I DO NOT OWN NARUTO/ NARUTO SHIPPUDEN
Sorry for the long time in between chapters, lots of things are happening right now. Good things, I can assure you but it is still taking time out of my writing. I'm not going to lie, the mass of fight scenes to me always seemed like a hike, more into the conversations, not the blows in fanfiction manga. Anime, a good fight scene is always well received. Expect a couple of chapters in between now and the finals, relationship progression and training.
'Neji Hyuga vs Karui no Pīku'
The Hyuga's typical hardened scowl had taken on the beginnings of a maniacal grin. His eyes narrowed at his opponent, her skill was unknown; going of what he could see, she would have talent in Ken and Taijutsu. Her chakra capacity was minimal, much like the Yamanaka and Haruno.
Hinata, his younger cousin, was someone he would have taken great pleasure in fighting. But now he was given the opportunity to fight the people who took his father away from him.
It had been nine years since he'd seen his father. Hizashi Hyuga, younger brother and identical twin to the head of the Hyuga clan, Hiashi. He was born mere seconds after his brother, this caused him to grow up as a side branch member.
While Hinata was three-years-old, Neji was four at the time. The Hidden Cloud village had sent an entourage of their ninja to converse over peace talks. In truth, this had been a ploy in an attempt to kidnap a member of the Hyuga's main brach.
Hinata, who had just turned three, was the one who was abducted. The Head Ninja of the Hidden Cloud had snuck into the Hyuga compound and attempted to get away with the Hyuga heiress. Her father, Hiashi, caught the man, killing him in the process.
That incident had lead to the Hidden Cloud claiming it to be a massive infringement on the side of the Hidden Leaf. To maintain any chance of peace, they demanded the intact body of Hiashi Hyuga. This was quickly seen to be another attempt to gain the Byakugan.
Neji's father, Hizashi, as a member of the side branch who was indeterminable from his brother, was tasked with dying in the place of the clan head. As a side branch member, he had the Hyuga's caged bird seal, a seal that destroyed the bloodline.
This became known as the 'Hyuga Affair', the Leaf had not forgotten the vile tactics of the Hidden Cloud. In the end, the peace talks fell apart making it all for naught. Hiruzen and Hiashi recognised in morbid humour that Cloud had pulled out after the embarrassment of being tricked into taking the wrong body.
Neji hadn't smiled since that day, the deep-rooted hatred for the main branch that was consistent throughout the entire side branch was seeded in Neji. The boy turned to training, he became known as the 'Hyuga Prodigy'.
Developing a fatalistic mindset after remembering the last words his father spoke to him. Neji, who was blinded by hatred, blamed Hinata, her and the rest of the main branch. He couldn't look at Hiashi without burning with anger.
His pearly-eyes never left his opponent, his body language was clearly identified by all. It was unbridled hatred, It set his Jonin-sensei on edge. Neji had promised that he wouldn't let his hatred of the main branch affect if he was to fight Hinata.
He said nothing about those of the Hidden Cloud.
Karui was still recoiling from the time she'd spent in the forest, covered in scratches and bruises. So, to see her opponent so riled up at the mere prospect of the two fighting didn't help her confidence.
Not one to back done, she put on her brave face and gave the Hyuga a scowl. "What's wrong with you? Wake up on the wrong side of the bed?"
The entirety of team Guy tensed, If she provoked him further, he might actually kill her. "I mean seriously, what did I ever do to you?"
The grin vanished from his face, his scowl returned. "You of the Hidden Cloud. You are the scum that I scrape off my boot. Stone may be stupid and have that lead to war, but they pale in comparison to the repulsive Cloud."
"What was th-"
"Your village claims pride in its militaristic nature and skill, but you are weak. You hold no respect amongst the other nations for you lack integrity. You would all kill your own children for more strength."
Karui bristled at Neji words, no one could dare badmouth her village! They were the strongest, strength demanded respect, he should be showing respect!
"Where do you get off spouting crap like that?!" Karui returned. "You think that because your simpled-minded leaders babble about peace and love you're better than us!"
"No, we are better than you because we would not demand bodies from other villages. No matter how far we fall, we shall never be like you."
Sensing that a fight may break out before he could call it, Hayate decided to intervene in the already descending situation. "Are both contestants ready?"
He looked to his right to see the Hyuga prodigy. The only response was a stiff nod, looking closely, his lavender eyes, even without his bloodline, were taking in every inch of his surroundings.
Hayate craned his head, spotting the slightly perturbed Karui, his look gave the unsaid question. "Bring it." She spoke confidently.
Seeing that they had both given the confirmation, they set their stances. Neji lowered himself, his palms facing the Cloud Kunoichi. Karui mimicked him, though her left fist was at the height of her knee and her right hand gripped the blade strapped to her back.
