Hey. I, uh, I've been gone. Life has gone to shit, so this was heavily delayed. I don't wanna talk about it. Just know that I have no plans on abandoning my story. I have so many ideas I want to implement and try, as well as new abilities I want to introduce and such. I have plotlines and everything set up.
This chapter has been in the works for a while. It ended up being too big, so I split it into two parts. Chapter 7 is finished, I only need a day or 2 to edit it. Chapter 7 will be out on January 1st.
I wanted to let you guys know that I plan to develop Neji the best I can. He will reach his full potential if I have any say about it. I already have a few ideas myself on how to do that, but it won't be enough, so I want your help to come up with new Hyuuga abilities and jutsu. New ways to use the base Byakugan, and overall how to implement their jutsu with elements. I have ideas, but I need more. Only then can I unlock the full potential of the base Byakugan.
Also, I need ideas on new Doujutsu abilities. Like new Rinnegan abilities, or potential MS abilities. I want as many suggestions as possible, regardless of how absurd the ideas are, but please explain the abilities. I'm not psychic. I'll pick my favorite ones and I'll make a poll. The top MS ability chosen will be Madara's Mangekyou power, as long as it's reasonable. That man is overpowered enough. I'd rather it be extremely useful than extremely overpowered.
Oh and include as many space/time abilities as you can come up with. Thank you.
Anyways, enjoy the chapter, and let's get on with the story.
General narration
"Talking"
Flashbacks
'Thinking'
Narration
"Yami speaking"
"Bijuu talking"
'Bijuu thinking'
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or Naruto Shippuden, nor the Naruto Manga. They are owned by Viz Media and Masashi Kishimoto. I only own "Narrator" and other OC's.
Continuing...
The next morning, Naruto's alarm blares. He had it set an hour early just in case. The moment he wakes up, he scrunches his nose as he smells something repulsive. He opens his eyes and notices his legs are dangling off the bed. Strange. He looks at his body and sees he's shirtless. Very strange.
Next, he looks up to see his head and body are at the center of the bed. In other words, he is nowhere near the alarm clock. And third, when he looks down at the mattress, he sees a large patch of dried up… something right where his face is.
So that's what he was smelling.
Naruto groans and gets up. He forces himself to balance on his wobbly feet. He can barely feel any blood in his legs. He'll fix that soon.
He walks toward the alarm clock and turns it off. Good. Now, he needs to change his sheets, freshen up, brush his teeth, shower, and change into his clothes for the day.
…
Naruto takes a backpack making sure to stuff his journal inside it. He heads out toward the exam site. He sees hundreds of people visiting the village, and nearly every citizen of Konoha is up and about. It makes him uncomfortable. He wants to be alone right now.
He avoids the large crowds and chooses to take the long way to the arena. He goes into the Forest in the village where the training grounds are. Thankfully, they're empty, or so he thought.
He sees a girl standing still, almost frozen, staring at one of the posts. She fidgets with her hands a little. Her back is turned to him, so he can't see who it is.
Wait, short, hime-style hair, pale skin with an olive tint, and those mannerisms. "Hinata?"
The girl gasps and turns around. When she looks at him, he sees her gentle lilac eyes. She hides behind the post.
So that is Hinata! He didn't recognize her just now. She was wearing different clothes from her usual outfit.
"Oh, Naruto-kun!" She hides her body further behind the post but peeks her face out further. She can feel heat rush to her cheeks. It's not as bad as usual, but it's there. She looks down at the ground. "So why are you here? The final competition is soon."
"I just… It's nothing. I came to check out this training field."
Naruto smiles, finally realizing where he is. "This is actually the place where I became a genin, so…" He trails off, not knowing what else to say.
Hinata grips the post a little. "Oh. That's nice to know. B-but, why are you here?"
"Nothing!" He shows his back to her. "No real reason. It doesn't matter anyway."
"Oh. I guess you're right. I'm sorry."
They stay in silence for a few minutes, not really done with the conversation, yet not sure on what to say.
Finally, Naruto decides to break the silence. "Hey, Hinata. Neji is a cousin of yours, right?"
The timid girl nods meekly.
Naruto turns back to face her. "So is he really strong?"
Hinata nods in an even meeker manner.
Naruto sighs heavily. "Great."
"But- I mean, you might still be able to win, Naruto-kun."
Naruto laughs nervously. "Yeah, I'm strong too after all." He laughs, but the chuckles quickly lose energy, showing how fake the emotions were. He sighs and slumps his arms dejectedly.
Hinata comes out from behind the post. She gulps and pokes her fingers together. "I know you can win, Naruto-kun. Remember… that time when you cheered for me. I felt like- like I was able to become stronger than ever before.
When the preliminaries ended, I was finally able to like myself a little. To anybody else, it might look like absolutely nothing's changed about me, but I feel different, like I'm a better person now. And I've been thinking, that it was all thanks to you, Naruto-kun." She smiles sweetly at him to further drive the point home.
"Oi, Hinata. You really- Do you really believe that's true?"
"What do you mean?"
"I may look strong to you, but all I ever do is mess things up. I act tough because I'm so frustrated. But underneath it all, I just feel like I'm a huge failure, dattebayo."
"No, that's not true at all!" Naruto's eyes widen at hearing Hinata's confidence when she said that. "Even when you messed up, you were always a- Um, how do I say this? A proud failure from my point of view!" Naruto looks at her with his mouth lopsided and unhinged.
"When I look at you, you just fill me with such- such admiration! I'm not saying that you're perfect. I mean, no one is. But when you do make a mistake, you have the guts to pick yourself up and keep trying." Hinata's face gradually grows darker shades of red. She twiddles her fingers and looks down.
"I think that courage, to keep going, no matter what happens is what real strength is. I just think you are an incredibly strong person, Naruto-kun." She gives him a small, warm smile straight from the heart. She retreats back behind the post.
Naruto's troubled expression slowly morphs into a genuine smile. "Hehe~ Thanks Hinata. I needed that. Even though I'm completely used to being the underdog, I guess this time I was just really feeling the strain. I was really down, which isn't like me at all. But now, thanks to you, I feel 100% better, dattebayo!"
"I'm glad you do."
"Alright, I'm off to my match. Thanks again!" Naruto walks off toward the arena, with Hinata staring at his back. Suddenly, he stops and turns to look at his new friend. "Hinata. I kind of thought you were - Um- gloomy, timid, always terrified, and basically completely weird. "
Hinata slumps, feeling tears prickle in her eyes.
Naruto turns and strolls toward his location. "But you know what Hinata? I actually really like people like you, dattebayo." He runs off toward the arena, making sure he isn't late for his fight.
Hinata stares at the retreating back of Naruto, with eyes wide and a soft blush staining her cheeks. She is more charmed with Naruto than she has ever been in her entire life. She can feel tears prickle her eyes, but for a whole new reason.
Naruto said that he likes people like her. Like. Her! Does that mean that she has a chance?
Naruto makes it to the arena just in time. When he enters the field where the other competitors are, he is greeted by the boos of the crowd, ringing out and buzzing like a wasp nest. He flinches slightly, but he made sure no one noticed.
The boos. It's all that fills his ears. It hurts. He expected this, but it hurts more than he thought it would. No matter. He refuses to let them get to him. He won't show his pain, no. He won't give them the satisfaction.
Shikamaru walks up to Naruto. He sighs heavily. "It's always something with you. You're nearly late. Anything involving you is such a drag."
Naruto looks around. "Huh? Where's Sasuke?"
"I'm fighting Dosu, but he's missing too."
Genma, the proctor looks at Naruto and Shikamaru. "Hey, knock it off. Stand up straight and present yourself proudly to the spectators."
Naruto and Shikamaru look up and see the spectators waving and cheering. The earlier boos were now forgotten.
Naruto sees that the few people not cheering are glaring heatedly at him. He glares at the stands and fixes his posture. He will keep his pride if nothing else. He refuses to be brought down, and by these people no less. He will prove these fools wrong.
After all, he is special.
Hiruzen observes the contestants below. No Uchiha amongst them. He turns to the ninja on his right. "Any sign of Sasuke yet?"
"No. A team of ANBU Black Ops is searching for him, but so far, nothing." He leans down to whisper in the Hokage's ear. "He may already be in Orochimaru's hands, in which case, there would be no hope of finding him."
Hiruzen hears footsteps at his left. He sees the Kazekage being escorted by two of his shinobi. He has a mask covering his face below the eyes. "Welcome, Kazekage-dono."
...
Back on the arena's stage, Naruto seethes at the sight of the Hokage, and Gaara glowers at the visage of his father.
...
Hiruzen faces his fellow Kage. "You must be weary from your journey."
