Beating The Odds
Chapter 09: Win, Lose or Raw?
By: MikeJV37
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----July 21, 7:56 AM, Underground Arena----
Naruto looked around with a smile, of the twenty-seven teams that started the Forest of Death, the Leaf teams six through ten made it, as well as the team from Suna, one from Grass and one from Rock. He hadn't told any of his friends except Hinata and Tenten, but after Kin had told Kurenai everything she knew about the invasion, which was limited but enough to alert the Jounin to watch for, he'd been assigned to watch the team from Suna, that he now knew were the Sand Siblings from what the old man told him. Naruto told him about Garra, but to avoid tipping them off and give him a chance to help a fellow jinchuuriki instead of having to kill him, he'd been assigned to personally handle Garra if Shukaku appeared. He glanced up at Sarutobi in his seat above the arena and saw Sarutobi give him a subtle nod. 'Good, they're ready, I just wish Kin knew when it was planned for.' Naruto thought as he lined up for the rules he figured were coming, and probably a speech he knew the old man liked to make.
Hinata looked to her right when she heard an amused chuckle. "What's so funny Naruto-kun?"
"He's probably gonna give us a speech." Naruto said with a big smirk.
After the rules were explained, Sarutobi did give a short speech, the Proctor revealed and activated the board on the wall, it ran through everyone's name in the two slots.
Rock Lee -vs- Kankurou
Everyone went up to the catwalk, Leaf nin on the right, Grass and Rock on the left, the Suna team on the center left, except for Rock Lee and Kankurou who stayed in the arena.
Naruto leaned on the rail to watch, Hinata to his left, Tenten to his right, Anko was leaning against the wall behind him with Kakashi, Guy, Kurenai and Itachi. "What do you think?" Naruto asked casually.
"Depends on what that guy has in the bundle." Tenten said seriously as she studied him.
"He's your teammate, do you think Lee-kun can beat him Neji-niisan?" Hinata asked calmly.
Neji stepped up to the rail next to Hinata but didn't lean on it. "Hai, Hinata-sama, Lee will beat him easily." Neji said in a calm, respectful tone.
Hinata smiled. "Good, Lee-kun is a really nice person, I'd hate to see him get hurt."
Naruto was about to say something when Gekki coughed and signaled them to begin. He watched Lee run in very fast for a Genin with a 'Leaf Hurricane' that missed, but followed it with a straight left that hit Kankurou in the chest and knocked him back skidding fifteen feet, and frowned. "He's holding back too much, he's supposed to impress the judges so they promote him, he won't do it like that." Naruto said almost dissappointed.
"I agree, but you know how he is." Neji said calmly.
"STOP PLAYING WITH HIM LEE AND FINISH IT!" Naruto yelled.
Everyone not from Leaf looked at Naruto annoyed, then Rock Lee curiously.
Lee looked up into the catwalk. "Can I Guy-sensei?" Lee asked with his usual excitment, and when Guy nodded, he gave one of his familiar blinding smiles. "I am sorry for what I must do to you, please forgive me." Lee said seriously and gave Kankurou a polite bow.
Kankurou stood up straight, amused and confused. "Is this guy serious? He thinks he's about to kick my ass and he APOLOGIZES first?"
When Lee vanished everyone gasped in surprise, then he appeared in front of Kankurou as he landed a left hook to the body that folded him in half, followed it with a right uppercut that straightened him out and lifted him almost a foot off the ground, and finished with a Leaf Hurricane that knocked Kankurou across the arena where he slammed into the wall with a crash, then collapsed face down unconscious...
"cough.... Winner, Rock Lee!" Gekki said.
Temari stared down at her brother slightly shocked and stunned. 'He was playing with him and did that.... these Leaf Genin may be a lot stronger than we thought, and if the rest are like him we're in trouble....' Temari thought nervously then glanced at her youngest brother and wasn't surprised at all he didn't seem to care his big brother may be seriously injured. She watched the green spandex-clad kid with the bowl cut and big eyebrows return to his friends while her brother was carried off my medics.
Temari -vs- Hinata Hyuuga
"If you lose I'll give you to Mother." Garra said in his dead voice.
Temari cringed visibly, jumped the rail, opened her fan and glided down on it to her spot on the ground, then folded it back and stood it on end with a hand on top. Temari glanced up at the other catwalk and saw her opponent having a talk with the blonde kid she met five days ago."Ah, so she's my opponent, if what they said is right I better not let her get near me, if she blocks my chakra I'm screwed big time." Temari thought, glanced up at Garra and swallowed nervously.
Hinata held in her giggle at what Naruto had just whispered in her ear as she leaned back with a slight blush, nodded and headed for the stairs to the arena floor.