"As both of you are ready, let the third match begin." Giving the signal, the match had begun. Neji was not so lost in his emotions to attack without a plan, he had trained too hard to not pass the exam.
Karui though, in her righteous anger caused by the slander that Neji drawled on about before, had charged forward, sword drawn. Neji straightened and closed his eyes.
Speeding through an extended set of hand signs.
Rabbit, Rat, Dog, Horse, Dog, Rabbit, Rat, Boar.
Holding the sign for a split second, his eyes shot open, veins bulging around his sockets.
"Byakugan!"
The red-haired Cloud Kunoichi took a swipe aimed to cut along his chest. "This is for badmouthing the Hidden Cloud!" With his bloodline flaring, Neji had seen this, leaning back he allowed for her blade to move past him.
Karui, who had put her all into that attack, her weight followed. Seeing that she was off-balance, Neji pushed chakra into the tips of his fingers. Launching into his attack, a barrage of rapid movements followed.
Karui found no time for a counter-attack as she tried to block and dodge Neji assault. She had no control, she was at a deficit when it came to speed. But she could feel the power coming from his hits and recognised that she had the superior strength.
Neji knew that Kenjutsu was designed to use a sword to keep an opponent at a distance in close-quarters battle. He couldn't let her use her sword, or his fighting style would be rendered useless.
Amongst the ducking and weaving Karui channels lightning natured chakra into her katana. Neji's Byakugan perceives this flow of chakra and hesitates.
Providing the opening for Karui, the Cloud kunoichi slams her blade into the floor. The result is a massive discharge that fire's bolts of lightning throughout the room.
Unfortunately, it's was a self-sacrificing technique, Karui and Neji learned this the hard way as they were blown to opposite sides of the arena. Neji managed to pull himself up with little to no effort.
Karui though, was still nursing injuries from the forest, her team had not gone through unscathed. They had barely passed, encounters with countless mist teams lead to the state that they were in now.
Karui glanced up from her prone position, meeting the steely stare of the Hyuga. "That was not the right decision." He stated blandly, she must be desperate to already rely on such techniques.
"Really? I thought it was a genius move!" The sarcasm rolled off her tongue.
"I do not believe you are in the best position to make such remarks." Neji continued, he was less than amused by the behaviour. "Isn't it like Cloud to fight like a dog? Fight until you die?" Neji growled.
Karui appeared to match her hair as she turned red with anger. "What do you have against us? What did we do to you?!"
~ Observation Deck ~
"Oh, no." Was Tenten's only verbal addition. In fact, many noticed how sorrowful the entirety of team Guy became.
"I don't get it? Why is he so angry?" Kiba voiced. Perhaps one of the worse people to speak as he was standing right next to Hinata.
Said Hyuga Heiress's eyes were crammed shut as she backed away from the railing. Kurenai saw this and wanted to scold Kiba, but knew it wouldn't be what Hinata wanted.
Feeling out of the loop, Naruto decided to only observe. 'It's not my business,' he mentally reasoned.
While the beautiful sensei tries to comfort her Genin, the final Cloud ninja looks on worriedly.
"She's going to get herself killed." He turned his head to meet his alluring team captain. "If only she was less hot-headed, more like you captain Samui."
The blond-haired woman does not shift her gaze from the fight as she answered. "That is true," She bluntly agrees.
Omoi takes on a look of fear as he studies his feet. "What if she's killed, then Raikage-sama, disbands our team after attacking the Leaf? Then the Leaf retaliates, and war is caused?!" The fear was visible, the young Cloud ninja was drenched in a layer of sweat.
Samui managed to look at her subordinate, her light blue eyes studying him. "That is... actually a genuine possibility." She buries her face in her palm as her other is on her hip. "How un-cool."
~ Arena ~
Neji's eyes widened in anger, the usually cold stare was replaced with searing heat. "What did y- You cowards took my father away from me!"
Karui being the same age as Neji wouldn't be expected to know of the Hyuga Affair. She grew confused, the 'Third Shinobi World War' had to of ended years before her opponent was born. How could they have killed him?
"What are you on about?" She snapped.
"Your pathetic nation used the screen of peace to cover up more treachery! You send a ninja to steal a girl, then when he is killed for attempted kidnapping, you demand the life of the man that killed him!"
"Hu-"
"But luckily for you, the main branch of my clan is just as bad. That doesn't excuse what you did!"
Karui had heard murmurings of the Hyuga Affair, as it was never direct, only overhearing what others had to say. Even then, it was only ever word of mouth.
Recalling what she had been told, she argued. "We said that we weren't involved in that! He did it by himself!"
Those who knew were mildly stunned at the ignorance the girl portrayed. Neji chuckled humourlessly. "Do not lie to me, these eyes see everything—the third Raikage, seemingly obsessed in acquiring bloodlines. Such a man," He spat the word as if he'd just tried to drink aged milk. "Would; without hesitation, resort to such underhanded tactics. He perfectly symbolises your nation."
