Author's note: Hello ladies and gentlemen! The finals of the Chuunin Exams are upon us! I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me. Enjoy!
Chapter 41: Standing Before Your Peers
Inside a stadium, the Village Hidden in the Leaves
After 7 days of training, thinking and preparations, thefinals of the Chuunin Exams had arrived. The morning was spent with thousands of people, both citizens of the Leaf or outside, streaming towards a stadium located in the forest. Over the decades, this arena had been renovated into a more modern stadium, yet retained its form and interior. But above everything else, it was large enough to be the host the finals, as well as millions of people.
There were long lines for those who would be watching the finals as spectators and they went relatively slow. But with enough patience and less stress, all spectators would get a ticket and enter the stadium to find a seat.
While most of the spectators were either villagers of the Leaf or countrymen and nobles from the Land of Fire, it was noted that people from other hidden villages had come to observe the finals, as well as nobles from other countries. For the nobles, the finals were the perfect instrument to bet each other's money on whoever opponent they had hoped would win. But in the decades, such rules had changed, as the nobles were forbidden from using their wealth to hire assassins to kill or intimidate applicants of the Exams.
VIPs like the Hokage, her associates and guests would have a spot on the highest floor on the stadium, where they were given a good view of the battleground below them. Joining them were members of the ANBU Black Ops, who were tasked to guard them in case of assassination attempts. However, there also sat members of the ANBU hidden amongst the spectators. By doing so, the Hokage was given complete overview of what happened on the tribunals.
Tsunade stood from her seat and faced the battleground, her eyes filled with interest. She was eventually joined by Shizune, who did the exact same thing. "Pretty view, isn't it?" Tsunade asked the black-haired woman, who faced her with a nervous smile.
"Certainly, Lady Tsunade" Shizune answered, before turning her head sideways. "Speaking of pretty views, your guests have arrived" she added as she and her superior could see the Kazekage and the Mizukage being received by Naruto and his closest associates.
The elderly blonde-haired woman only smiled smugly by seeing this. "Excellent. I better go and welcome them" Tsunade said and walked over to where Naruto and the others were standing.
"Welcome Gaara, Mei" Naruto greeted them cheerfully. He could see that Gaara was accompanied by Kankuro, Matsuri, Otokaze and Baki while Mei had Chojuro and Karin following her, along with the elite shinobis. In turn, Naruto had requested Sai and Shikamaru to join at his side. "Your seats are ready. We are almost set to begin!" Naruto explained in a cheerful mood.
Both the Kazekage and the Mizukage smiled at him, and eventually Tsunade who appeared beside the blonde-haired man. She faced them with reassuring smile. "I have placed spies all over the tribunals. With that, we have eyes and ears while the finals commence" the Hokage told them.
"A wise decision, Tsunade. I took the liberty to do the same thing with some of my shinobis. Even Kaito Mizushima is on duty as we speak" Mei revealed to her. "But enough of that. May we take our seats?" she began asking her.
Tsunade chuckled in amusement by hearing her request, yet showed them the fancy chairs that were reserved for them. "They're yours to use" she told them as they took their seats. Tsunade began facing Naruto and his two comrades. "Make sure that the cameraman is ready. The giant screen will show everyone that I will be watching and monitoring the finals" she told them.
"Right away, Grandma Tsunade" Naruto said with confidence.
As Gaara took his seat, he was engaged in a conversation with Baki and Otokaze, who had sworn to protect him. "Lord Kazekage, I hate to interrupt but weren't the Sand Scorpions supposed to accompany us?" Baki asked him with respect.
"There is no need to fret, Baki. They will be joining us shortly" Gaara assured him, and the stalwart shinobi from the Sand Village showed understanding in return with a respective nod.
Kankuro sighed deeply in annoyance by hearing this. "Please tell me that Atsushi has not overslept again" he groaned while putting his palm onto his face.
"I am confident that Chiasa is with the Sand Scorpions" Baki spoke up. "Once she's entered the stadium, she will be going undercover amongst the tribunals as you requested, Gaara" he added with a bow.