"Not at all. I'm only glad that for your sake the arena is here in Konoha. As strong as you are, I'm sure a long journey would have proven difficult for you at your age. Isn't it about time you choose who will succeed you as Hokage?"
Hiruzen chuckles. "You act as if I were an old man. There's plenty of life left in me. No, I plan to stay in this position for some time to come." The old man walks toward the railing of his booth.
"Now, it's time for the final rounds to begin."
Hiruzen focuses chakra on his voice to project it across the arena. "Welcome all, and our deepest thanks for coming to Konohagakure no Sato for this year's Chunin selections. We have the final competition between the eight candidates who made it through the preliminaries.
We ask that no one leaves until all the matches are completed. Now, please enjoy."
The crowd erupts into cheers. The noise reverberates through the walls of the arena, trapping in the sound.
The Kazekage sits up. "You said there are eight candidates. Aren't you missing one?" Hiruzen remains silent.
…
In the arena, Genma pulls out a paper from his vest. "I almost forgot. There has been a slight change in matchups." The brackets have changed. Dosu is no longer in the competition, so Shikamaru will face Temari. And more notably, Naruto has the first fight instead of Sasuke. "So now that it's set, take one last look at who you'll be facing."
"So what will happen to Sasuke?"
Genma faces Naruto. "If a competitor doesn't show up by the time their name is called, then they automatically forfeit their match.
Now the terrain might be different, but the rules are the same as the preliminaries. There are no rules. The match continues until one candidate acknowledges defeat or dies. That being said, if I determine that a match is over, I can step in and stop at any time. No arguments are permitted. Understood?"
There was no need to ask. "Now, for the first match. Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Neji. Those two stays. Everyone else can go to the waiting area." Everyone leaves the arena, leaving the two challengers to prepare.
Whispers flood the stands. "That kid has been lucky to have made it this far, but now his luck has run out. He is about to face one of the Hyuuga Clan, and the genius of the family at that."
"Yeah. He'll be lucky to even survive. This'll be painful."
Naruto clenches his fist, digging his nails in his palm. He'll show them. He'll prove them all wrong! Yami's chakra pulses in agreement.
He and Neji stare one another down. It's Neji who speaks first. "You got anything to say to me?"
Naruto holds his fist out and clenches it so hard his knuckles pop. His eyes become sharp, filled with cold intent and unbridled determination. "Only what I told you the last time. I vow to win!"
Neji breathes in and closes his eyes. On the exhale, he activated his Byakugan on command, not even needing a hand seal to do so. 'He has that look. He's calmer now, more sure of himself.'
Neji smirks. "All the better for me. I can't wait to see the look of despair on your face when you learn that your foolish vow is impossible to keep." Neji gets in a Juken stance.
"Are we gonna stand here talking all day? Show me what you've got."
Genma lifts his hand. "Now let the first match begin. Hajime!" He swings his hand down.
…
In the stands, a stern man in possession of Byakugan and wearing formal clothes watches the fight in keen interest. The man's name is Hyuuga Hiashi.
Hiashi turns to his youngest daughter. "Watch closely, Hanabi. There's no one in the Hyuuga clan who has inherited a stronger Byakugan than Neji. He is stronger than your older sister."
Hanabi turns back to look at her father. "Stronger than Nee-san?"
"Neji probably has a stronger Byakugan than you."
Hanabi gasps astoundedly. Someone in the Hyuuga having more potential than her?
…
Naruto starts by pulling out three kunai. He throws them at Neji.
Neji catches the first and uses it to deflect the second. Using the kunai in his hand, Neji stops the third knife dead by using the ring to hold the tip.
Naruto charges in with a powerful right hook. Neji steps to the left and uses his hand to direct the strike toward the ground. Naruto unclenches his fist and uses his hand to plant himself. He spins and tries for a heel kick.
Neji tilts his head back and uses his hand to add momentum to the leg, pushing Naruto off balance and forcing him to flip away and retreat.
Naruto goes back in, this time with a left. Neji tilts his head to the right and blocks an easy one-two. Naruto goes for a barrage of punches. Neji, deciding to take the challenge, stands still and blocks every strike with minimal effort.
Naruto goes for a high kick to the face, but Neji pushes the foot away, forcing Naruto to try a jumping kick with his left. Neji dodges gracefully. Naruto tries a left hook, but Neji dodges, getting inside Naruto's guard.
He smirks. Neji charges his hand with chakra and palm-strikes Naruto on the sternum. Naruto, now stunned, can't avoid Neji's left-handed poke to his right shoulder.
Naruto rolls backward to recover and gain some space. He holds his shoulder, feeling the searing pain of the poke. Thankfully, Neji didn't fully connect the strike, so his shoulder is still usable. 'Shit! I nearly blew it! If I get too close, he can turn off my chakra, and there goes my jutsu. I'll have to fight him at a distance.'
"Do you understand now? You have no way of beating me."
Naruto clenches his teeth but forces a strained grin. "Tch. Get real. I was just checking you out, that's all." Naruto stands up and puts up a familiar hand seal. "Let's get started. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
Four Naruto clones appear. All, including the original pull out a kunai.
'Shadow clones. Interesting. He put equal amounts of chakra in all of them so I couldn't tell the difference between him and the rest. Even my Byakugan can't pick out the real one.' "No matter. You can't hide from me."
The 4 clones leap in. Neji goes after the first two. They swing their kunai at him, but he pushes their hands down, forcing them to bend over. He leaps in the air and uses their backs as a platform for him to flip over.
The other two come after his flanks. He spins and coats his hands with chakra to re-direct their kunai strikes away from him.
Naruto, who stayed behind, charges in and aims a straight high kick to the underside of Neji's jaw. Naruto's foot reaches closer and closer until it is millimeters away. Neji leaps backward, moving like if he were hit. He flips and lands on his feet, having successfully dodged the kick.
Two shadow clones charge at him. When they are close enough, Neji jumps in the air and twirls counter-clockwise. He opens his legs up in a split, successfully planting an ax kick to the right clone's dome and a high kick to the left clone's chin.
Only one dispels. The two other Naruto clones come from behind. Neji sees them with his Byakugan. When their knives are close enough, He grabs their wrists and pulls them forward, forcing them to miss and come in front of him. He focuses chakra into his hands and palm strikes both of them in the middle of their spine.
Everyone who knows Naruto in the audience is stunned. Neji just took down a near-perfect clone strategy. And he never once looked back, He just knew where they were.
Naruto watches from the back. He narrows his eyes. "This guy… It's like he has eyes in the back of his head."
Neji picks up the clone that failed to dispel by its throat. He pokes his fingers into its jugular, dispelling it. Neji smirks. "You thought you could be Hokage?" He looks at Naruto. "It's absurd. Never."
Naruto grits his teeth. Neji smirks harder. "These eyes of mine show me many things. One thing they've shown me is that people's limitations are set, fixed, and unchangeable. Only a fool wastes his time trying to become something he can never be."
Naruto's breathing becomes ragged. He clenches his fist. " A fool, huh? Not this shit again! Who are you to judge what a person can or can't be, dattebayo? Teme!"
"Do you think anyone can become Hokage? That all it takes is a little hard work? That a random civilian child can work themselves to the bone and gain the power of the Kage? Open your eyes!
Of all shinobi in all the world, think of the few who have become Kage, much less the Hokage. They were born in the right place at the right time. They were born destined to become Hokage, or they were born with the tools needed to make themselves Hokage. It's not something you become merely by trying to become it. They were chosen by destiny.
Each person is given his own path to follow. And he must follow it obediently to the end. There is only one destiny we all share equally. That's death."
Naruto's body shakes. He has no rebuttal. No comeback. Nothing to prove Neji wrong, but even then, he refuses to ever believe Neji's words. "You can think that way if you want. People always tell me that I don't know when to give up, dattebayo."
Naruto puts up his signature handseal. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto summons a swarm of dozens of clones. They charge in complete self-abandonment, letting impulse drive them.
Neji swats a fist away and slides his foot across the ground to position himself to deliver a quick chop and jab to clone number one.
Three more clones try to interfere in order to stop Neji from destroying their brethren. Neji steps to the side to avoid the first, jumps on the back of the second, and springboards to give the third a heel kick. All the others join in, just to fail to land a strike on Neji and in turn, end up in bruises.
"Hmph. Do you really think such a trick would fool me?" Neji sprints at speeds none of the clones can react to and lands a full Juken strike to the Naruto that stayed in the back.
"You're the one keeping out of range for fear of me striking your Tenketsu's like this. The more the others attack, the more you stand out for holding back. A cautious coward like you could never be on my level." Naruto coughs blood and many clones start dispelling.