Neji assessed that he had indeed won the match, it was highly improbable that she could come back from this. Slipping back into his stance, he shot forward.
Those with a keener eye noticed where his strike was aimed. Knowing that the Hyuga Taijutsu style based upon the precise release of chakra to do internal damage; a strike to the heart would be lethal.
Hayate was one of the quickest to see this. "Neji Hyuga is the winner through means of knockout."
Neji's impressive speed had allowed him to come within a few metres of his opponent before he was stopped.
Gai had gripped the boy in a stiff headlock while Hayate had forcibly yanked his hand down to stop the blow.
"What is this?" The Hyuga bow growled out through gritted teeth.
"Neji, you told me you would not let your hatred blind you." Gai returned hotly.
"I do not care," Neji spoke, his anger fueled the ability to talk emotionlessly.
"The match is over, can we get medics in." Hayate signalled with his free hand.
Two people dressed in medical scrubs had run a stretcher over and had picked Karui up.
"I can't believe this, you took that away from me," Neji spoke, his hackles rising.
"Do you realise what would have happened? legal match or not, if a Hyuga killed a Cloud shinobi, the distrust between the villages would only worsen." Gai admonished tightly.
Seeing that the conversation would not end, Hayate decided to cut it short. Glancing up tiredly he spoke. "Please return to the stands so we can prepare for the next match."
The board rolled through the names once more. Settling on:
'Choji Akimichi vs Temari no Kyōfū'
The princess of the sand smirked, she had been hoping on fighting a Leaf Genin. To her, they looked to be the weakness.
Choji looked slightly worried, he had no knowledge of her abilities, so he only feared the unknown.
Shikamaru, on the other hand, had already assessed her. "Choji, she's like that Zaku guy. Wind user, that's a fan on her back."
"She's a distance fighter, I'm willing to bet her close-range fighting is her weakness. Get in, be direct." Both members of squad '10' looked towards Naruto who was intently studying the Sand team.
Shikamaru agreed with his assessment, he gave his close friend a curt nod. "Go on Choji," The Nara, in all honesty, didn't have the highest expectations for his friend, but that didn't mean he didn't believe in him.
Asuma looked down, "Choji-kun if you win, I'll make sure to take us all out to all you can eat barbeque, how does that sound?"
The three talking grinned at the fire that statement ignited in the pleasantly plump boy. Without warning, the Akimichi heir shot down the stairs, ranting about the glory of cooked beef.
"That was cruel, Asuma-sensei," Shikamaru muttered while good-humouredly shaking his head.
Temari strolled down the steps, she was the most tactically adept of her siblings. She knew that any opponent could beat her, she could feign arrogance, but not be it.
Standing face-to-face with the invigorated Leaf Genin, they both looked to the proctor. Hayate recognised the gesture.
"Seeing as you both are ready, let's begin the fourth match!"
Temari looked at her opponent. "You don't stand a chance, quit." She stated with finality, she unstrapped her fan and jabbed it onto the ground, cracking the tiles in emphasis.
"Not a chance! I'm getting my barbeque!" Without a hand sign, his right fist swelled to the size of a horse-drawn cart.
"Partial Expansion Jutsu!"
Without him taking a step, Choji's fist kept darting towards Temari. Just as the colossal fist is about to make contact with the still opponent, it is knocked to the side quicker than the eye can see.
As the substantial weight in the fist is swatted away, he feels the sharp pain of cold metal against his hand. Choji is put off balance, he's dragged forward by the sheer size of his hand, unable to stop himself in time; he looks up to see a triumphant Temari.
If one blinked, they would have missed it. Her fan was drawn so quickly that it was a dark-grey blur. Instead of opening the weapon to fan air, it was kept closed as it clubbed the tumbling boy's face.
The crack removed all of Choji's momentum as he stilled in the air. the rest of his squad had no idea that it would be so brutal
"I told you, you should have quit, now," She heaved a sarcastic sigh. "I'm going to have to pound you into the ground."
Her sweet tone, while not threatening, had a promise, a promise of pain.
"No! I will get m-"
The Akimichi was cut short by another ruthless crunch as the still closed fan is brought down in a crescent swing onto his back.
The scream of pain echoed throughout the hall. In a puff of smoke, Choji's arm returned to its original size.
"That's it, the match is over, proctor?" Temari rolls her head to look at Hayate.
The muffled groans of Choji was all the proof the swordsman needed. "Temari no Kyōfū' is the victor as Choji Akimichi can no longer continue."
~ Observation Deck ~
Shikamaru, Ino and Asuma were silent, though the looks of worry on their faces spoke loud enough. While the Nara and Sarutobi heirs were watching they knew, that while brutal, there would be no serious injuries.