The red-haired man nodded at him to show his appreciation. "Glad to know. At a time like this, we will need more eyes and ears among the spectators" he said and began gazing upon the ring that surrounded the battleground. "I sense an unfamiliarity crawling above us. Maybe something is about to happen" he noted grimly in his thoughts.
Meanwhile, Kakashi had taken his seat in the middle of highest front among the tribunals, where he could see clearly. But as he sat there in silence, the white-haired man eyed sideways, getting a gut in his feeling. In fact, by eyeing closely, he noticed a member of the ANBU Black Ops sitting from his left side, being dressed in a hood and covering his face with a cat-like mask.
The old, white-haired man sighed deeply. "Just what do you think you're doing, Yamato?" he asked lowly.
Surprisingly, the hooded man chuckled by hearing this, indicating that he had been busted by Kakashi. He took off his mask, revealing Yamato's smug grin "What does it look like I'm doing?" the brown-haired man asked his comrade. "Just doing my job, while making sure that spectators like you don't feel miserable and lonely" Yamato answered him.
By hearing this, Kakashi stared at his lap in annoyance, causing Yamato to form a frown. "Why am I not surprised?" Kakashi remarked. "I don't know why you chose this spot, but you better not be pulling Anko into this. I'm tired of having her ganging up on me day and night" he added with a hint of displeasure in his voice.
"Look, Kakashi. I understand that you are miserable, but since today's the finals of this year's Chuunin Exams, how about you lighten up?" Yamato suggested to him while trying to give some encouragement.
Kakashi rolled his eyes. "I AM trying to lighten up. But when you have a rebellious daughter who disobeys you and a bitchy ex-wife who keeps trash-talking me, it's not THAT simple, get it?" Kakashi pointed out, making sure Yamato heard everything.
Yamato sighed. "I guess there's no use in trying to convince you" he thought in his head while putting back his mask on. But he could see that Kakashi was having his attention mostly focused on the battleground. Yamato mused to himself by seeing his comrade like this. "I bet you look forward to see today's matches, Kakashi. You wouldn't want to miss something as spectacular as seeing those" he told him in a cheerful manner.
While Kakashi did not look at him, he did respond to Yamato's words by nodding his head in approval. "Many years have passed since the event that caused the Third Hokage's death. But the circumstances in the world has changed politically. Everyone should know that, including the children" the white-haired man noted in his thoughts. He even began facing up to where Naruto and Tsunade stood. "Naruto…I expect you to be less negligent while being around Lady Tsunade. But please, do not throw your own life away for her sake…..for you are the Leaf Village's future, never forget that" he thought while seeing the two.
Yamato could notice how Kakashi was staring up towards Naruto and he could not blame Kakashi for doing so. "There is another reason for why you still chose to associate with the Leaf Village, Kakashi. It is out of respect for your students. You have been there, watched them grow, seeing how they each developed into the mighty and wise shinobis they are today. I can't believe I feel this way, but somehow, I envy you" he thought while admitting something he'd never tell Kakashi in person.
Guy and Kimiko were sitting on another row close to the stairs, hoping to see their teammate Hisoka appear. Kimiko sat on a seat while Guy sat on his wheelchair beside her. As the teammates waited for the finals to begin, they also noticed that their teacher was nowhere to be seen, something which made Kimiko a bit frustrated.
"Where is he when the final's about to start!?" Kimiko wondered aloud.
"Settle down, Kimiko. I'm sure that Hideki-sensei will arrive in time" Guy encouraged her and fixed his eyes upon the battleground. "I've heard that my dad is to be judge in the finals, so I can't wait to see how this will end" the brown-haired boy added, his face filled with excitement.
But they both snapped by a familiar voice calling to them. "Hey Guy, Kimiko! Mind if we sit next to you?" they both turned Hanzo Hyuuga standing beside them, accompanied by his teammates: the brown-haired and easygoing Ringo Nakada and the auburn-haired and sassy Asuka Tamon. Hanzo waved his hand at them. "It's been a while since we last talked, huh?" he remarked.
"Hanzo, Asuka and Ringo!" Kimiko exclaimed gleefully by seeing their classmates. "Boy it sure has been a long time since we last talked!" she exclaimed.
Hanzo shrugged his shoulders. "We've been kind of busy up until now" he told her in return.