Naruto spits blood on the ground and chuckles weakly. "As I told you before, It's a mistake to count me out." Naruto dispels, revealing itself to be a clone. Two other Narutos come holding their fists back, charging up a powerful haymaker.
Just before it hits Neji, a blue barrier stops the fist. Chakra surrounds Neji and he spins, creating a dome of protective chakra that has enough force to launch both Naruto's back.
…
In the crowd, the audience cheers. Many people yell out at how this signals the end of the match, cheering in support of the Hyuuga prodigy for humbling the fox into temporary submission.
In another part of the stands, Hiashi's eyes widen. That move Neji did. It shouldn't be possible. "That's… Kaiten." He clenches his fist.
Hanabi looks at her father. "But I thought only Chichi-ue could do that."
"It's a secret ninja art. For generations, it was only reserved for the main household of the Hyuuga Clan. But Neji has somehow recreated it on his own, incredible as it may seem. He's truly come far."
…
Naruto groans. He pushes himself off the ground. "Uh. What the hell was that?"
Neji's smirk is the pinnacle of arrogance. "Did you really think you'd won?"
Naruto growls and gets back on his feet. "We'll see about that!" Naruto summons 6 more clones. They surround Neji, with every possible exit blocked off by another body.
All the Naruto's rush in with wild abandonment. When they get close enough, Neji gets in his clan's traditional stance. He lifts his arms. "Hakkeshou: Kaiten!" Every Naruto was hit at point-blank range. They were all launched back with violent momentum.
Every clone lands in an awkward position and dispels immediately. "Shit, that hurt!"
"This is the end for you. You are in range, and you can't escape my Hakkeshou." Neji waits for Naruto to stand up. He gets in his family's stance and an invisible green matrix appears with him at the epicenter. "Jukenhō: Eight Trigrams 64 Palms."
Neji blitzes toward Naruto. He starts with two pokes on his sternum and hip. Then four pokes on Naruto's shoulders and diaphragm. Then eight strikes by his abdomen. Then came 16 stikes in his ribs. Then came thirty-two toward his legs, and finally the sixty-four strikes came in a variety of places.
Naruto was sent careening through the air with blood and spittle flying out of his mouth. Neji relaxes and breathes out.
The proctor walks up to the boys and observes a fallen Naruto. "Looks like it's over."
…
Hiashi narrows his eyes. That was the 64 palms technique of the Main Branch. 'To think that the Hyuuga's Kekkei Genkai would find its purest form in this child of a lesser branch of the clan, a child banished from the line of succession. Truly, Hizashi, you've been denied what is rightfully yours.' Hiashi closes his eyes in resignation.
…
"I have now struck all 64 of your primary Tenketsu. You're lucky to still be breathing."
Naruto's body trembles and shivers rush up his spine. He tries his hardest to do something, anything, but his body won't allow it. "Act. Move. Come on!"
"Well, must be frustrating to realize how utterly hopeless it all was, this little dream of yours, Uzumaki. You thought you could succeed on hard work alone. That's only an illusion."
Naruto coughs up blood. His breathing is painful and his vision is out of focus. No matter how much he wants to, his body won't let him stay standing. He thinks back on the fights during the preliminaries. How even after having half of his limbs crushed and being knocked unconscious, Lee still refused to stop fighting. He remembers how even with her heart and internal organs damaged, Hinata still stood fighting.
He has no excuses. What is blocked Tonkotsu -or whatever Neji calls them- in comparison to that?
Naruto grits his teeth to hold in a scream. He forces his body on all fours, no matter how unstable it is. He then plants a foot on the ground and uses all his willpower to force himself up. "Fu-uck. That hurts." He stays standing with weak knees and heavy arms, his breathing labored at the immense effort it took to even stand up.
"Impossible. How could you..?
Naruto chuckles weakly. He coughs violently but then plasters an excruciatingly annoying grin on his face. "Hehe, I told you… I just don't know when to give up. You fucking bastard." He smiles mockingly at the Hyuuga.
"Stop this madness. You'll only get more of the same. I have nothing against you personally, so don't push yourself so hard."
"Tch. That's touching, dattebayo. You'll make me cry. Anyway, I've got plenty against you."
"I don't know what you mean."
"You don't? And here I thought you were this super genius. You don't remember what you did to Hinata, huh? The way you worked on her with your mind games, tearing her down mentally when she worked so hard to get here."
"Never mind that. It doesn't concern you."
"You mocked Hinata. Called her a failure, and yapped about all that stuff about the Great Hyuuga Clan. Main Households, Branch Families… What a load of bullshit! It doesn't give you the right to decide who's a failure. That's what I've got against you."
"Very well. As you're so interested, I'll tell you about it. The Hyuuga Clan's heritage of hatred! For generations, the main household of our clan has practiced a secret ninjutsu known as Juinjutsu."
"Juinjutsu?
"The Curse Mark is the symbol of a bird locked in its cage. It's the mark of those who are bound to a destiny they cannot escape." Neji closes his eyes and reaches for the back of his head to take off his headband.
When Naruto looks at Neji, his eyes widen in abject horror. On Neji's forehead is a mark that looks like a mirrored swastika in between two lines that hook at the end.
"I was four years old when the leaders of my clan branded this mark on my forehead with their Juinjutsu. On that same day, a great celebration took place in Konohagakure no Sato. After many years of disagreements and war, a peace agreement had at last been reached with Kaminari no Kuni, and they sent Kumogakure no Sato shinobi to sign the treaty and join the celebration. Everyone was there to welcome our old enemies in the village.
Everyone was present except for one clan. The Hyuuga Clan. This was the day in which the heir to the Main Household was to turn three. It was Hinata-sama's third birthday." Neji turns to look right at Hiashi.
"Her father, Hyuuga Hiashi-sama is sitting up there. He and my father Hizashi are twin brothers. And yet, he entered into the world first, so he is the head of the family, the firstborn. While my father, his twin brother, is banished to a lesser branch of the family."
Neji takes a breath. "It was then that day, in which the heir to the Main Household turned three, that the Curse Mark was branded onto me, and I was made a caged bird by my own uncle."
"You and this clan of yours, what is the point of it all? Why have a Main Family and Branch Family? And this weird Curse Mark, what's it mean anyway, dattebayo?"
"I can assure you of one thing. It's not simply for decoration. You see, this is more than a mark we wear. It is also the instrument by which they keep us in our place. We live with the fear that they will use this Curse Mark to turn our brains into jelly any time they wish. Fear. That is what we live with. And we live with it every single day. Only in death are we free of it.
This is how the power of the Byakugan is kept sealed away. Only the Hyuuga possess the secrets of this unique form of Kekkei Genkai. And of course, there are many who would try to steal it from us. That is why we exist, It is the purpose of the Branch Family to defend that secret, and to serve the keepers of the secret, the Main Household, obediently and without question until the day our flame is snuffed out for eternity. That is our destiny. Or was… Until that dreadful night they went too far. When they murdered my Chichi-ue!"
Neji waits for Naruto to speak. When he sees he is speechless, he looks up to the sky and speaks once more. "One night, someone entered the Main Household and abducted Hinata-sama. Hiashi-same quickly caught and killed the man. And who was this intruder, stealing through the shadows in the dead of night, wearing a mask over his face?
It was none other than the Head Kumo shinobi of Kaminari no Kuni, the man who had just signed the Alliance with us. It was apparent to everyone that he was after the secret of the Byakugan. But Kaminari no Kuni professed shock at this willful murder of their ninja. They claimed that Konohagakure no Sato went in violation of the treaty and they demanded recompense.
Things got worse and worse until it looked like war would break out anew. Konohagakure no Sato wanted above all things to avoid a war, so at last, they made a deal. A life for a life. Kaminari no Kuni demand that the one who had slain their ninja were to be handed over to them. If there was to be peace, Hiashi-sama was to be killed. Konohagakure accepted their terms."
Neji crips his headband with such strength that the top layer starts chipping. "And so to avert a war, a man was killed, but not Hiashi. My father, his twin brother, was killed in his place in order to protect the Main Household! Only in death was my father finally free of this evil Curse Mark. They were so much alike, twin brothers, but their destinies were determined long ago when one was born a few seconds after the other."
Neji looks back up at Naruto. "And this match is the same. Your destiny was decided the moment I was chosen as your opponent. It's your destiny to lose to me. And that's it."
"Oh yeah? Well, we won't know that until you beat me, will we?"
Neji shakes his head disappointedly. He thought Naruto would understand him. He was wrong. He ties his headband back on.
"Okay, so your father was killed a long time ago, and I know that wasn't fair and maybe you're upset about that, I understand. But that has nothing to do with destiny. If you think I'm buying that, you're wrong, dattebayo."