Ino was going through the same thoughts, all of the training that she had done with her father. It had given her a perspective of the realities of being a ninja.
While the majority of the Leaf Genin looked on impassively, none of them were happy. Watching a comrade be annihilated by an opponent always felt horrid.
Asuma recognised that there was a low chance that one of his team would be selected to battle next, so he left towards the infirmary.
Temari had returned to her teammates and sensei, her brother gave a knowing smirk. "You enjoyed that too much didn't you?" He asked humorously.
Matching his smirk, she looked over her shoulder.
"Maybe."
~ Arena ~
"Now that the contestants have vacated the arena, we can choose the next two opponents."
The board cycled through the names once more.
'Yoroi Akadō vs Rock Lee'
Within the blink of an eye, the excitable green-clad ninja had assumed his position. "It is finally my turn! Do not worry sensei, I will prove my quality as a ninja to you!"
Sensei and student's eyes latched onto each other. No words were spoken at that moment, they were not needed. Guy' face, after a few more moments of silence, broke into a face-splitting grin.
"Do not worry Lee, I know you will!"
The other Leaf Genin had quietly made his way to stand face to face with Lee. As someone with an incredibly adept ability to control his chakra, Yoroi had become a pseudo-sensor. What he was able to feel worried him greatly.
The boy in front of him had next to no chakra circulating in his system. He wouldn't have been surprised as the previous exam had just finished, it would be likely that many of them would have expended most of their reserves.
Still, that wasn't what was so unnerving. Someone with such little chakra should have looked close to death, not bouncing around and moving at such high-velocity speeds. Lee looked ecstatic, he would need to be wary.
Lee's features had taken on a look that an experienced shinobi would give off. His usual spherical eyes had narrowed, clearly assessing his opponent.
The proctor had lost any interest that was left, he had just been doing the same thing over and over again.
"If you're both ready, let the fifth match begin." Signalling for the match to start the both moved into ready stances.
Yoroi took this opportunity to attempt to unnerve his opponent. "I have a very special ability, I can absorb chakra, and with the amount you have now, I might just kill you," he spoke smugly.
"Don't fret Yoroi-san, I will make sure this is an exceptional contest!" Lee spoke enthusiastically, never one to be brought down by the taunts of others.
Yoroi was slightly put-off by the boy's exuberance, it was kinda freaky, without even so much as glancing up at the boy's jonin-sensei, he knew where he got it from.
As he returned to his thoughts, he began to channel chakra into his hands. Noticing the distraction, Lee leapt into action. Just as his hands began to glow a soft blue, a foot made immediate contact with Yoroi's face.
"Leaf Hurricane!"
His sunglasses shattered on impact, he was flown into the wall of the arena. The dim glow around his hands retracted back into his limbs. Before he could slump to the ground, another foot crashed into his ribs, further pressing him into the wall.
Blood escaped his mouth, staining the purple mask that covered his orifice. The older Leaf Genin had no answer to the onslaught of punches and kicks that came his way.
With every blow, the crater on the wall deepened as Yoroi was forced further into it. It had been a matter of seconds before the match had ended, it was ridiculous.
~ Observation Deck ~
"I'm impressed, Guy, that's one heck of a kid you've got there, he really takes after you." His eternal rival commented.
"Indeed," The green-clad Jonin stated calmly. "Lee has a drive for success that far outspans my own," He then turned his attention to his student.
"Wonderfully done Lee, that was truly impressive!" Hearing the praise of the man he respected, most brought the miniature Guy to tears. Comical tears, one would have to be more than blind to not see what the pair meant to each other.
"That was ridiculous, who knew the freak was so good," Kankuro commented. Temari gave a nod and grunt in agreement, the only response from the final sibling was a narrowing of his eyes.
'Another one, I look forward to this,' was the red-haired boy's thoughts. Internally he was quite excited. Though you couldn't gauge this from his stone-cold demeanour.
Lee sped back to him team where he was congratulated by all. Kiba was silenced as before the match he would have said that Lee stood no chance of losing but seeing his insane speed and strength, he wisely kept his mouth shut.
The cycling of the board quieted all the murmurings, many had grown tired of the process.
'Kin Tsuchi vs Shino Aburame'
Kin had come off relatively lightly from the battle with team '7'. Sporting no outward injuries apart from minor scuffs, she was ready to fight. The Aburame hadn't said anything to his teammates as he left. Naruto knew that if he had spotted something, so had Shino.
Meanwhile, the Sound Genin had looks of pleasure. "Another weakling, we're getting lucky," Zaku commented, though, their final teammate was not one to be overconfident.
"Be cautious, this one's... different," The way he spoke of the Aburame heir did not help the previous, unshakable confused that resided in Kin. Instead of voicing her anger at the lack of belief he had in her, she simply nodded.
Time crept by as the two quietly made their way down the steps. Coming face to face, Kin felt her confidence slipping as she gazed upon the emotionless boy. She could gain nothing from him, he did nothing but look upon her.