Guy smiled by seeing them coming. "You three can take those three vacant seats beside us. It will be good to watch the finals with you by our side!" the brown-haired boy said as the trio took their seats.
"You two must be rooting for Hisoka, aren't ya?" Ringo quizzed them, causing the two to nod as a yes. "I would be surprise if you weren't" he added with a smug smile.
"Of course, they are rooting for him, what else do you think!?" Asuka questioned her teammate with her eyes narrowed.
While Hanzo could hear them taking about Hisoka, the black-haired boy sighed as he fixed his bright eyes upon the battleground. Apparently, he was not rooting for Hisoka today, but someone else. "Alright. It's all or nothing. Don't screw it up.…..Minami" he thought in his head.
Amongst the lowest of the row of seats, Sasuke and Suigetsu sat, dressed with hood to cover their heads. Apparently, they did that in order to conceal themselves from any suspicious eyes. So far, none of those who sat close to them had recognized their faces and that was only good for them.
Suigetsu whistled in amazement by what he saw. "Wow! This sure is one hell of a stadium! Can't believe that my little girl will be standing before SO many people!" he remarked as he could not comprehend how giant this place was.
Sasuke only remained silent, even though he did find Suigetsu's reaction to be amusing. He was mostly concentrated on the fact that his twin sons would be fighting today, either against each other, or not.
"Hey Sasuke" the raven-haired man snapped in his thoughts as fixed his attention on the white-haired man sitting next to him. Suigetsu gave him his toothy grin. "If Kotone by any chance is chosen to fight one of your boys, then they'll be in for a big surprise. That girl is not to be underestimated, never forget that!" Suigetsu explained to him.
Hearing this made Sasuke form a slight chuckle and he returned his attention to the battleground beneath them. "We shall see" he simply said, causing Suigetsu to stare at him with confusion.
Kiba and Hinata sat on the same row with Sakura, Ino, Tenten and Temari. For some reason, the couple had chosen not to sit with their clans. They decided to sit with their friends, or with Hinata's friends to be specific. Although Sakura and the others were reluctant to sit close to Kiba, they had decided to do so out of respect for Hinata.
The brown-haired man with goatee sighed as he rested his arms behind his neck on his seat. He was hoping that the finals would soon begin. "You will at least support Minami today, won't you?" he was interrupted by Hinata, who questioned him with a pleading expression.
Kiba closed his eyes to reflect on what she just told him. "I will…...even though she resents me almost as much as your dad" he said while being sarcastic at the end of his sentence.
"Even now as we speak, my father must be disappointed in seeing me choosing to sit with you over him and Hanabi" the bluenette remarked with shame in her voice. But that shame soon disappeared from her. "But I…we have to do this…..for the sake of our marriage" she added, with a hint of hope in her voice.
Kiba faced her with a chuckle. "You really sound optimistic today, Hinata. I like that" he admitted and formed a smile. Battling his reluctance, he laid his hand over Hinata's, surprising the bluenette. "I know that I still have a long way to go, but I don't wanna fail you as your man. That I what I will try to do today" he said.
Hearing the honesty in Kiba's voice made Hinata filled with satisfaction. She only nodded, signaling her understanding of his intentions. Perhaps she too, would not have to fail as Kiba's wife.
Sakura and the others noticed how they were interacting with one another. Even though they didn't like Kiba's impulsiveness, the women could not help but to feel happy for him and Hinata.
"Even though little has changed, Kiba seemed to have begun focusing his efforts on saving his marriage to Hinata. I can see why Naruto has not given up on him" Sakura noted in her head. But the pinkette focused her attention on the battleground beneath her. "However, I have far more worrying things to focus on. Be careful…Nashiko" she thought about her daughter.
From one of the many stands, Takeda and Arata were standing to get a perfect view of the battleground while being joined by Chouta, Saburou and Ochinko. They had all been looking forward to this day.
"When are they gonna open the finals? I'm all impatient to see who Nashiko and Shunsuke will be up against" Takeda said while Arata barked in agreement. The brown-haired boy petted his dog's head. "I hear ya, buddy" he added with a smile.
"I am still uncertain on whether to root for Shikaien or Inojin" Chouta admitted to her friends. But she sucked it up and fixed a determined look on her face. "But who cares? I'm rooting for them both! I don't wanna pick a favorite among my teammates!" she said.