"You will never understand." Neji activates his Byakugan and rushes in toward Naruto. He delivers a brutal palm strike in the middle of Naruto's sternum. All the air is pushed out of Naruto's lungs and he tumbles and rolls multiple times before his momentum fades.
"Proctor. It's over." Neji looks at Naruto. "Hm. You really are a failure." He turns to walk away.
"Wait, don't you dare walk away from me." Naruto struggles back to his feet, holding his ribs. "I'm not done yet. I don't quit and I never go back on my word. That's my nindo, my ninja way."
Naruto groans. "Ha. I've heard those words before. All this destiny shit. Well, if you really believe it, why are you the one walking away?"
"You impudent little brat. Why did I waste my breath explaining this to you? We are all given a destiny at birth, and it's pointless to fight against it! You don't know what it's like to be branded with a mark that sets you apart, a mark that can never be wiped away!"
Naruto pants in equal parts pain, anger, and exhaustion. "Oh, yeah. I know what that's like. More than you could ever know." Neji quirks a brow. "Well, big deal. Who cares?"
Neji misinterprets Naruto's words as him being purposefully ignorant. His Byakugan flairs in accordance. "You worthless little…"
"Man, you think you've got troubles? I've got news for you, Neji, you're not the only special one around here, dattebayo. Did you ever think that Hinata might be suffering as much as you are? It's not her fault that her father was born ahead of yours, but you resent her for it. You disrespected her even when she was trying so hard to improve herself. All she wanted was your respect. That's what she was fighting for, even though it almost killed her.
And what was that all about anyway? I thought it was your destiny to serve the Main Household. Doesn't you trying to kill her go directly against your beliefs? After all, you said that you can't fight your destiny. You don't really believe in that either, do you?"
Naruto stumbles a bit. He grabs at his chest and coughs up a wad of blood.
Neji smirks. "Hm. I have blocked all 64 of your major tenketsu. How are you planning to keep fighting when you can't use chakra against me? It's fitting that you sympathize with Hinata-sama because you are about to share her fate." Neji reactivates his eyes.
"Oh yeah? You think that Byakugan of yours sees everything. You know everyone's weakness, right?"
"That's right. But if you think you're the one who can prove me wrong, well, be my guest." Neji's left eye twitches. God, this kid is insufferable!
"You got it. I'm gonna show you you're wrong about a lot of things, starting right now." On the inside though, Naruto is nervous. 'Shit! I have no other choice. I need to use the Kyuubi's chakra.'
Naruto closes his eyes and draws on Yami's chakra to create the bridge. 'Okay, you stinking fox, if you're there, give me your strength!' Naruto's heart pounds as he feels the foreign chakra enter his system.
Neji looks at the proctor. "This has gone for long enough. I suggest you stop this match. If he's foolish enough to continue to fight, then I will not be responsible for what happens to him."
Naruto sucks his teeth. He performs a ram seal to both draw and focus on the Kyuubi's chakra. A vein throbs on his temple from the strain.
Neji spits on the ground as if he tasted something bitter. "Why fight a hopeless battle trying to defy your destiny?"
"Cause people called me a failure. I'll prove them wrong." Power explodes around Naruto, causing the rocks and pebbles around him to levitate from the pressure.
Neji activates his Byakugan to look at Naruto's chakra. 'What? It can't be. Where is that chakra coming from?' He sees a red power focused on Naruto's right hand. He sees the chakra go up the arm, go into the main coils, and get distributed amongst the rest of the body, forcefully opening his closed tenketsu. 'Impossible!'
Shockwaves of power roll off of Naruto as wisping tongues of tangible red chakra swirls around him, acting as heads of a hydra. Naruto controls the power so that it boosts him rather than act on its own. 'This power… I like it.'
Naruto dashes off to the right faster than Neji can see. When Naruto is already behind him with thrown shuriken poised to strike, Neji has no choice but to deflect the projectiles. "Kaiten!" The shurikens lose momentum, allowing Neji to catch all three of them.
He pulls out 2 of his own and throws his barrage at Naruto, who is standing on the wall. When the weapons near him, he flashes away, disappearing in a burst of speed.
Neji barely avoids a sucker punch coming from behind and flips Naruto over. Naruto lands on his feet and they both pull out a kunai, swinging it at each other. The knives meet at the middle and deflect each other in a flashy stalemate.
Naruto and Neji leap into the air and catch their weapons, only to meet in a clash of blades in the middle once more. Neji lands clumsily, while Naruto lands comfortably on both feet.
"Hey, you like close combat, don't you?" Naruto builds up more power and sprints at Neji, each step he takes cratering the ground below him. "It may be the Hyuuga way to cave in to destiny. It's not mine! If you think it's futile to fight, then don't. Just stand there and take it!"
'Quickly! I must use Kaiten!' Neji partially activates his Kaiten in order to build up large momentum. He then uses it to stalemate with Naruto in a super-charged kunai clash.
"I will change the way of the Hyuuga after I become Hokage!" When their blades meet, so too does their chakra. Their attacks merge and create a violent explosion that shakes the entire arena.
When the smoke and dust cleared up, two man-sized craters scarring the ground are what remains as evidence of the clash between the two children. An arm shoots out of the left crater, showing Neji weakly forcing his way out of the pit.
Not to be outdone, Naruto forces his way out of his crater. Compared to Neji, he looks mostly unscathed.
Neji growls in frustration. The kid is like a damned cockroach.
Naruto runs toward Neji. Neji activates his Byakugan in time to dodge Naruto's punch. Neji spins on the balls of his feet to deliver a roundhouse kick on a shadow clone behind him.
This gives Naruto the opening needed to slam a vicious uppercut on Neji's chin. His first strike on the Huuga prodigy.
Neji moves his body with the momentum of the punch so he can have his left knee ram into Naruto's ribs.
Naruto stumbles but does so in a way that his knee overlaps Neji's own, forcing both boys onto a knee. A shadow clone comes from behind. Neji is able to move his head to the side in time, but in doing so, it leaves him defenseless against Naruto's left hook. The punch leaves him stunned, giving the clone enough time to spin. It begins gathering momentum so its heel can crash into Neji's cheek.
Neji's body is thrown a few feet away. Naruto and the clone hobble their way toward Neji. When they are in range, Neji spins down low, sweeping Naruto and the clone's legs. Neji rights himself and smashes his elbow onto Naruto's temple. He then jabs his fingers into the clone's throat -successfully dispelling it- and into Naruto's ribs.
Neji stands and slams his shin onto Naruto's cranium, sending him flying. Neji wipes the blood off his lips.
Naruto stands up not long after. They charge at each other. Neji clumsily dodges Naruto's attacks and struggles to block them, but he is able to keep his defense impenetrable. Naruto, however, is too tired to evade Neji's attacks. He avoids Neji's Juuken strikes but fails to intercept Neji's physical blows and kicks.
Neji sweeps aside Naruto's haymaker, giving him the space to spin around him and ram his elbow on the back of Naruto's head. Naruto turns around, throwing his own elbow. Neji ducks under it and swings a left hook on Naruto's jaw. When Naruto raises his leg for a kick, Neji plows his knee into Naruto's abdomen.
Naruto backs up for a breather. Neji charges in again. Naruto jumps and swings his leg high into the air, hoping to land the strike before Neji. Neji smirks, finally finding an opening for Juuken. When Naruto is mid-air, Neji coats chakra into his right hand. He comes inside Naruto's space and he thrusts his palm on Naruto's xiphoid process between his sternum and diaphragm. The air is knocked out of Naruto's lungs, leaving him truly breathless. He is sent gliding through the air, finally landing on the ground.
Naruto swallows greedy breaths of air, trying to get oxygen back in his blood. Neji lets him. He's starting to feel exhausted himself.
Naruto turns so he can lay on his stomach. He forces himself on all fours.
Neji eyes him, finally ready to put down this pest. He gathers chakra in his hands.
Naruto finally gets on one knee. Neji sprints toward Naruto.
Naruto takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. He needs help again. 'Please, one of you, help me once more.' A sinister chuckle reverberates throughout his mind. "You really are weak, Hikari. It's almost sickening. You couldn't even start seeing the truth until I started helping you. But I'll help you again. Take my chakra. Let it help clear your vision. Hehehehahaha!" Naruto feels Yami's vile energy in his hand. He mixes it with his own chakra and focuses it on his eyes. He can feel something happening. something awakening.
Naruto snaps his eyes open. He can see in every direction all of a sudden. He can see the tubes of chakra inside his body, and for some reason, everything is in black and white. His eyes, they are no longer his cerulean blue anymore. They are a solid pale gray. Thankfully, no one sees this change as Naruto is looking at the floor.