Even through the glasses, she could feel his calculative stare. "Now you're both here, let the sixth match between Shino Aburame and Kin Tsuchi begin."
Her hands drifted to the pockets on her chest, nestling between her fingers were senbon needles with glass bells attached. "Let's see how you line up, how will you deal with my bells?"
Launching the needles at her opponent, she watched as he swiftly dodged in-between the sharp needles. "Needles with bells, why bells?" Shino asked her once he had avoided the final senbon.
"You see, you don't ever ask for whom or what the bell tolls, because it tolls for thee." She stated smugly. Just at that moment, the bells rang once more.
Their movement seemed forced, the Aburame caught a glint in the middle of the air. 'Ninja wire,' He mentally deduced. The bells rang again, this time they echoed throughout the large hall.
But instead of having their desired effect, Shino did not falter, remaining as stoic as ever.
"What?!... Bu-but how?" Kin grew worried, her skill was centred significantly around those bells, so for someone to be impervious, she was at a substantial disadvantage.
"It was simple, you hail from the Village Hidden in the Sound, so one would presume that sound was the medium for your attacks. To stop any effect of sound on my body, I sent my insects to close of my ear canals, rendering any of your techniques useless."
Kin growled in response, her opponent had removed any chance of her winning by only wearing earplugs?! It was so infuriating to be reduced to nothing!
Drawing more needles, Kin fired off another volley of senbon. Shino once again weaved between the needles, he knew that in a Taijutsu match, he would likely be at a disadvantage.
"Now I can show you the offensive ability of my insects," Thrusting his hands forward, Shino called on his insects, the swarm of Kikaichū flew towards Kin.
Kin did her best to avoid Shino's insects, though she was still clearly tired as with every passing second they would get closer and closer. The chase carried on until, eventually, the wave of insects managed to grip Kin's left leg.
Hoisting her up into the air, the Kikaichū made their way all over her body, completely encompassing her. The figure became a black, buzzing silhouette. Once no detail of Kin's was attainable, Shino squeezed his hands into fists.
"Hidden Jutsu: Beetle Sphere!"
The silhouette tightened, constricting more as the insect began to eat away at Kin's chakra reserves. While it was a painless process, the feeling of not being able to move as thousands of small insects crawled over your body as you became progressively weaker caused Kin's scream to reverberate throughout the room.
Feeling that his insects had consumed near all of her chakra, Shino called for their return. The cloud of insects wormed their way back into Shino's sleeves. Kin's body fell to the ground, the fleshy thud and strained twitching was the only inclination that she was still alive.
Moments passed, many were astounded by the effectiveness of the battle, after dodging the senbon, Shino hadn't taken a single step. Not being the first Jonin to react, Hayate broke out of his stupor.
"Seeing as Kin Tsuchi can no longer continue, Shino Aburame is the winner." Once again falling into a fit of coughs, he gestured back to the panel.
~ Observation Deck ~
"That was brutal," Was the only comment from Omoi. "Indeed, they speak of a clan from the Hidden Leaf Village that managed to tame and control Insects, this boy is clearly a member of their clan," Samui answered.
"I'm glad he wasn't my opponent, what a freak," Spoke Shiroi. Chojuro didn't comment, his anger, while not quelled, had returned to the back of his mind. His usual lack of confidence returning, he began to think that he couldn't win.
Neither the Sand, Sound or older Leaf team felt the need to speak, it was always a sound decision, as a ninja, to observe.
The Genin were silenced by the board once more.
'Misumi Tsurugi vs Omoi no Arupusu'
Omoi was too tired to get lost in his ridiculously pessimistic lines of thought. Instead, he just swirled the lollipop around his mouth as he walked down the stairs.
Misumi followed suit, neither feeling the need to perform some flashy trick or rehearsed acrobatic display to make their way down.
Face to face met two apparent sets of thoughts. One was a confident glare, Omoi could almost see the smirk below the same purple mask that Yoroi wore. In fact, the only differences between the two Leaf Genin were that Yoroi wore shaded glasses, compared to Misumi's standard spectacles.
"I'm not like Yoroi, I don't get careless, not even against kids." Omoi didn't respond, it felt like too much effort. "A piece of advice, once I go into my jutsu, give up. If you do, I promise to make it short and painless."
Omoi mentally sweat-dropped, he couldn't stand the cliches of stating that you would kill someone before a fight. It seemed too... fake, like out of a story, nevertheless, he remained silent.
His bored glance didn't shift as he reached for the hilt of his sword. Hayate chose now to speak. "Alright then, let's begin the next match."
Drawing his sword in front of him, Omoi's face was coloured blue from the lightning natured chakra he was pouring into it. The arcs of electrical discharge prickled the floor, he appeared to be surrounded by a web of lightning.