Ochinko chuckled lightly by seeing this. "That sounds very thoughtful of you, Chouta" he said to her, before facing Saburou, who was mostly focused on observing the battleground. The teal-haired boy decided to say something to him. "Hey Saburou" Ochinko spoke up lowly.
"Hmmmm?" that was all the blonde-haired boy with sunglasses could say in return, his eyes never leaving the battleground.
"Are you rooting for Minami today?" he asked, albeit with insecurity in his voice. True, Ochinko had never spoken much to Saburou about his clash with Minami. Even though he felt concerned about the young bluenette's attitude, he still supported her, hoping that the Chuunin Exams could somewhat change her behavior. "You don't have to answer if you don't wa…" Ochinko was interrupted by the voice of his cunning teammate and it sounded neither pleased nor dismayed.
"I hate to disappoint you Ochinko. The way I see it, I am neither supporting Minami or any other finalist" the blonde-haired boy revealed to him, causing Ochinko to somewhat snap in surprise. Before the teal-haired boy could speak up, Saburou interrupted him once again. "The only reason I am standing here today is to see whether Minami can keep her word of winning, nothing else" he revealed to him, while everyone else listened.
Takeda could not help but to agree with Saburou. He too had come to see whether his twin sister was capable of proving herself, either that she was ready or just arrogant.
"Hey there cuz! Fancy seeing you here!" the brown-haired boy quickly turned around to see who had called his name. To his surprise and delight, he saw Shoma Inuzuka, who had short, black hair to her shoulders and dressed in black tank top and pants standing a few meters from him. The young girl grinned. "Mom told me that you'd be here to watch, so I thought about joining ya" she told him.
Takeda fixed a smug smile in return. "Hi there, Shoma. Weren't you supposed to sit with grandma and the rest of the family?" he asked her.
The black-haired girl sighed in annoyance. "You know that I can't stand sitting in a row with them. Besides, Masajun, Yume and Kenta are sitting there, so that's enough" she replied in return.
Chouta and Ochinko watched this from the sidelines. "Woah, I must admit that both Takeshi and Manami do have many cousins from each of their parents' families" the chubby girl remarked.
"Well, clans do tend to have many relatives" Ochinko said in return.
"HEY MUTTFACE! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?" Takeda looked over his cousin's shoulder to see who it was that had been saying that to him. At first he thought that it was referred to him, but when Takeshi got a glimpse of who it was, he understood the situation. However, he could see that Shoma was feeling irritated.
Takeda smirked in amusement. "Ah your teammates are here! I didn't know they called you that" he remarked and began to laugh in between his words.
The one who had called Shoma "muttface" was her bald-headed and bad-tempered teammate: Kanaye Senri. He wore a purple tank top and black shorts, while having both his arms and legs covered with bandages. In addition to that, he had piercings stuck in his ears. But what was noticeable was his short sized compared to his teammates. The other teammate of Shoma was the smart but extremely nerdy Yasushi Enomoto. He wore glasses, had blue hair that stretched across his ears and wore a dark orange sweater and purple shorts. He had somewhat an awkward and nerdy appearance, but at the very least, he was taller than Kanaye.
"Damn it, Kanaye! Can't you see that I'm hanging out with a cousin of mine!?" Shoma asked him rudely and angered.
Kanaye only raised an eyebrow at her. "Tch, as if that matters to me! Anyway, we just bought you the seat besides ours. You were supposed to be sitting there!" he pointed out to her.
"Exactly. You see, Shoma: Kanaye and I did in fact spend so much money to buy tickets, as well as getting our seats" Yasushi joined in while adjusting his glasses. "Maybe you should reconsider your stubbornness and show some appreciation by coming with us" he added, much to Shoma's dismay.
The young Inuzuka could hear Takeda laugh lowly while trying to cover his mouth, and she knew that she needed to get away as quickly as possible. Sighing in defeat, she made the right decision.
"Fine, you win" she told them, much to her teammates' delight.
As the trio left them, Takeda was joined by Ochinko and Chouta. "If I didn't know any better, those three were in the same class as Team Hideki" the teal-haired boy remarked while watching them leave.