Anko stepped up and took Hinata's place leaning on the rail. "What did you tell her Naruto-kun?" Anko asked quietly, but didn't mind that Tenten and Neji also heard her. Anko eyes opened wider for just an instant when Naruto whispered it in her ear, then smirked slyly. "You lil shit.... this is gonna be good. Tenten-chan, you'll want to watch this match closely.... and keep an eye on Temari." Anko said quietly. 'Especially with what Hinata-chan is gonna do to her. I almost feel sorry for her.... eighteen years in that family, probably never even kissed anyone.... now this is going to happen.' Anko thought.
Tenten glanced at Anko, nodded, then saw the familiar, but oh so subtle smirk on her face, then saw the look on Naruto's face and KNEW something fun was gonna happen. She'd had more poker games and prank wars with Naruto, Hinata and Anko in the last year that she could remember, knew those looks well and what they meant. She watched Hinata walk out to her place and get in her Jyuuken stance.. When the Proctor signaled them to start Temari opened her giant fan and swung it, a moment later she felt the strong wind and saw Hinata's hair whip back, but she didn't move otherwise. She had to nudge Naruto with her elbow and smile, thanks to him they'd learned to water walk already, and Hinata's control was practically perfect, only Naruto and Sakura were as good. She knew Temari would have to hit Hinata with Hurricane force winds to knock her out of her Jyuuken stance. It was subtle but she saw wave after wave of wind crash into Hinata with no effect, and noticed the front of Hinata's jacket wasn't flattening against her chest and outlining her huge breasts.... she was using her chakra to anchor herself and stiffen her jacket to hide her figure, when she saw Hinata's feet shift slightly. "This is about over, Hinata-chan is ready." Tenten said and smiled happily.
Temari was really frustrated, she'd hit the Hyuuga girl with everything short of her few lethal attacks, she couldn't figure why that small girl wasn't blown away or hadn't attacked. "Fine, but you asked for it." Temari yelled annoyed then stopped her wind barrage for just a brief moment to launch one her fatal Wind Jutsu when the girl vanished in a blur of incredible speed she couldn't follow..The next thing she knew the Hyuuga girl was face-to-face with her and an instant later she's flying through the air head first without her fan. She didn't panic though, extented her arms and legs, reached out with her chakra, turned and landed on her feet in a crouch at what she quickly calculated as twenty-one feet from her original position and stood with a confident smirk as she looked at the smaller Hyuuga girl. "Not bad little girl, but you can't beat...." Temari said confidently, almost arrogantly, then she saw the girl's hands as she raised them and the whistles started to register in her ears. She paled as she hoped.... no, prayed she wasn't seeing what she thought she was in the girl's hands. "Over here Temari!" She heard a girl say from behind and above her, turned around and looked up. it was the other girl with the cute blonde kid.
After she's yelled out and Temari turned toward her Tenten got a huge smile on her face. 'Nobody has faster.... or more nimble hands than Hinata-chan except Naruto-kun.' Tenten thought."Hey Temari, you seem to of lost your shirt.... and that sports bra you had on is for girls with B and C cups, not big melons like yours! What are you.... an E cup?" Tenten yelled with a slight hint of lust in her voice. If she hadn't seen Hinata's huge breasts dozens of times already she knew she would of fainted with a severe nosebleed already.
Temari spun back around facing Hinata, her firm, round E cup breasts shook side-to-side like fighting puppies when she stopped, and saw Hinata standing there with a big smile on her face, her shirt in her right hand, her sports bra she wore to compress and hide them was hanging from her left. Temari threw her arms around he bare chest, her entire upperbody, including her arms, blushed neon red, and she dropped to the ground in a tight ball to hide her chest, she'd been totally, utterly humiliated to her very core. "I submit." Temari squeaked out as best she could.
In his seat, Sarutobi had to use every ounce of will power he had to stay conscious, he couldn't afford to faint in front of this crowd. 'Kami, give me strength.' He prayed.
"Uh.... Hinata wins." The Proctor said, still stunned by what he just saw.
Hinata ran across the arena and helped Temari up as she covered her chest with her shirt, then escorted Temari out the door to the back where the med center and recovery rooms were.
Neji Hyuuga -vs- Fuki
"I SUBMIT!" Fuki yelled from the catwalk immediately. After what she just saw, there was no way in Hell she was getting in there. 'I'm not a big as Temari, but I'm not showing my boobs to everyone.... well, except Kiba-kun if he wanted to see them.' Fuki thought and glanced at her teammate Kiba..