Misumi disregarded the lightning, he had confidence that he could win this. Bringing his left hand up, he aimed a jab at the Cloud ninja's torso. "First strike, sure vi-"
He was cut short as the statice electricity that had built up in his body had attracted the lightning surging through Omoi's sword. His yell was heard as he was pushed back.
Rolling to a stop, he looked up. Omoi was gone, lost from his line of sight. His head snapped left and right. he looked for any tinge of blue, after a few seconds, he saw or heard none of the previously crackling lightning.
Instead, the rubbing of Cloud uniform drew his attention. Misumi looked skywards to be met with a leaping Omoi.
"Cloud Style: Crescent Moon Slice!"
The speed at which Omoi slashed his blade left an after image, the light's reflection off the edge left a glint in the air. Unable to move in time the Leaf Genin attempted to block.
Omoi was surprised at the man's decision, that was until his blade didn't cut through Misumi's arm. Instead, his arm stretched like rubber. His arm began to reshape, Omoi fought back and kept pressing the blade into the exposed limb.
Like a rubber band, it snapped into place, throwing the white-haired boy backwards. Misumi gained a victorious look in his eye. "I warned you, once I activated my jutsu, you should giv-"
He stopped speaking as the blue colour of the lightning once again made itself known. What was surprising enough to make his stop talking was the fact that the cobalt glow came from behind him.
Another Omoi had moulded an excess amount of lightning natured formed basketball-sized balls in each of his hands. Before his opponent could react, he gripped Misumi's shoulders. The sheer amount of electricity was enough to basically fry the Leaf Genin.
A few seconds of lightning being forced into his system was too much for Misumi as soon as Omoi released him, he dropped unconscious. Hayate checked on the man, pulse racing from the attack but definitely out cold.
"Winner Omoi no Arupusu,"
Without his brash teammate, there was no cheering he just silently made his way back to the observation deck.
~ Observation Deck ~
"Hey, Kakashi, that wasn't too unlike your technique was it?" Asuma queried. "Mine's meant as a penetrating force, that was to deliver a harsh shock. Similar but definitely not the same," the silver-haired Jonin answered.
"That boy is exceptionally well-trained with that lightning style, it takes quite a bit of training to put that nature into a blade. Especially one that's not made for it." Asuma continued.
Kurenai gave a curt nod, she had to agree. The Jonins recognised that the crop of foreign Genin was looking quite dangerous, even though Sasuke defeated the Mist girl, she was clearly skilled.
It was the same with Temari and Zaku, two very adept wind users. If peace were maintained, they would provide significant challenges for the Leaf.
The matches continued.
Chojuro was drawn against Sai, the pale boy knew that he didn't need to succeed, he could remain hidden in terms of skill. That wouldn't be necessary though, as he was utterly crushed by the meek mist boy. Sai was identified as Sasuke's teammate while venting his pent up frustrations, he used techniques that were unique to his blade.
The size of the blade became ridiculous, but many identified the fact that a weapon that large could not be redirected quickly, that and it meant that Chojuro was incredibly strong. In his rage, he showed his water affinity with the symbolic Hidden Mist Jutsu.
Naruto noted this all down, don't piss off the quiet kid. As a result, Sai was taken to the infirmary, nursing multiple injuries.
The next match was another one-sided affair, Ino was matched up against the final Sound Genin. Dosu needed to resort to his sound techniques to beat the Yamanaka until the end. His Taijutsu was matched blow for blow, but Ino, as a last-ditch attempt fell back on her clan techniques.
Before she could fire off her Jutsu, Dosu struck his gauntlet on the ground. This caused it to release a high-pitched wail, upsetting the liquid in Ino's inner-ear. After she was unbalanced, Dosu landed a winning blow with a kick to the head.
An unlucky match-up.
Kiba and Shiroi were the next match, the two hot-heads of the Leaf and Mist villages respectively. Due to a pre-match scuffle, Kiba resorted to his clan techniques early, catching Shiroi off-guard with impressive speed. If Kiba hadn't flattened him from the outset, it might have been a very different match.
Shiroi learnt to remain calm before a match.
Gaara was then drawn against Tenten, after deliberating, she decided to fight. Her weapons were quickly discovered to be useless against Gaara's 'ultimate defence'. Her attempt to bring out her final jutsu was thwarted as waves of sand began to chase her around the arena.
Her evasive maneuvers lit the fire that resided in Gaara's mind. The thrill of the chase turned into a homicidal endeavour, Tenten had to keep running after forfeiting. Thanks to a timely intervention from Guy and Gaara's sensei, Baki, was Gaara stopped.
The next match drew the attention of all in the tower.
