.
"So an explosion seal works by releasing energy to the surroundings," Naruto continued. "It wouldn't take much to reverse-engineer a seal to absorb energy instead. Taking enough energy from certain gaseous particles reverts them to a solid state; hence, ice seal. Theoretically, I could make a water seal too."
A brief silence followed his words.
"That's brilliant," Genma-sensei murmured, his hand under his chin.
Whatever their teacher was about to say next was interrupted.
"Jin Izanagi is unable to continue. Nii Yugito is through to the next round!"
They rushed over to railing to see the Kumo-nin walking away without a scratch. Nii made her way back to the platform.
"They didn't even fight!"
"He just forfeited!"
"Will Inuzuka Hana and Yamane Atsushi make their way to the arena?"
Kazuya watched his teammate and her companions make their way to their positions. This wasn't good. When Hana made it to the final, her opponents would be well rested and prepared after seeing her fight. She would be at a disadvantage.
"Begin!"
Hana flipped through familiar hand seals and Kazuya watched as a fireball came shooting out of her mouth.
"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"
While the Kumo-nin was distracted by the jutsu, Kazuya shared a wicked grin with Naruto as the Haimaru brothers circled him. They pounced, latching onto a limb each and Kazuya called out encouragement as Yamane cried out in pain.
"Kaz."
Naruto grasped his arm and pointed. Kazuya followed his finger and watched as Yamane struggled through hand seals.
"Heki no Jutsu!"
Lightning burst from the Kumo-nin and ran the length of his body. The dogs released him and let out keening whines as they struggled away from the still sparking opponent. Kazuya's heart hurt for them as the brothers failed to get back to Hana, lying down at various spots near the edge of the arena. Hana's head whipped around and Kazuya could feel the distress rolling off her from here.
Yamane winced as he let the lightning die down, blood still dripping from the bites on his limbs. Kazuya fought the urged to stand back as he watched Hana's anguish turn to fury. She flashed through hand seals, her dark eyes locked onto her opponent.
"Tsuuga!"
Their teammate turned into a spinning blur. The Kumo-nin's injuries hampered his ability to dodge and even Kazuya had to cringe as Hana smashed into him full speed. A loud wet crunch, reminiscent of the Iwa-nins in the second stage, echoed over the quiet stadium.
Hana stood tall over the mess that had been her opponent before she darted off to check on the dogs. Kazuya tapped Naruto on the shoulder and they both hopped over the railing to help her. Inei went over to check on Yamane as Kazuya reached the youngest brother; his breathing was ragged and heartbeat fast, but he should be okay after some rest.
"Yamane Atsushi is unable to continue. Inuzuka Hana is through to the next round!"
Kazuya hefted the dog into his working arm and joined his team back onto the platform with the other two brothers. He checked over the other two over with Hana hovering over his shoulder.
"They'll be fine but I don't know if they'll be able to fight in the next round," he sighed heavily, petting the eldest's head gently.
"Shit," Naruto swore, one of the dogs' head resting in his lap.
"It's okay," Hana began to pace. "What matters is that they're going to be okay. I can fight in the final by myself."
Kazuya frowned as Hana rested her forehead against the youngest brother's head. He shared a worried look with Naruto.
The late afternoon sun shone over the packed stadium as the proctor moved to stand in the centre of the arena.
"This is the last battle of the third round of the Kumogakure Chunin Exams. Will Ozaki Saijin, Nii Yugito and Inuzuka Hana make their way to the arena?"
Hana stood and smiled shakily at her team, petting her brilliant companions on their heads before jumping down alone to take her place next to Inei. She stared at her opponents for a moment; they had each taken out her teammates. She prepared to leap back and flip through the seals.
"Begin!"
"Fūton: Daitoppa!"
"Katon: Kaen Hisame no Jutsu!"
"Dōton: Iwakageiseki no Jutsu!"