Neji sighed. "I had no idea Hinata-sama was capable of such an act.... but I would not do such a thing to you Fuki-chan." Neji said seriously. 'Hiashi-sama and father are going to shit when they find out what Hinata-sama did, I must admit though, I didn't know she could move that fast, and her hand speed and dexterity were incredible, she's probably faster than me, and such skill.' Neji thought, both very impressed and humbled, but he knew it had to be Naruto's imfluence, he was why she was so strong. "I'm most impressed Anko-san, Naruto-san."
----Recovery Room 2, Underground Arena----
Hinata sat on the side of the bed next to Temari who was curled up under the blankets crying from what she'd said was the most humiliating experience of her life.... and she'd caused it. She really felt bad about what she'd done now, after Temari had briefly told her only her family doctor, an older woman, had ever seen her nude, and even that was a little embarrassing for her. She knew Temari was the enemy.... the older Sand kunoichi, despite her bitch attitude, Hinata could tell that deep down Temari was as shy and gentle as she used to be. "I'm sorry Temari.... I...." Hinata said apologeticaly.
"I'm dead...." Temari interrupted between sobs.
"No one is going to...." Hinata said to comfort the older girl.
"NO, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" Temari yelled as she sat up, the blankets held over her chest, eventhough she had her sports bra and shirt back on. "I'm not afraid of you.... it's Garra.... he told be if I lost he'd kill me!"
"Would he really do that?" Hinata asked, a little shocked.
"You don't know him like I do he.... he's also my little brother and.... and a...." Temari said, almost too terrified to even say it.
Hinata swallowed nervously, she had a good idea what Temari wanted to tell her. "He has Shukaku the one-tailed Racoon Demon sealed inside him." Hinata said nervously.
Temari looked at her amazed. "You.... you know what he is? How?" Temari said, totally shocked.
"Naruto-kun figured it out that day we met you, that's why he wasn't afraid of Garra." Hinata said calmly and gently.
Temari's sharp mind kicked into high gear. She'd never thought about it before and probably never would of if all of that hadn't happened. She thought about everything she'd ever heard or read about Konoha.... then a name popped into her head and suddenly everything clicked. "Naruto has the nimmph!" Temari said.
The moment Temari spoke she knew what she was going to say and gently, but very quickly clapped her right hand over Temari's mouth. "Don't say it, that's an S-Rank secret and you can be executed for just saying it." Hinata said seriously as she looked into Temari's eyes.
Temari nodded she understood, and a moment later Hinata removed her hand. She thought about her words carefully. "So I'm right.... and you know?" Temari asked cautiously, and was only a little surprised when Hinata nodded. "But you aren't afraid of him, and no one else in Konoha seems to be either, do they know?"
"The Jounin and some of his friends do, like Tenten-chan.... she's the other girl with Naruto-kun, the one that called to you after I...." Hinata said, then looked down a little ashamed. "There's one more thing.... if Garra tries to.... to kill any of our friends.... Naruto will kill him, he has orders from Hokage-sama.... and we know your're allied with Sound and are planning to invade us, we just don't know when. If you hurt me for what I did or to escape, please don't, Naruto-kun will kill you.... we're betrothed." Hinata said calmly, her gaze never left her lap.
Temari flopped back on the bed, pale and very scared. She laid there in silence for almost five minutes then sat up, her face solomn. "He may be a monster and psychotic killer.... but Garra is my baby brother, him and Kankurou are my only family now, Orochimaru killed my father the Kazekage and took his place. I'm not suppossed to know that, but I noticed the change in his personality, I hated him as a person and my father and won't miss him.... but I don't want to lose any more family. Can Naruto beat Garra without killing him? Garra is obsessed with finding someone worth fighting to prove his existance means something, I think that if Naruto can defeat him I can find my brother under all that hatred and sadness and save him." Temari said sincerely, pulled off the blankets, slipped past Hinata onto the floor and kneeled to her in submission. "Please, I'm begging you.... if Naruto can save my little brother I'll do anything.... I'll betray Suna and Orochmaru, I'll defect to Konoha, go to prison.... I'll even be Naruto's slave and give myself to him, to you, to the short girl with her hair in buns.... just please, convince Naruto to save my baby brother." Temari said sadly but sincerely and started to cry again. Most of who she was as a woman and a knoichi had been ripped away in the arena, her mind was desperately grabbing anything to rebuild itself, she needed order and structure in her life and she saw Naruto as her best chance for that.
'She doesn't know Orchimaru is dead.' Hinata thought, stunned by what Temari just said, abd she read from Temari's body lamguage..
----Back in the Arena----
"Give up Shikamaru, you can't hurt me!" Bull bellowed.
"You're right.... and this is too much work, I give up." Shikamaru said in his usual tired tone.
"The winner.... Bull." The Proctor said, slightly stunned.
"You lazy jerk!" Sakura and Ino angrily yelled at him in unison.