Naruto instinctively activates his Byakugan. The veins protrude from his temple. He sees Neji running after him, approaching with chakra in his hands. Naruto gets ready.
When Neji is finally close enough to cast a shadow on Naruto's form, the plan is put into motion. Neji thrusts his arm forward, finally finishing with this farce. Suddenly, Naruto spontaneously grabs Neji's arm, yanks it, and pulls. Neji is flipped over, being laid out flat by an improvised Judo slam.
Neji is able to keep the momentum of the flip so he can roll back on his feet. Naruto spins down low, sweeping Neji's feet. Naruto stands up and swings his leg. When Neji is back on a knee, a shin slams into the back of his head. He saw it coming with his Byakugan, but he was too slow to react. Neji's body tumbles a few meters away.
Neji quickly gets back on his feet. He sees Naruto sprinting toward him with chakra gathering in his hand. When Neji looks Naruto in the eyes, he gasps. 'B-Byakugan?!' So stunned was Neji that he remained frozen even in the face of imminent danger.
Naruto finally gets into Neji's personal space. He swings his arm back and thrusts it forward. Naruto lands a full Hyuuga-style palm strike on Neji's sternum, sending the older boy rolling to the middle of the arena.
Naruto falls to a knee, the exhaustion of what he did finally kicking in. That chakra in his eyes fades and his vision returns to normal. The veins fade from his temple, and his cerulean eyes reappear, taking dominance over his weak and diluted bloodline.
Naruto pants, trying to get some energy back in his system. He watches Neji force his body on all fours, slowly making his way to his feet. Naruto summons a shadow clone. Both of them draw a kunai and sprint toward Neji, getting ready to deliver the finishing blow. They swing their arms back, getting ready to stab the boy. Neji leaps to his feet and gathers chakra on his hands. He jumps again and spins in a counter-clockwise motion. "Kaiten!"
Naruto and his clone are launched far away from Neji. The clone dispels on contact with the chakra dome, while Naruto is sent tumbling and rolling until he falls back in the crater he was in before.
Neji falls to a knee and rubs his hands. They sting from the overuse of chakra, and he is running on empty. He was saving that Kaiten for the right moment. He has done it. However, 'Was I seeing things right? Was that the Byakugan? Is Uzumaki a Hyuuga? No, impossible. My mind must be playing tricks on me.'
Neji drags his weary body toward the crater. Looking inside, he sees a still smoking and unconscious Naruto laying in the bed he made. Neji holds his ribs in order to take in a much-needed breath. "I apologize, but this is reality. You're a failure. This match is over."
A crack is heard below him. A tightly clenched fist slams directly into Neji's chin, launching him into the air. Naruto spins and slams a Juuken palm strike into Neji's sternum, knocking the wind out of the boy. The Naruto in the pit dispels, revealing a hole underneath.
Naruto's hands tremble, showing the cuts, scrapes, and chipped nails on his fingers. Blood leaks from his fingers, proving his grit by forcefully digging his way underground. When he landed in the pit, he summoned a clone over it to hide what he was doing.
Neji tries to move but realizes he can't. 'My body… why can't I move? This feels like... Juuken?!' His eyes widen.
When Naruto walks up to him, Neji has to stifle a groan as he prepares to speak. "I… should've known you'd use that Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. It's your specialty after all. I was careless."
Naruto pants to try and swallow as much precious oxygen as possible. "For the record, I failed the graduation exam three times because there was one jutsu that was always on the exam. It tripped me up every time. It was the one damned jutsu I couldn't master. My clones were shit. That's right. I flunked the Bunshin no Jutsu every time."
Neji gasps. His eyes pulsate in and out of focus. "So don't come whining to me with that destiny bullshit. And stop trying to tell me that you can't change what you are. You can do it too Neji. 'Cause after all, if a failure like me can do it, then so can you. You are a genius Neji, and I'm not."
Neji's lower lip quivers a bit. He bites it to make sure it stops. He looks at the sky and sees a bird flying in the sky. That image is enough to calm him and make him seriously think about Naruto's words.
Genma raises his arm. "The winner is, Uzumaki Naruto." Claps, whistles, and cheers buzz around the stadium filling the air in its droning hum.
Naruto blushes bright red at first, initially very embarrassed and confused by the positive feedback, but once he gets comfortable, he jumps up and down and cheers himself. He poses for the crowd in an effort to get a better reaction. He freezes when he feels Yami's chakra burning in his hand. He realizes why Yami would be upset, what is so wrong with the scene. He is pandering to the very people who made and make him miserable.
He immediately stops celebrating and stoically walks back to the contestants' platform.
Ganma spares Neji a side glance. "Even a caged bird is smart enough and will be able to figure out how to open the door to its cage with its beak. The dream of flying and breaking free is too great."
Everyone in the crowd smiles and cheers, but no one manages to spot the shadowy figure on top of the stand, viewing the arena.
"Naruto." Sasuke's Sharingan fades. He has a smile on his face. He is happy that Naruto won, but then the corner of his lips twitch. He frowns. "I don't quit and I don't run. I never go back on my word." Sasuke rolls his tongue around, trying to get a feel for those words.
He scowls. "Tch. You are many things Naruto, but I never took you as a hypocrite. You used the power of the Kyuubi to win the fight. Using a power you were gifted at birth to win a fight going against destiny. The second the going gets tough, you're willing to abandon your path, your way of the shinobi in order to gain a combative advantage that being on your path doesn't allow. I expected better from you, Naruto.
Is this how much your nindo means to you? How effective is your path, truly?" Sasuke doesn't have the answers right now. That's food for thought for later, but for the moment, Sasuke has to remain focused. 'And what was that just now. Your eyes. They looked like the Hyuuga boy's eyes. What are you hiding Naruto?' He shakes his head. He eyes the outskirts of the village. He needs to meet up with Kakashi and get ready for his match.
Sasuke puts up a hand seal and vanishes in a swirl of leaves.
In the infirmary, Neji lays on his bed, ruminating on the blond's words. The door of his room opens.
"Hyuuga-sama!" Exclaims the nurses.
"I'm sorry, but could you please step out for a moment? It won't take long."
"H-hai." Both nurses scram, leaving Hiashi alone with his nephew.
Neji sits up painfully. "What do you want with me?"
"You know that day? Well, I've come to tell you the truth about what happened."
"What are you saying?"
Hiashi takes a deep, calm breath. He exhales slowly. "That day, I was fully prepared to die."
"What are you talking about? That day, my chichi-ue was forced to pose as you, and was murdered for the sake of the family!"
Hiashi digs into his kimono and pulls out a scroll. He walks over to Neji. "What is this?"
"The truth you seek. The truth is here in this scroll."
"Of course. It's only excuses made for the convenience of the Head Family."
Hiashi bows slightly and leaves the scroll on Neji's bed. "The person you are now should be able to understand."
Neji glances at the scroll. His eyes widen. "That writing…" It's his father's handwriting.
Neji unfurls the scroll. "Neji. I'm afraid that I only have a little time left. And I want to use that limited time to tell you something. The Head Kumogakure shinobi tried to abduct Hinata-sama. But Hiashi-sama killed the would-be kidnapper. However, Kaminari no Kuni refused to even acknowledge the abduction attempt, and instead only made trouble about the Head Ninja's death. The demands for retribution were completely unreasonable."
The scroll explains the negotiations Konoha had with Kaminari no Kuni. Neji gets to the end of the scroll.
"Forge your own destiny, Neji. Your fate is something you create with your own hands."
Neji chokes back a sob. "Chichi-ue." Neji sees movement in the corner of his eye. He catches Hiashi prostrate himself and bow fully to him.
"This is the truth. Neji, I am sorry."
"Please, Hiashi-sama. Don't bow to me." States Neji apathetically. Hiashi gets up and dusts himself off. He bows once more to Neji and leaves him alone in the infirmary.
'Chichi-ue. I can't be sure if a person's destiny is like a cloud, floating on a fixed current that it can't escape. Or if people are able to ride on whatever breeze they choose. I don't know. I don't completely understand it yet.
And maybe the destination is the same, no matter what you choose. Just when you choose one course, along comes someone who's picked a different path, one that's devoted to living life at its fullest. There's a real strength to be found in that love of life. I finally understand that because of this latest battle.
Now, Chichi-ue. I have only one goal. To be able to choose and see the end of my path, just like you did. That's what I feel is my goal now.'
Neji looks out the window to catch two birds flying away. 'Chichi-ue, I wish you could see these birds flying. They're finding their freedom too.'
The crowd is rowdy. The last match was exciting, and they crave more.
A shinobi leans to whisper in the Hokage's ear. "There's been no news on the whereabouts of Uchiha-sama. Before any trouble arises, please disqualify him."