'Naruto Uzumaki vs Kankuro no Mojiretsu'
'Couldn't ask for anyone else, I'll make that brat pay for what he did,' Was the only thought of the black-clad boy. With a cocky spring in his step, he trudged down to the steps. Naruto had no visible reaction, after seeing that he'd been chosen he pushed himself off the railing and started walking down the stairs.
No one gave a word of advice if he looked as if he was worried, overconfident or even if Naruto looked like he cared, they would have said something.
The pair of step was the only noise in the tower, unknowingly to all present, breaths were currently being held. Without words, murderous feelings, the pressure in the room kept rising, with the exception of the Jonin and resident Kage, Naruto was the only one not affected.
Kankuro was definitely feeling it, though his pride wouldn't show it. The disinterested gaze set itself on the Sand Genin said boy gave a beaming grin. "You're gonna regret what you did to me. But, because I'm feeling nice, it'll be painless."
Naruto sneered in response. "I'm sure you will." He rolled his head to the proctor. "Gekkō-san," Might not be an excellent look to address the man as 'sensei', other competitors might see it as an unfair advantage. "Please start the match."
Weezing in agreement, he looked over to Kankuro, the boy nodded, not taking his gaze off Naruto. "Of course, well we will no commence the twelfth match."
Crossing his arms, the match began.
Naruto glanced up to the boy's teammate, Temari had been assessing the matches, after she'd won hers. Looking out for worrisome contenders for the finals. The blond had been one already on her mind, after their initial meeting, she pegged him as someone to look out for.
Smiling in return, some errant warmth to her cheeks, she questioned herself on why his gaze shifted to her.
Naruto carefully unstrapped the grand zanbatou. Twisting the blade in his grip, so the face of the weapon faced his opponent. He pulled it back before giving it a broad swipe.
"Ninja Art: Wind Scythe Jutsu!"
Being a sword and not a fan, the intended result was not as precise an attack as what Temari could muster. But, due to the amount of chakra he emptied into it, the size was significantly larger.
The tornado charged at the Sand Genin. Getting out of shock at the style of Jutsu, his grin returned, he'd faced this jutsu so often against his sister that evading it was second nature. Vaulting away, he set himself in a crouch, unstrapping the bandaged object.
He didn't manage to get to looking around before his head was separated from his shoulders, the massive zanbatou made sure of that.
~ Observation Deck ~
Silence.
As Kakuro's head floated through the air, none dared move, even breathe. That was until Ino's quiet voice broke through.
"D-did he...?"
"That w-was... he didn't... need to do that." Was the Akimichi's response.
~ The Arena ~
The black cloth and severed head spun in the air. The tattered headdress ruffled in the air, that is until it didn't. It came down with a woody 'thunk' before rolling to a stop.
''Thunk'?' Was the shared thought, as gruesome as it was, that didn't seem right.
Then it twitched, the head twitched. Almost as if it was trying to turn its head to face the boy that separated it from his body.
The face they were greeted with was still mostly Kankuro's. Though it clearly wasn't his. The cover had cracked, and the real face of the puppet was underneath.
A cruel grin had formed on their features. "Now, that wasn't very nice, but it's my turn now." Kankuro's head spoke.
The familiar chatter of puppet movement rattled in the ears of all present. Then a sharp blade spiked out of where Kankuro's neck was. "Here, I come!"
Doing just as he said, the head launched itself at Naruto, the spike aimed at his chest. Naruto made a move to dodge the attack when he was suddenly gripped from behind, twisting his head rapidly he was met with the headless body of the puppet, four wooden arms wrapped around him.
Doing his best, Naruto shifted at the last second, the spike shot past and embedded itself in the wall just beside him. The bandaged object that was left on the floor began to move, a hand wriggling its way out of the wrapping.
That's all it managed to do before another Naruto came down on it with a devasting kick.
"Gahh!" The object let loose a howl of pain.
All watching turned their heads from the Naruto that had just made itself known to the naruto that was trapped.
The one that was currently wrapped up by the puppet smirked before popping out of existence.
The Naruto continued its onslaught against the object, that continued until Naruto picked it up. Gripping the loose bandages, he gave a sharp pull, the applications did as they were told and unwrapped themselves from the figure.
What emerged was a bruised and beaten Kankuro.
"Forfeit," Was the cold word that came from the blond jinchuuriki.
Kankuro's smirk was hidden by the swollen features. His hand jerked, causing the head that was still stuck in the wall to come free. It once again made an attempt at the Uzumaki.
Naruto, moved Kankuro's limp body in front of him the moment before impact.
The spike had forced its way through the black-clad boy's gut. The spray of blood coated naruto's clothing, a separate jet of the warm liquid evacuated Kankuro's mouth as well.
The grim sight was horrifying.
"Forfeit."
Kankuro was more than defeated.
"Never," He wheezed out.
Hayate saw that Kankuro couldn't continue but also refused to forfeit. "Winner Naruto Uzumaki."
~ Obsevartion Deck ~
"What a match," Came the Inuzuka's blurted speech.