"Yeah, how come you know them so much?" Chouta asked him.
Takeda only shrugged his shoulders. "Truth is, neither I nor Minami doesn't know Shoma or Hanzo's teammates that much. We only know them because they are on the same team as our cousins" the brown-haired boy added, while Chouta and Ochinko only stared at him in wonder. This caused Takeda to chuckle. "I know that I have many relatives. Don't forget that me and my sister comes from two clans" he added while Arata barked.
Saburou had only fixed his gaze upon the battleground, despite sensing Shoma's appearance. He really wanted to see the finals begin, as he specifically wanted to see Minami in action.
While it was still noisy in the stadium, the giant screen in the middle was switched on and Tsunade appeared from her seat on the screen. Before she even began speaking, a musical tone could be heard, signaling an announcement coming from the Hokage herself. As she spoke, her voice was loud enough for everyone to hear, thanks to the microphones.
"CITIZENS AND FRIENDS OF THE LEAF! I, THE FIFTH HOKAGE, HAPPILY WELCOME YOU ALL TO OBSERVE THE FINALS OF THIS YEAR'S CHUUNIN EXAMS, ARRANGED IN OUR VILLAGE" the loud voice of Tsunade could be heard in the stadium. "MANY OF YOU HAVE JOURNYED FROM YOUR HOMES TO COME HERE, AND ME AND THE OTHERS IN CHARGE OF ARRANGING THE EXAMS ARE MORE THAN GRATEFUL FOR YOUR ACTIONS. THEREFORE, WE PROMISE YOU TO GIVE YOU THIS WONDERFUL CHANCE YOU NEVER WANT TO PUT ASIDE" she added to her statement. "FOR NOW, ME AND MY GUESTS OF HONOR WILL BE SITTING ON OUR SEATS TO INSPIRE THESE YOUNG AND TALENTED GENINS. THE ONE WHO WILL BE IN CHARGE OF THE MATCHES IN THE FINALS MAY HAVE THE WORD FOR NOW. SO PAY ATTENTION AND GIVE ROCK LEE A WARM WELCOME" she concluded, before the large screen was shut off and most attentions were focused on the black-haired man dressed in green jumpsuit.
Lee was beaming with confidence as he was given the word. He even gave the spectators a thumb to demonstrate what a cool guy he was. And despite Lee's ridiculous looks on his face, cheers were met by him in return, making this only encouraging himself to show more of his charisma.
Lee tapped on the microphone around his ear to make sure it was ready for use. "A WARM GREETINGS TO YOU, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! I WILL BE THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR HOSTING THESE SPECTACULAR MATCHES. AND BEFORE WE BEGIN, LET US BRING OUT THE CONTESTANTS WHO HAVE ADVANCED SO FAR TO THE FINAL PHASE OF THE CHUUNIN EXAMS" he explained loudly and looked over his shoulder to see the winners standing before him in a row. As Lee looked around to face them, the large screen was switched on, this time showing everyone the contestants' names and which village they came from. "THESE CHILDREN ARE TODAY'S FINALISTS:
NASHIKO UZUMAKI
MINAMI INUZUKA
INOJIN UCHIHA
HISOKA SADO
SHUNSUKE UCHIHA
SHIKAIEN NARA
AOI TERUMI
KOTONE HOZUKI
JUROU KAGUYA
HERE WE HAVE 6 WINNERS FROM THE VILLAGE HIDDEN IN THE LEAVES AND 3 WINNERS FROM THE VILLAGE HIDDEN IN THE MIST. TOGETHER, THAT MAKES 9 FINALISTS" Lee announced as he read up the names. The children before him only stood still, not moving a muscle. They could see how Lee was feeling proud for each of them, as they had advanced so far to being able to stand in this stadium. He then looked to the giant screen behind him, as it was beginning to show everyone who was up against who. "DESPITE THE LITTLE TIME WE HAD FOR PREPARING THE FINALS, WE HAVE SUCSESSFULLY MANAGED TO CREATE A CHARTER FOR TODAY'S MATCHES AND LET US TAKE A LOOK UPON WHO THESE FUTURE GENINS WILL BE UP AGAINST" he said as the screen was beginning to stop blurring.