Hiruzen groans. "I guess I have no choice. Sasuke-kun is disqualified."
Rasa faces the Hokage. "Hmm. Uchiha Sasuke is disqualified?"
"Yes. I'm afraid so."
"Hokage-dono. I ask you to reconsider. Wait a little longer before disqualifying Uchiha Sasuke."
The Hokage's assistant speaks up. "I understand, but no matter how excellent the shinobi, he's late. We cannot allow special privileges. If there's no clear reason to make the shinobi and Daimyos wait, then there's no reason not to disqualify him."
"I see. Then it's good that I do have a clear reason. Including myself, most of the Shinobi leaders and Daimyos came simply to see the next match. He's the only remaining member of the Uchiha Clan. And I know that Kaze no Kuni especially is hoping for a good fight between Sasuke and our Gaara."
Hiruzen sighs. "Very well. We will make an exception. We shall postpone this match and wait."
The Hokage's assistant bows and whispers. "Hokage-sama. I must protest."
"Notify the proctor of my decision immediately." His pleas fall on deaf ears.
"Hai." The shinobi disappears in a plume of smoke.
"It's very odd for you to insist so heavily, Kazekage-dono."
"To display the full might of our village, no one but an Uchiha will do. There is no one better. It's a big opportunity for Sasuke, but it's an even bigger opportunity for us."
Genma faces the crowd. "Listen up. One of the contestants for the next fight isn't here yet, so we will postpone this match briefly, and simply jump ahead to the battle that would've followed this one." The crowd dies down. A lot of the energy is zapped.
"Will Kankuro and Aburame Shino come to the fighting area please?"
Kankuro sucks his teeth. 'My match means nothing now. Besides, I don't want to reveal the mechanism of my trained Crow puppet to the enemy before our plan comes to fruition.' "Proctor! I withdraw, so please advance to the next match!"
Jeers and boos buzz around the arena like a swarm of clingy flies.
Genma takes a breath to relax. "Due to Kankuro's withdrawal, Aburame Shino wins by default." The crowd yells in protest, claiming that they are being ripped off.
Tired at all the whining, Temari takes her fan off her back, unfurls, it, and unleashes a powerful gust of wind to help her float down to the arena. It successfully silences the crowd. "It's my turn now, right?"
Genma sucks on his senbon. "Fine. Let's get on with the next match." He eyes Shikamaru. "Hey, you up there. Come down, Nara Shikamaru."
Shikamaru raises his arm to forfeit, but Naruto shoves him down into the arena. 'Damn that Naruto.'
…
After many minutes of fighting, Shikamaru succeeded in trapping Temari in his Kageshibari no Jutsu. Once they meet in the middle, Shikamaru raises their arms, getting ready to deliver his checkmate. "To hell with it. I give up."
Shikamaru gave up at the brink of victory, just because it'd be too much trouble to keep going.
…
"Goddammit, that Shikamaru! Quitting when he had the match won? Man, he really ticks me off, dattebayo. That lazy son of a bitch!"
Naruto leaps into the arena to give Shikamaru an earful.
After many minutes, the crowd grows restless and agitated. They have waited, watched other matches, and the Uchiha still hasn't shown up. Yells and demands are thrown out, and bets are in danger of being called off. The agitation feeds further agitation, and soon, the crowd could riot.
"Hokage-sams. There is still no sign of Uchiha Sasuke. He hasn't arrived in the arena."
"I see. Then we have no choice. We'll have to proceed. We've kept these good people waiting long enough."
"Hai."
…
Once told the news, Genma faces the crowd. "The time limit has been fulfilled. I'm officially calling this match-"
A powerful blast of leaves in a whirlwind fills the arena. When the air settles, in the middle are Kakashi and Sasuke, standing back-to-back.
Genma raises an eyebrow. "So, who might you be?"
"Uchiha Sasuke."
…
In the stands, the crowd goes wild, celebrating the reality of the fight.
"So he made it in time, huh?"
The rookies turn to see who it is who said that. "Lee-san!" Yells Sakura in glee.
…
The crowd grows rowdy, swinging back and forth, causing the stands to sway. Their arms are thrust into the air like a flurry of arrows in the sky. Whistles and cheers screech around like a blade cutting through the air.
"Heh, so you decided to show up after all. I was betting you wouldn't come 'cause sooner or later you'd have to face me." Naruto claims in jest.
Sasuke smirks. "So what about you? Did you win?"
"You know it!"
Sasuke's smirk twitches up a notch, but it is covered by his now neck-length bangs. "Heh. Well, don't get too full of yourself. You're still an Usuratonkachi."
Kakashi walks up to Genma while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry if we kept you waiting, but, um, how late are we? I mean, it's not like Sasuke is, well, disqualified or anything, right?"
Genma sighs deeply. "You know, you were so late that we extended the deadline for you, twice in fact. It's lucky for you we did because you barely made it. No, he's not disqualified."
Kakashi chuckles in relief. He glances at Sasuke, who is staring intensely at Gaara.
"Just make sure you don't lose to this guy Sasuke."
"Hn."
"And Sasuke!" The Uchiha looks at his teammate. "Don't lose, 'cause I wanna fight you myself."
Sasuke looks at Naruto impassively. "Ah."
Naruto and Shikamaru walk up the steps to the competitor's level. When they get to the middle platform, they stop as they observe what is happening ahead of them. Gaara is being shaken down by a pair of Kirigakure shinobi. The instant they vocalize their intent, Gaara's gourd uncorks itself.
What happens next is something that will stick with both kids for the rest of their lives.
Gaara's sand grabs the nearest shinobi by the leg, dragging them to the center of it. The sand compresses and squeezes, crunching the bones in his body until his screams are silenced. Even then, the sand keeps grinding until the ninja is ground to dust, becoming a part of the sand.
Seeing the end of his comrade, the second ninja dashes away, hoping to spare himself of his fate. Gaara's sand grabs him by the ankle, dragging him in to join his partner and become one with the desert.
Naruto and Shikamaru remain frozen, unable to even twitch out of shock. Even when they hear the reverberating footsteps of the culprit near, they still can't move.
Gaara reaches the steps and walks down them, not even sparing a blink to either of the Konoha genins. That's fine with him. He's saving all his energy for the Uchiha. Why worry about the cannon fodder anyway?
…
"The winner of the match is decided once either one of you forfeits or is killed. The match can also be won if I deem it over. Other than that, there are no rules. Now, both of you to the middle."
Sasuke faces Gaara with a stern, resolved frown marring his delicate features. Gaara looks at Sasuke with a sadistic smirk and hungry eyes. He looks at Sasuke the way a predator leers at its prey.
"Hajime!" The second the breath is uttered, Gaara's sand explodes to life.
Sasuke backs up immediately, never having seen Gaara's ability at work.
Gaara gasps and grips his head. A hot, searing pain burns his cranium, trying to get out. "Please, I beg you… don't get so mad at me… Kaa-san." Gaara looks at Sasuke with maniacal resolve.
"Early… earlier, I know I made you taste such awful blood. I'm so sorry. But this time, I'm sure that it'll taste so very good." Gaara loses control of his sand, making it fall. and go limp. He grips his skull and gasps for breath.
Once he's calmed down, he looks at Sasuke. The insanity in his eyes is gone. He has clarity.
…
Shikamaru and Naruto recompose themselves in the stairwell.
"Naruto. Do you remember yesterday? Specifically, what Gaara said?"
Naruto's eyes widen.
"I do for sure. 'I will kill you all.' That's what he said, but then he didn't do it. It was the perfect opportunity, buddy. I don't know. It was like he didn't even see us or something."
Naruto narrows his eyes. "We're not good enough, not for that guy. Right now, the only person who can make him feel anything is Sasuke, dattebayo." Naruto's nails dig into the flesh of his knees. "Shikamaru. We have to talk to Kakashi-sensei right now!"
Naruto doesn't wait for a reply and leaps toward the stands, leaving Shikamaru to catch up.
…
Sasuke starts by flinging two shurikens at Gaara. Gaara's shield absorbs the blow. The sand begins taking shape, becoming a sand clone. Said clone is holding both shurikens in hand.
Sasuke runs at Gaara. The clone launches a ball of sand at Sasuke, forcing him to jump. The sand clone throws the shurikens back at Sasuke. Sasuke takes out two more shurikens to deflect them.
Sasuke spins to deliver a heel kick on the clone's hands, managing to destroy them. Sasuke balances on his hands to right himself, and land a back-handed strike to the clone's throat. The sand starts to absorb his hand, and Sasuke has to charge up a point-blank palm strike in the clone's face to finally destroy it.