The earth rose to cover Hana in a dome as the other two techniques collided outside. She could hear something thumping on the roof of her dome and dirt crumbled on her head as she waited for it to die down. Thank Kami her cousin had taught her the only defensive technique she currently had in her repertoire; she had a tendency to focus on the offensive.
The noise died down and she punched through a weaker section, peering out. Kicking through the rest of that section, she stepped out of the dome and looked around at the scorched earth. She peered back at her dome and gulped at the streaks of black covering the structure. Turning, she spotted Nii staring her down, the still smoking heap of Ozaki off to the side. Guess he wouldn't be an issue in this match anymore.
She watched as Nii's claws grew in the same way as Kazuya's match and she responded with her own hand signs.
"Gijū Ninpō: Shikyaku no Jutsu!"
Hana hit the ground on all fours, feeling her own teeth and nails lengthen. She growled at the Kumo-nin who hissed in response.
There was a beat of silence before Hana lunged at Nii, claws outstretched as she tried to slice any visible skin. She snapped at Nii's wrist as the Kumo-nin swung at her neck; it was a near miss for them both. Swinging a leg out, Hana tried to catch Nii's knee but her opponent jumped and crashed directly into her. The pair smashed into the ground and rolled, grappling as they each tried to gain the upper hand.
Hana caught Nii's torso with her claws but before she could do more damage, a foot slammed into her cheek. She scrambled away from her opponent and spat out the blood pooling in her cheek. Nii's now red, slit eyes met Hana's and Hana grinned; she hoped the blood covering her teeth unsettled the other kunoichi. Nii flashed her own grin, tongue flicking out to lick the blood dripping down her face from Hana's earlier swipe.
Despite herself, Hana could feel herself having fun. Nii was good and she loved stretching her skills like this. It was strange fighting without the Haimaru bothers but she knew they were safe; she just had to worry about herself.
They collided once more and Hana ducked beneath a swipe, landing a punch in Nii's gut. She smirked at the 'oof' that escaped her opponent and got in another hit to her chest. She pulled back to land another but she felt a blow hit her knee. It popped out of place. She hit the ground hard and couldn't straighten the joint back out; her sharpened canines pierced her lips as she bit down to keep the pained yelps from escaping. She felt sudden pressure on her neck and looked up, Nii pressing her foot onto her neck.
"Can you continue, Inuzuka?"
Hana huffed and allowed her transformation to fade, hand going down to grip her knee.
"No."
Nii took her foot off and allowed her own features to return to normal. She stared down at Hana for a long moment before offering a hand. Hana stared at it confused for a moment before she took it, being heaved to her feet.
She hopped in place as the announcement was made.
"Ozaki Saijin and Inuzuka Hana are unable to continue," Inei came over to lift Nii's hand into the air. "Nii Yugito is the winner of the Kumogakure Chunin Exams!"
Hana felt hands supporting her and turned to smile at her teammates. It was finally over. They could all go home.
Raiton: Raikou Hitofuki no Jutsu – Lightning Release: Lightning Blast Technique
Fūton: Daitoppa – Wind Release: Great Breakthrough
Bunshin no Jutsu – Clone Technique
Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu – Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique
Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu – Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique
Dōton: Doryūheki – Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall
Dainamikku Maakingu – Dynamic Marking
Dōton: Iwadeppō no Jutsu – Earth Release: Rock Gun
Inuzuka-Ryū Jinjū Kongō Henge: Santōrō – Inuzuka Style Rare Beast Transformation: Three-Headed Wolf
Dōton: Ganchūsō – Earth Release: Rock Pillar Spears
Garōga – Dual Wolf Fang
Fūton: Kūdan – Wind Release: Air Bullets
Fūton: Shinkūgyoku – Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere
Heki no Jutsu – Burst Technique
Tsuuga – Piercing Fang
Katon: Kaen Hisame no Jutsu – Fire Release: Incinerating Hail Technique
Dōton: Iwakageiseki no Jutsu – Earth Release: Rock Shelter
Gijū Ninpō: Shikyaku no Jutsu – Imitation Beast Ninja Art: Four Legs Technique
Thanks for reading!