The moment it showed everyone a clear picture, the finalists took their time to see who they would be up against. They had both different and similar reactions to one another as they read out the large letters on the screen in yellow.
MINAMI INUZUKA vs NASHIKO UZUMAKI
AOI TERUMI vs SHIKAIEN NARA
INOJIN UCHIHA vs KOTONE HOZUKI vs SHUNSUKE UCHIHA
JUROU KAGUYA vs HISOKA SADO
"So that's it, huh?" Minami noted in her head while realizing who her opponent was. She briefly glanced at the pinkette, who had her eyes mostly focused on the giant screen. "I never imagined that we had to fight each other so soon" the young bluenette admitted in her thoughts.
Nashiko had so far, only glanced at the giant screen with her emerald eyes widened. "Woah….I did NOT see that one coming" she admitted in her thoughts.
Shikaien studied the giant screen in a lazy manner, even yawning while standing there. But he didn't seem to at least regret his action. "So I'm up against that long-haired brainy from the Mist Village?" he wondered while beginning to poke his eat as if it didn't matter. "Eh what the hell, I can handle him" he thought with confidence.
Unbeknownst to Shikaien, Aoi had begun to observe him and he was neither impressed not enthusiastic about being up against the dark blonde-haired boy. "Great, I'm stuck with the laziest shinobi of the Leaf Village!?" he exclaimed in his head. But Aoi knew better than to underestimate Shikaien, as he remembered seeing his talents during the third phase. "I must not let his lazy antics fool me. He did well against a jounin, even though he was almost neat death. But then again, perhaps he is willing to take risky measures to defeat his opponents. I better watch my back" the azure-eyed boy admitted in his head.
So far, neither Hisoka or Jurou had begun to eye one another warily. They remained calm as they looked up to the screen above them. Along with Inojin, they were relatively calm when this was announced. All they had to do was to wait and see which one of them would lose in a match.
Kotone's cheeks reddened by seeing her name being written besides Inojin's. "This must be….a dream" she remarked and giggled to herself. "I never really expected to be put up against him so soon" she added to her thoughts and looked briefly to the raven-haired boy with ponytail.
Inojin had only been staring at the screen, but he eventually noticed that someone was looking at him. His black eyes briefly sled sideways and he spotted the four-eyed girl trying her best to not look so fangirlish. Kotone only adjusted her glasses while fixing a slight smile with her mouth.
The raven-haired boy only snickered lowly and refocused his attention on the giant screen. "I'll admit that I am curious to see her abilities, but damn is she annoying!" he thought.
The redhead giggled by seeing how Inojin behaved. "I'm only looking more forward to fight him. He seems to be shy in fighting girls" she admitted before looking back at the giant screen. "But why is Shunsuke's name written beside mine?" she wondered.
For Shunsuke, it was very confusing. He didn't know what being written on the same line as Itachi and Kotone meant. Was it a three-way battle? The young boy was lost in thoughts.
Lee could notice the confusion taking hold on Shunsuke, so he decided to fill in on the reason for this. "NOW AS WE LOOK AT THE SCREEN, WE CAN SEE THAT SHUNSUKE IS WRITTEN BESIDES KOTONE AND INOJIN. ALLOW ME TO EXPLAIN. AS IT SAYS, INOJIN AND KOTONE WILL FIGHT ONE ANOTHER. BUT THE ONE WHO EMERGES VICTORIOUS IN THAT ROUND, WILL HAVE TO FIGHT SHUNSUKE AT THE END OF THE FINALS. HE AND WHOEVER THE WINNER IS WILL FIGHT AFTER THE MATCH BETWEEN JUROU AND HISOKA" Lee came up with yet another announcement.
This actually sent chills through Shunsuke, who only thought he was dreaming. This was it! If Inojin were to win against Kotone, he would have to fight him. Now, it was a chance that the Uchiha-Yamanaka brothers could be set up against each other. Thinking about this made Shunsuke shiver inside of him.
However, the raven-haired boy knew that he could not rush to such conclusions just yet. The match between Inojin and Kotone had not even started yet. And he knew better than to underestimate the redheaded girl. She was just as talented as Inojin and would even become similar opponent that would make Shunsuke's match a challenge.
