Hiashi sits rigidly in his chair watching Naruto's first non-therapeutic fight. He has a rough idea how this will end: with Naruto winning. It's the getting from point A to point B that will be the interesting part. What is Naruto planning?
Let's face it: Naruto is always planning something.
Temari's Wind scythe jutsu blows away a fair amount of Naruto's clones. All the clones that are left start drawing seals in the dirt.
"Fuuin: Earthquake jutsu!" says one clone, activating his seal. The ground inside the arena shakes violently, knocking Temari off her feet. The stands shake a little, but are mostly unaffected. It seems Naruto has learned to control the radius of the earthquake.
Hiashi approves.
While Temari is still knocked down, all the other Naruto clones release their seals simultaneously. Hiashi estimates around fifty seals go off at once.
"Maelstrom of the Whirlpool!" announces about ten of the Naruto clones. Fire, earth, lightning, water, air, ice, paint bombs, itching powder, seaweed, spitballs, stink bombs, glue and feathers, stale pancakes, kunai, shuriken, glitter, raw eggs, tomato sauce and pencil shavings erupt in the air, all aimed at Temari.
What in the name of the Sage of Six Paths? Hiashi nearly screams in terror. Nearly: his sense of dignity wins. He is just glad Kushina will never see, know or get her hands on this particular attack.
Temari avoids the attack by flying into the air on her giant fan. She still ends up with a little glitter and paint on her, though. Temari stays afloat while the dust and everything else settles.
Naruto dispels his clones and looks up at Temari. "Is that how you want to play it?" He asks, crossing his arms. A serious expression on his face, Naruto begins to rise off the ground. "Well then, let's settle this in the sky, dattebayo."
Hiashi is barely managing to contain his mirth.
"You can FLY?!" Temari says, staring at Naruto. "You know that seems like a trick you could've pulled out many times by now!"
"Yeah, but I was saving it for the final match," shrugs Naruto. "And I'm glad I did, 'cause now we can have an awesome aerial battle!"
Hiashi senses the fear levels in the audience reach heights that make the fear levels displayed when Naruto transformed into the Nine Tails look puny. Did something happen? Hiashi looks around the arena. Everyone is staring at the floating Naruto, in perfect control of that anti-gravity seal, and shaking in fear. Hiashi realizes the audience is more afraid of a flying Naruto than the Nine Tailed Fox.
Hiashi forgets his Hyuuga pride and laughs out loud.
This is just too funny.
"Ah, Hiashi?" whispers Hizashi. "Are you okay?"
"Yes...hahaha!...the kid finally manages to...bwahaha..control that seal...hahahaha….and everyone is terrified...hahahahaha…!" Hiashi falls off his chair, overcome with mirth.
Kabuto wakes from the state Naruto and Temari put him in. There is only one explanation for what just happened: you never mess with a woman on a mission. Temari was on a mission and Kabuto was in the way. Kabuto smiles. Now that he is knocked out of the exams, it is time to get Lady Orochimaru's invasion plan started.
Kabuto rises and heads out to the stadium. Down in the arena, Temari and Naruto are exchanging blows, kunai and shuriken in midair. The audience looks terrified, except for Hiashi Hyuuga, who is rolling about on the floor laughing. Kabuto takes advantage of the audience's collective distraction to cast a genjutsu over the stadium. He looks over at Orochimaru, sitting in the Kage box, and nods.
Orochimaru signals to Kabuto to finish his role in the invasion proper: i.e. take one of Chief Fugaku's children prisoner - preferably the baby or the pregnant one - so they have some leverage to use against him. Kabuto grins and heads off to find the person he really works for: his mother.
Kabuto does not plan on kidnapping any young Uchihas.
Deputy Kinoko runs through Konoha, trying to reach the stadium to warn the chief that Orochimaru is the leader of the Hidden Sound before the invasion starts. Behind her, Kyabetsu and the rest of the North Patrol chase after her. She could take them all on, but she needs to get word to the Chief.
She needs to get this information to the Chief, or the Hokage…
Boom.
"Looks like it's too late," says Kyabetsu, landing in front of Kinoko.
"Deputy Kinoko!" one of the village patrols is running towards them. "The stadium is under attack, and the invasion has begun in the South!"