Sasuke keeps his momentum going and brings his arm back for a wild haymaker. Gaara summons his sand shield to defend him. Just before he makes contact, Sasuke disappears from view. Sasuke appears behind Gaara and tries another strike.
The sand defense comes up once more, except Sasuke diverges his path at the last moment, succeeding in fooling the sand. He lands the full brunt of the strike on Gaara's cheek and launches him back from the force alone.
When Gaara gets back up, his sand armor seems cracked and chipped on his cheek.
Sasuke charges back in. Whenever Gaara's sand bunches up or gets too close, Sasuke disappears and reappears on the thinnest side of Gaara's sand. When Gaara would notice and compensate, Sasuke would duck under the sand and through the gaps.
At one particular time, he finds an opening and gets in close. He kicks up, dishing out a high kick on the underside of Gaara's chin.
Sasuke runs around Gaara, forcing him into one spot. Sasuke would take advantage of the erratic movements of the sand to get into Gaara's personal space. A roundhouse kick to the face is followed by a knee strike to the gut, forcing Gaara to the ground.
When Gaara gets up, he glares darkly at Sasuke. He performs a modified Tiger seal and starts being surrounded by his own sand.
Sasuke sprints toward Gaara, hoping to get a strike in before Gaara can ready his jutsu. When he punches the sand dome, spikes jut out near him. Sasuke backs away in time to avoid being skewered. He checks his hand and sees the blood dripping from his knuckles.
"So he's using the sand as a shield. And because of the density of the sand, it's as hard as a rock." Sasuke's right-hand trembles from the pain. "He's absolutely protected from all sides."
…
"Kaka-sensei!" Naruto and Shikamaru show up panting, trying to catch their breaths.
"What is it, Naruto?"
"Sensei, please! You have to stop this match right now, dattebayo!"
"What?"
"The guy Sasuke is fighting is completely different from the rest of us, dattebayo. He's as far from normal as you can get, dattebayo!"
Ino buts in. "Naruto, slow down. What are you trying to say?"
"He thinks his purpose in life is to kill people. Don't you see? If this continues, Sasuke will die!"
Nobody reacts. They all look at each other nervously, but no one dares to say anything.
"Come on! You've got to believe me!" Nothing.
Seeing everyone's reactions remain impassive, Naruto starts getting frustrated. He growls and stares right at Kakashi. "I swear, if anything happens to Sasuke, I will NEVER forgive you!"
Kakashi looks back toward the fight. "Relax. It's nothing to worry about."
Naruto's eye twitches. "Excuse me?!"
"You know, Sasuke and I weren't just goofing around. There's a reason we were so late to get here."
Sakura joins the conversation. "Sensei. You say there is a good reason. So, what were you guys doing?"
"Hmm. It's a long story."
"Quit the shit sensei, dattebayo! This isn't the time to sit around and talk."
"Watch your mouth Naruto. And you're right, so shut up and watch."
Naruto's eye twitches violently. He resists the urge to growl.
"Keep your eye on Sasuke. He's about to surprise you."
…
Sasuke launches kunai at the sand shield. The knives bounce off without denting the dome. Sasuke sprints back toward the dome. Whenever spikes would come out, he'd maneuver his body to avoid getting impaled, and to punch the dome.
Sasuke backs away before the spikes can get close enough. Sasuke runs around the dome, trying to find an opening. The sand starts following him, barely missing his flesh. He backs away fully, keeping as much distance between himself and Gaara.
'That didn't work. Big surprise. Are you going to stay in there forever? If so, then you'll give me all the time I need to get ready.' Sasuke makes a clawing motion with his left hand. He then starts unbuttoning his arm guard.
Sasuke leaps backward and up the wall. When he reaches a high enough level, he uses his chakra to keep himself standing. He turns to face Gaara below.
He stretches his fingers. Ox- Rabbit- Monkey. Sasuke places his right hand over his left near the wrist and starts focusing the chakra on his left palm. He starts gritting his teeth and sparks form in his palm. He grunts, and starts trembling, forcing more chakra until the sparks scream, creating a dense, shrieking ball of lightning.
…
Guy gasps. "No way. Is that-?"
"It is. You've always wondered why I've always insisted on training Sasuke myself, well now you know. It's because he is like me."
"A physical activation? That's what you were doing all this time. You were building his speed up to the required level."
Kakashi eye smiles. "Exactly."
"So this is the innate potential of the Uchiha clan."
…
Sasuke's chakra creates an aura around him. The pressure of the technique in his hand causes the area on the wall to crater. A sadistic smile stretches across his lips as he drags his arm back. The sound of 1000 screaming birds emanates from the jutsu.
He runs down the wall at full speed, causing a path of destruction with his jutsu. When he reaches the solid ground, He begins screaming. "Rahhgghhhhh!"
When he gets close enough, Sasuke uses his Sharingan to avoid the spikes. With a mighty roar, he pushes his arm back and thrusts forward. "Raaaaghhhhhh! Chidori!" Sasuke's jutsu breaks and pierces through Gaara's sand dome. What even Sasuke never realized was how deep he managed to go.
"GAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHH!" A blood-curdling scream wanders throughout the arena. "Blood! It's my blood!"
Sasuke tries to take his arm out of the dome, but the sand sucks him in. He activates Chidori once more to help cut the sand, and give him space to escape. Sasuke pulls his arm back and jumps away with a large monster-like arm chasing after him.
The audience gasps at the unknown appendage. Whatever it is, it isn't human.
...
In the contestant's stand, Temari shivers at the sight of the thing. Kankuro curses out loud. "Shit! Is that thing taking over?!"
...
The arm worms its way back inside the sand dome.
Sasuke holds his arm, massaging it to get the blood flowing back in the appendage. He looks up and stares into the hole in the sand dome. He sees something slithering around in there. It freezes the second he peeks in.
Suddenly, an eye opens. Black sclera and golden irises with pupils shaped like a 4-pointed star stare back at him with inhuman insanity. And what would stick with him for years to come is the scream. A frustrated, desperate scream filled with anguish held back for centuries.
"REEEEEAAARRGHHHH!" The scream comes out as a mix between a roar and a shriek. Sasuke's eyes shrink and he trembles, now rooted in place, unmoving.
The sand dome starts cracking. Spiderweb marks spread around the dome, and it all comes crashing down. Gaara stands in the middle of the mess, holding a bloody gaping wound in his left shoulder. He gasps in hungry breaths of air and gives Sasuke a pointed, maniacal glare.
…
In the stands, Kabuto -dressed in ANBU uniform- performs a modified Tiger seal, activating a hidden jutsu. Around the arena, feathers fall, lulling the people into a peaceful white slumber.
Kakashi and Guy notice the Genjutsu immediately and release themselves from the hold of the technique. Most of the rookies and the rest of the audience fall prey to the jutsu and are knocked unconscious, except for Sakura. She is able to notice in time and release herself from the binds of the technique.
A flare is dropped at the Kage booth. Kakashi and Guy are the first to notice. "Hokage-sama!"
The ANBU calls out to them. "Leave it to us!"
Just as they are approaching, a barrier is put on the roof of the Kage booth. "Ninpou: Four Flames Formation!" A massive purple box surrounds the roof. Any ANBU that touches the barrier is burned to death in an instant, keeping anybody unwanted out and everyone needed in.
In the stands, the fake ANBU appears in front of Kakashi and Guy with a team of Otogakure shinobi.
In the distance, 3 massive snakes are summoned to attack the village walls. Legions of Oto and Suna shinobi start swarming the village.
War had been declared, and Konoha wasn't ready to defend its home.
Kankuro and Temari flicker toward Gaara in contention with Baki. Genma flickers to Sasuke's side as support.
Gaara slips to one knee and grips his head. "Gaara!" Temari is able to hold him before he falls. She looks him over. "His wound is worse than we thought! And his chakra is almost completely drained."
Baki sucks his teeth. "Baka. This is all because you tried to transform before the signal was given." He rubs his chin in concentration. "Gaara is the trump card of Sunagakure. We have to get him to play his part, no matter what. Ok, you two take Gaara far away from here and tend to him. Prepare him for what's coming."
"Got it." Kankuro holds Gaara up by the shoulder. He and Temari dash away to get ready for their role in the operation.
Genma speaks up. "Do you really think things will go according to your plan?"
"I'll make sure of it."
"Hm. Is the host of this party Orochimaru?" Sasuke's head jerks toward Genma.
Baki grunts. "Don't know. Don't care." He pulls out a kunai.
Genma looks at the boy to his left. "Sasuke. I'm sorry but the Chunin Exam ends here for you. Your fight still hasn't been called though."