Takeda was filled with thoughts as he saw that his teammate was up against his twin sister. "Damn. I thought that Minami being put up against Nashiko was only a dream, but I thought wrong, apparently" the brown-haired boy noted as he watched. "Both girls are resilient, so this is gonna be one hell of a fight" he remarked while imagining how this fight would be. But he was also curious about his second teammate's match. "It's too early to conclude, but if Inojin wins against this Kotone, then there's no doubt that Shunsuke faces the fight of his life" he added to his thoughts, recalling the brief confrontation the Uchiha-Yamanaka twins had back on the Train Mountains. For some reason, Takeda felt worried and he stroked Arata's head to find harmony within himself.
Chouta had similar thoughts. She had been wondering what would happen if Inojin were to face his twin brother in a duel. Thinking about this made the chubby girl feel insecure. However, there was also Shikaien and his opponent. "So Shikaien is up against that long-haired Mist ninja boy? From what I witnessed during the third phase, he seemed pretty analytic and perceptive" she remarked while recalling that event. "But Shikaien is also a tactical genius, so I have no reason to doubt his abilities. But maybe Aoi will emerge as the toughest opponent he has ever faced?" Chouta kept wondering, trying to find some positive sides to this.
Saburou had remained calm, even after seeing today's opponents. "All I can say, is that today's matches will bring us all some questionable results. And it's not just Minami" he thought while adjusting his sunglasses. "From what my father told me, the Hokage and the leadership of the Leaf have been secretly naming 5 finalists as someone who will play a part in shaping this year's Chuunin Exams. I guess three of them must be Inojin, Hisoka and Jurou. But who are the other two?" he wondered in his head.
Naruto eyed his daughter, wondering about how her reactions to this was. Shikamaru did the same thing, as he eyed his son far below. Both fathers had been paying attention to what had been said, including that with Shunsuke.
Shikamaru chuckled cockily at his partner. "Heh, turns out that there will be a catfight happening today" he tried to bust Naruto's balls, but to no avail. Apparently, the blonde-haired man only stared at him with a displeased glance on his face.
"Lose that lame humor of yours, Shikamaru. There's no fun in joking about the opposite sex" Naruto told him. He then refocused his attention on the battleground. "Furthermore, I don't think this match will be a catfight at all, I can feel it" he added to his statement.
The black-haired man with ponytail only watched Naruto with a raised eyebrow, acting as if he didn't get his blonde-haired friend's word. Shikamaru was reminded about who his son would be up against. "You think that match will be the most intriguing? Get real! Shikaien is going against a tactical genius similar to himself. And THAT….will be worth watching!" Shikamaru told him, although Naruto didn't necessarily seem convinced by his thoughts.
"Pardon me, Shikamaru Nara" the young man with goatee snapped in surprise and turned around to face the Fifth Mizukage, who was sitting on her seat with a gentle smile. Shikamaru did not know how to respond to this, but Mei spoke up before he could even react. "Is Shikaien Nara your son?" she asked him simple, causing Shikamaru to be somewhat stung, as he expected her to be asking about something more complicated. Lacking enough spirit to reply, the black-haired man only gave her a simple nod. Seeing this caused Mei to giggle in amusement, something which made both him and Naruto confused. "Well, then I must say that your son must be lucky to be given this opportunity to fight against my nephew. I look forward to the match" she responded.
After being told this, Shikamaru immediately turned around and seemed very stressed about hearing what the Mizukage told him. Naruto could only watch him confused, as the black-haired man with goatee only gritted his teeth in worry. "My son is up against the Mizukage's nephew!? What a drag!" Shikamaru said between his gritting teeth.
Naruto only slumped by seeing him like this and decided to concentrate on seeing the reaction of other adults. He wondered if they had similar or not so similar feelings about seeing today's program.
"Lord Kazekage" Otokaze's voice interrupted anyone as he was pointing his finger towards a trio approaching them. "The Sand Scorpions have arrived" he added while fixing a smile.
The red-haired Kazekage felt glad to see them coming and only waved towards them as they stood beside them. However, they were immediately approached by Kankuro, who fixed a stern glance upon the children, or more specifically Atsushi.