"Indeed, I presume Naruto knew that it was a puppet from before the match even began. He had won before it started." Came the voice from his other male teammate.
Shino's insect had informed him that there was no chakra system in the puppet that paraded around as the real Kankuro. He had come to the same conclusion.
"What a wonderful fight, I look forward to facing Naruto-kun in the finals!"
"Thatta-boy Lee! Show 'em what ya got!"
The other members of Team Guy were much less vocal about their thoughts. Neji had earmarked the blond as a threat and Tenten just couldn't keep her eyes off of the magnificent blade.
"He's good," Was the short comment from Omoi.
"Indeed, if you are matched against him, it would not be a healthy outcome."
Amongst his injuries, Shiroi spoke. "He's good with it isn't he."
"He is, I just hope I can match him," Shiroi growled at the smaller boy.
"How did you get chosen to wield the twin swords?! Have some confidence!"
"Of course, I mean... I'll try."
Shiroi threw his hands in the air, forgetting he was on crutches, he almost collapsed.
"Look out for that one, he'll be a difficult match," came the bored voice of Dosu.
Zaku 'hmphed' in acknowledgement.
The two contestants who had yet to be chosen made their way down to the arena.
'Shikamaru Nara vs Hinata Hyuga'
The match was close, but Shikamaru always had a plan. Hinata was definitely more confident in her strikes, but she still lacked the killer instinct. That was her downfall, Shikamaru's control over his Shadow Possession Jutsu was pin-point.
His use of under-powered explosive tags and stray kunai led Hinata right to where he wanted her. With his extra training, his Chakra reserves had grown, even slightly enough for his bluff to force her to forfeit.
He still claimed that it was 'a drag' that he had to continue on to the third stage, but he still passed.
The winners assembled on the arena floor, those who had lost their battles had been escorted out of the tower. When the successful candidate had given their attention, Hiruzen spoke.
"In the final rounds, each of you will put your battle skills on display. You'll demonstrate the power and control you have achieved in your respective disciplines."
He chose his words carefully, as a leader, he must show professionalism. "Accordingly, the final battles will commence one month from now."
"What a drag, I've to train for a whole month? My mom's gonna kill me..."
"This is to provide a suitable period of preparation."
"What do you mean by that?" Came the stray voice of the remaining Hyuga.
"Simply this, in addition to announcing the conclusion of the preliminary matches to each country's leaders, we must also have some time to prepare and distribute the summons for the final selection."
The Hokage dipped his head with an amused expression.
"Not to mention that you examinees are going to need time to prepare for something that is this important. But, before we can wrap this up, there is one more important matter we need to take care of before the final rounds."
The air shifted, people leaned in.
"In a calm, orderly manner, all of you are going to take one slip of paper from the box that Anko is holding." True to it, the purple-haired beauty, was next to the man, box in hand.
"Everyone just stay where you are, I'll come to you!" The snake mistress was not one to be told what to do.
As she traced along the line, each contestant reaching in a pulling out their slip of folded paper, they all prepared for what it might entail. As she passed by Naruto, she gave a cocky smirk and slight wink, not picked up by many.
When they all had their slips, they unfolded them and were greeted with a number.
Seeing that everyone was holding a paper, Ibiki bellowed out. "Now that everyone has one, please read out the number on your slip of paper!"
"9"
"4"
"13"
"11"
"5"
"1"
"12"
"6"
"2"
"7"
"10"
"8"
"Very well, so that means Sasuke is number three!"
"Now that we know that, those numbers is how we select the matches for the finals."
"So we just drew lots?" the Nara softly murmured.
"All of your numbers will be paired up, Shino Aburame will fight Dosu Kinuta to qualify. It is unfair, yes, but that is just the ninja world. For everyone else, one will be matched against two and so on."
"As Hokage-sama just said, this matched will be as follows."
"Kiba Inuzuka against Omoi no Arupusu."
"Sasuke Uchiha against Temari no Kyōfū."
"Gaara no Sabaku against Zaku Abumi."
"Neji Hyuga against Shikamaru Nara."
"Chojuro no Akaei against Naruto Uzumaki."
"Finally, Dosu Kinuta will battle Shino Abruame, that will decide the opponent for the final battle against Rock Lee."
"As a knockout, can there only be one winner?" Came the voice of the deductive Nara.
Hiruzen stepped forward. "There will be multiple judges for this final round, these judges, including myself, will determine whether you are ready or not to be granted the rank of Chunnin. That means that all of you can be given a promotion, but at the same time, none of you might get promoted as well."
Turning his head back up to the Genin.
"With that, all said and done, go, prepare for your matches, if you wish to return to your village to train, papers will be issued."
Naruto gave a sidelong glance to the proctor of the second exam. Anko understood precisely what it meant.
'Meet you afterwards.'