Sasuke's lips stitch upward. "So I go after Gaara huh? Got it." He runs and dashes out of the arena, following the clumsy trail left by the Sand siblings.
"Yare yare. We had planned to capture Sasuke-kun while Gaara was causing trouble. But not everything goes according to plan. You know that better than anyone, don't you, Sarutobi-sensei?"
Hiruzen's sunken eyes widen. "Orochimaru?! I should've known. So that was the plan. So Konohagakure no Sato and Sasuke were your goals, is that correct?"
"Konoha really isn't all that special. Your stubbornness and incompetence have allowed me to humiliate you in this way. You are defeated."
"Nothing is over until the very end. I taught you that many years ago, Orochimaru."
The disguised Kazekage rips his face away, finally showing the snake sannin in the flesh.
"I knew this day would eventually arrive. However… You are not going to defeat me that easily." Hiruzen released enough power in that statement to prove his merit as Hokage 10 times over.
"I told you before, didn't I? You are defeated. The Sandaime Hokage, right here, right now, is going to die. I will make sure that every civilian and shinobi death that happens today will be obsolete. No one will care about irrelevant fodder when everyone is mourning at the funeral of a Kage."
…
Sakura looks away from the carnage around her. People are being killed everywhere she looks. She seizes up, shivers, and turns away only to see the same scene happening in front of her. She can't escape all the death. She's so caught up in it she doesn't notice the two Otogakure shinobi charging at her.
Kakashi intercepts the shinobi and cuts them down in a simple movement. He looks at her and eye smiles. "Sakura, just stay there while I trim the enemies' numbers down to size." Kakashi teams up with Guy to eliminate the enemies on their side of the arena. They alone are responsible for protecting the civilians and their students.
Once the enemy starts to clear up and he is able to get a reprieve, Kakashi goes to his sole female student. "Sakura. It was worth teaching you Genjutsu during survival training for the Genin exam. You truly do have a talent for it.
Now, release the Genjutsu and wake Naruto and Shikamaru up. Naruto will be delighted to get a mission after such a long time. It's your first A-rank since Nami no Kuni."
"But sensei. With this battle going on, why send us off on a mission?"
"Sasuke's chasing Gaara and the other sand shinobi. Now Sakura, do as I say. Wake those two up and go after Sasuke."
"What about Ino and Choji?"
"Sakura! Remember your Academy training on a four-man squad."
"O-oh, yeah.."
Kakashi uses his kunai to make a shallow cut on his left hand. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" A pug wearing a blue vest and a Konohagakure headband keeping his ears back is summoned. "Pakkun here will track Sasuke by scent. He is your fourth squad member. I need to stay here anyway."
"Seriously? Our fourth member is a puppy?"
Pakkun's ears twitch. He appears in front of Sakura at a speed she couldn't track. "Alright, listen up, little girl. Don't you dare go around saying I'm just some cute puppy."
Kakashi gets irritated at all the idle chitchat. "Sakura! Pakkun is your fourth member. Make it work and go!"
"R-right. S-sorry sensei."
Sakura gets on the floor and crawls toward Naruto. When she's close enough, she does the required seals, ending in Tiger. "Kai." She whispers. She taps Naruto on the neck.
Naruto crawls up and rubs his eyes awake. "Huh? What's going on, Sakura?"
Sakura hears the whistling sound of metal slicing through the air heading toward Naruto. She grabs him by the neck and drags him to the floor. Naruto's head crashes into the concrete. A kunai whizzes right through where his head once was.
Naruto sucks in a breath to stop himself from screaming. He doesn't know what's going on, but he can feel the seriousness. 'Fuck! That hurt!'
Sakura puts her lips near Naruto's ear. "I'll fill you in later. Just stay down."
Sakura makes her way to Shikamaru. When she approaches, she notices his eye twitching, which makes him frown slightly. She deadpans. "Shikamaru, you were… this whole time?" Sakura grips him by the ankle harder, harder, and harder until she hears his bones creak. She applies further pressure on his leg until she hears a pop and a snap.
Shikamaru's eyes snap open and he punches the ground to hold in a scream. He doesn't want to capture the attention of the foreign shinobi. "So you broke the Genjutsu too huh, you faker. Why were you pretending to be asleep this whole time?"
Shikamaru wipes away the tear rolling down his eyes. That. Fucking. HURT! He takes a few deep breaths and massages his leg until the pain dulls a bit. He looks back at Sakura. "I didn't want to get involved. Just give me a break. I couldn't care less about Sasuke."
Naruto pays his arguing friends no mind. He looks around the arena. He hears the sound of metal clashing and the activation of jutsu. He sees the bodies of many foreign and Konoha shinobi. He sees more bodies falling at the hands of his sensei and Guy. He looks to the audience seeing that nearly everyone is asleep.
Thankfully, it seems like the civilians are safe. Except… Naruto looks at the end of a seat 3 rows in front of him. He sees a young woman- somewhere between 16 and 21 years of age- on the ground. She has a massive gaping gash in her chest resembling a kunai. There's red staining her top from her neckline to just below her breasts. Her top is ripped above her navel, revealing most of her abdomen. She's a civilian.
"Wh… What is all this?" Naruto sees an Otogakure shinobi jump toward a Konoha shinobi. The Konoha ninja spits a wave of fire at the sound ninja, setting him and his surrounding area on fire. The hair of one of the women in attendance catches on fire, creating a trail for the flames to travel on. The woman's hair is fully ignited, reaching her scalp and eventually her whole head. The Konoha shinobi doesn't seem to notice his jutsu has now killed a civilian from his own village, and no one does anything to stop it.
He sees the clash of two other ninjas and their kunais. When the Konoha ninja backs up, the Sunagakure shinobi unleashes a barrage of shuriken. The Konoha ninja leaps out of the way. The shuriken barrage continues on its path piercing and slicing many of the civilians in attendance. An elderly woman's throat is slit. A man is stabbed in the skull. Another man is pierced in the chest. An old man has his eye split in half by the projectile, and… a little boy, no older than 7 has a shuriken lodged in his soft, unprotected carotid artery. Not even old enough to be in the Academy
All this damage was caused by stray shuriken. All of these unnecessary and innocent deaths were caused by the negligence of shinobi. The battle of 2 shinobi caused the deaths of 5 innocent people. And no one seems to care.
'No one cares… Am I dreaming right now? There's no way that this is real. Shinobi fight, but the only ones that are really dying are civilians. A child just died in front of my eyes… and no one has noticed. We bet if they did, no one would care. This isn't reality. We are in hell. A hellish nightmare we can't escape from. Where are we?' In the middle of his monologue, an Otogakure shinobi sneaks up behind Naruto, brandishing a bloody kunai.
"Naruto! Behind you!" Yells Sakura.
Naruto is shaken from his ruminations and manages to see the shinobi behind him. It's too late, There's no time for him to escape.
Might Guy flickers into view and slams the enemy through the arena wall, letting him fall to his imminent demise.
Kakashi lands in front of the trio, finally gaining Naruto's attention. "Now I'll explain the mission. As soon as I do, go through the opening Guy made."
"Mission?" Now that he is aware, Naruto realizes he missed a lot.
Kakashi ignores him. "First, track down Sasuke and stop him. Then find a safe location and await further instructions."
"What's going on with Sasuke, dattebayo?"
"I'll tell you on the way." Sakura grabs Naruto and leaps out of the opening. Shikamaru lags behind but follows.
As he's being pulled out, Naruto takes one last look inside the arena. The bodies from before are still there. The young girl with the hole in her chest, the adults whose chests have stopped rising, and the little boy whose eyes lack any light.
The last thing Naruto sees is one of the support beams in the arena being taken out, causing the roof to cave in and bury a section of the audience.
Naruto's pupils shrink until they resemble pins. So what he saw before wasn't a vivid nightmare. It was reality. One that he lives in.
How disgusting.
His only solace is the angry yells from Guy and Kakashi berating the Konoha ninja responsible. His recklessness killed many more and injured an entire section of the audience.
The berated shinobi is distracted long enough to be struck with a fireball from an enemy shinobi. Killed by the same aloofness and negligence that killed those innocents.
Good. That man is the scum of the Earth. Anyone like him deserves to be eradicated.
…
Narrator: Naruto has his first encounter with war. What it means to fight in a war. The unnecessary deaths of the bystanders, and the pointlessness of the conflicts of those fighting.
He may be young and inexperienced now, but the day will come that war is as familiar to Naruto as breathing. This is only a small taste preparing him for the trials to come.
That's the chapter. I have nothing to say other than the next chapter will be released in 2-3 days.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thank you for reading.
As always, If you have any questions or concerns, even criticism, Please PM me or Review. I'll always answer.
This is Zippy, out.