Kinoko swears. "The North and South patrols are traitors! The Hidden Sound is under Orochimaru's command!"
"Kyabetsu, you're not a traitor, are you?" asks the officer in charge of the village patrol. "It's not true, is it?"
Kyabetsu activates his sharingan. "Did you honestly think we would just let it go? The way the village treats us, even now? The Chief forbade a coup d'etat, but you know what? Not all of us believed his speech about hope and the Will of Fire. Those clansmen that deserted the village? They went to Orochimaru and we - 12 of us - stayed here and spied on the village." He laughs, throwing his head back, sounding like a madman. "The Chief's plan was foolproof! You know, Orochimaru was going to kill and impersonate the Kazekage, but once we told her all about the Chief's plan, she decided to leave the Kazekage alive to deal with Fugaku."
"What are you talking about?" demands Kinoko. "Why would Fugaku's plan require Orochimaru to leave the Kazekage alive? What's the Kazekage got to do with it? Is…" the gears in her brain start turning. All the contestants in the exam were knocked out except the Sound, Sand and Leaf. "...is the Sand part of the invasion force too?"
"You are too smart for your own good, Inspector,"grins Kyabetsu. Then he attacks Kinoko, and Kinoko looks into Kyabetsu's ruthless, cold eyes and knows she will have to use that.
Hiruzen is not sure where to look: at Naruto, who is flying - legit FLYING - or at the Hidden Sound leader's chest. It jiggles every time she moves. Hiruzen wonders if he is blushing.
"Lord Hokage," says Fugaku stiffly. "Someone just cast a genjutsu over the stadium."
How could he have missed that? Jiraiya wouldn't miss an ant crawling across the floor while he is stone drunk and in the climax of passion. I must be getting old and senile. Time to retire. Just as soon as I figure out who to appoint as Fifth Hokage…
"Lord Hokage!" snaps Fugaku. "The village is under attack, stop daydreaming!"
"You're getting old, Sarutobi sensei," says the Hidden Sound leader, smiling from behind those golden eyes….
"Orochimaru…?" Hiruzen's blood runs cold. Hiruzen is not sure if he is more shocked that Orochimaru is the Hidden Sound leader or that he spent the last few hours fantasizing about his former pupil.
"Why yes, I am Orochimaru," smiles the Hidden Sound leader, reaching up and patting her old sensei's cheek. "And I am here to kill you, sensei."
Temari pauses in her fight.
Naruto stops with his fist poised to punch. "What's the matter?" he asks.
"The invasion's started," Temari tells him. "It was a stupid plan from the start...why did Father agree to it?"
"What invasion?" asks Naruto.
"The Sand and Sound joined forces to attack the Leaf," explains Temari. He might as well know what's going on.
"Why?" asks Naruto.
"Because the Leaf got too big. The Sand is losing all its business to the Leaf, and the elders all feel helpless."
"Oh. I didn't know that."
"Gaara was supposed to be the miracle that saved us," Temari doesn't know why she is saying this. "Kankuro and I didn't have the right kind of chakra...as far as our father is concerned, we are failed attempts to create a perfect jinchuuriki to be the main fighting power in the Sand."
Naruto grins. "I guess you couldn't resist telling me your story after all!"
"Shut up!" snaps Temari. "I need to go make sure my brothers are okay! Are you going to stop me?"
"Nah, I have to make sure my friends and family are okay," says Naruto. "Just don't you dare hurt any Leaf citizens or shinobi, 'tebayo."
"Right," nods Temari, and heads off to find where they put her brothers. She finds them in a hospital-like room that is obviously set up with the assumption that all of the exam finalists will need treatment of some kind.
Gaara is still out cold, but Kankuro is sitting up flicking through a magazine. He looks up when Temari enters. "Has it started?"
"Yes, it has," Temari confirms. "But we are staying out of it."
"What, Naruto just let you go?"
"Yes...he's an odd boy."
Six Leaf ANBU walk into the room and surround Temari and Kankuro. "Come quietly and you won't get hurt."
Temari stares at the ANBU. There is no way she can fight this many ANBU alone. She remembers her promise to Naruto not to hurt anyone from the Leaf. Temari nods. "Alright, just don't hurt my brothers."