Shikamaru just shrugged. "You're lucky Bull, I have to deal with them and Kurenai-sensei all day long, then deal with my mom who's worse than all three combined.... women are so troublesome."
Bull just chuckled and followed Shikamaru back up the stairs to the catwalk.
Kurenai stepped up behind Sakura and Ino. "Leave him alone you two, you know the basic Genjutsu he knows wouldn't work on someone like Bull, and there's no way he was going to do anything that might kill him. He did his best and I'm proud of him.... even if he is the laziest person I've ever met, he's smarter than the three of us put together, some day he's going to save our asses with that incredible mind of his. You'd both die to save his lazy butt and you know it."
Sakura traded glances with Ino, gave her a subtle nod and sighed. "Hai, Kurenai-sensei. He's a lazy, good for nothing but we do like him despite that.... and he is our teammate." Sakura said softly.
Shikamaru finally reached his teammates and Sensei, stopped and waited for the verbal beating, instead of yelling they both kissed him, one on each cheek, and congratulated him on a great match.
Everyone around him laughed when Shikamaru blushed, slightly stunned and confused. 'I'll never figure women out, Temari might be my type though.'
Ino Yamanaka -vs- Kiba Inuzuka
Ino gave Sakura and Kurenai a devious, sly smile. "I'll be right back." Then turned and headed for the stairs.
"Sakura, you know Ino better than most, is she going to do what I think she is?" Kurenai said with a small smirk.
Sakura just smiled, amused. "Hai, she is Kurenai-sensei." Sakura said calmly.
In the arena Kiba had just jumped down and was waiting for Ino, Akamaru to his left. He squatted down and rubbed the white puppy's head. "Okay Akamaru, now we get to pay her back for teasing us all those years. She's still our friend so don't hurt her too bad, we want her humiliated, not dead." Kiba told him quietly.
Akamaru barked his agreement.
Since Kiba had his back to their friends, she took the spot facing them and waved, mainly at Naruto. Though she still joked with them about stealing Naruto from Hinata, she'd long since stopped actually trying to do it, it'd become a fun game she played with Hinata when they were out eating, shopping or at a sleepover. Ino watched Kiba just over twenty feet away and instead of her fighting stance stood there, feet shoulder width apart, hands on hips, chest out and smiling. When the Proctor told them to begin she watched Kiba do his clone jutsu and turn Akamaru into his clone, then the all fours jutsu and charge in. 'This is too easy.' Ino thought. She knew she couldn't match his speed or strength, only a couple people had as much stamina as him, so she went after his weakness, namely his biggest one she knew she could best exploit.... she waited until they got about ten feet away and as fast as she could yanked up her purple shirt, she wasn't wearing anything under it as usual.
Both Kibas froze dead in their tracks, she sat her shirt on the top of her breasts, walked up to them, stood both with a hand under their chin, and once they were standing straight enough she reached down low grabbed both Kibas by the balls and squeezed really hard for about ten seconds before she released them. They collapsed to the gruund, out cold, Akamaru changed back to himself after he hit the ground.
Ino pulled down her shirt and looked at the Proctor with a big smile. "Well.... don't keep a girl waiting."
"Uh.... winner, Ino Yamanaka." The Proctor said, winced slightly and coughed.
Ino walked back to the catwalk while medics came out and took Kiba and Akamaru to the back for a quick check up. Ino stopped next to Tenten, all her friends and the Jounin staring at her with smiles and/or shock. "Don't act so surprized I did that, I've been teasing everyone since I got'em, I just figured it was time I showed'em. Besides, I didn't want to be outdone by Hinata and some Sand kunoichi! I'm top diva around here and don't you guys forget it." Ino said proudly. "The rest I owed him for accusing me of stuffing, I told him he'd regret it for not apologizing."
Before she could walk away Tenten took Ino's arm and pulled her close. "That was incredible Ino-chan.... I'd love to have a private show, if you're interested." Tenten whispered in her ear seductively.
Ino looked Tenten in the eyes and gave her a left eye wink no one would see "I'd love to Ten-chan" Ino subtly whispered so only Tenten would hear her or know she said anythng. "Thank you Tenten." Ino said happily to a smiling Tenten then walked past everyone to Sakura and Kurenai.
Naruto, like every other guy there, made a mental note about Ino and pushed the thought aside. He subtly glanced at Hinata and Anko as he motioned subtly with his head to Tenten. When he saw them subtly smirk back he knew they were thinking the same thing he was now.... Tenten had finally made the first move and Ino accepted. 'It's about time.' Naruto thought happily.
.End Chapter 9
The round 1 matches will continue is chapter 10, then I'm skipping to the finals in the outdoor arena. Will there be an invasion? Will Naruto kill Garra? Will Gilligan get off the island.... will the bad jokes stop? Wait and see.