"Where the hell have you been!? You were supposed to be joining us in the opening of the finals!" Kankuro growled as they each took a step backwards to avoid the man's rage.
Surprisingly, Tsubasa seemed to not be intimidated by Kankuro's aggressiveness, so he stepped forward and faced him casually. "The opening started 10 minutes ago. We arrived 20 minutes earlier" he answered him.
But Kankuro was not satisfied by the answer. "Just cut the crap and answer me plainly, will ya?" he asked as he felt he was getting tired of this. He actually began facing his son. "Let me guess, you overslept, I presume?" Kankuro asked him, causing the brown-haired boy with the hat to be offended.
"Don't blame me for being someone who likes to not wake up early!" Atsushi hit back. "And besides, Tsubasa was taking so long in the shower so I had to wait a while before I could use it" he tried to come up with an excuse, only to be nudged by his cousin in return.
"Stop dragging me into your ridiculous ways of making excuses" the reddish brown-haired boy told him in return.
Kankuro only rolled his eyes by hearing this, that he wanted to just be done about it. So he faced the Sand Scorpions once again. "Just take your seats beside us. I've got enough shit to worry about anyways" he straightly told them out of the open.
And so, the trio did as they were told and found some seats beside Gaara and his associates. By seeing the Kazekage, Haruka immediately faced him with a respective nod. "Chiasa-sensei is on her patrol among the tribunals as we speak, Lord Gaara" the young brunette told him.
"I see. I will speak with her once her patrol is over" Gaara told her and returned his gaze to the battleground below. "Be on your guard…..Chiasa" the Kazekage noted grimly in his head, indicating that he acknowledged the young woman as one of the most talented shinobis the Sand Village has ever had.
"This can't be for real!" the voice came from Suigetsu, as he was staring towards the giant screen. While the white-haired man was filled with surprise and shock over seeing who his daughter would be up against, that surprised look soon turned into that of a smug and toothy grin. He faced Sasuke, who had remained silent so far. "Heh, this day keeps getting better and better, Sasuke! Hell, we get to see my girl pound your son to a pulp, or both of your sons if she wins against Inojin!" Suigetsu was filled with glee while saying this.
Sasuke fixed his glance on Suigetsu, and his eyes remained stern. "It is too soon to get cocky, Suigetsu. The fight hasn't even started yet" he pointed out to him
Even so, Suigetsu continued to face him smugly. "Tch, keep dreamin', pal. Once you see Kotone in action, you're gonna regret thinking so high and mighty of yourself" the white-haired man told Sasuke.
Sasuke sighed in irritation by hearing this. "I HAVE seen her in action, idiot. Talented as she may be, she will have a challenge against Inojin, whom she has to fight first" he told him.
Guy and Kimiko were stunned to find out who their teammate would face. This specially hit Guy hard, as he had still not forgotten how he lost his match against Jurou. The young boy clenched his fists tightly. "So Hisoka is up against Jurou? Not that I doubt his abilities, but Jurou was someone who could kill me if given the chance. I just hope Hisoka knows this" Guy was lost in thoughts about seeing this.
"I know that you feel worried, Guy" the young boy was interrupted by the voice of Kimiko, who faced him with a gentle smile. "I never saw your match against Jurou, but I bet that he also has some weaknesses, something I know Hisoka is good at in uncovering" she told him.
Hearing this made Guy regret ever thinking about this. He knew that he just had to wait and see and give Hisoka his full support. Showing her a thumb with a cheeky grin, Guy felt confidence within himself. "You're right, Kimiko. Let us give Hisoka our full backing" he told her.
"Well, they seem to know who they'll be supporting, even after knowing who Hisoka's opponent will be" Asuka remarked in her thoughts as she and her teammates could hear that they what they were talking about. The young girl then began facing Ringo and Hanzo. "Who are you two rooting for?" she asked them.
"Isn't that obvious? I'm rooting for Hisoka" Ringo answered while resting is hands behind his neck. "I bet you do the same thing, considering that you have feelings for him, right Asuka?" he teasingly asked her.
The auburn-haired girl crossed her arms and huffed. "Screw off, stalker!" she told him in return, causing Ringo to face her with displeasure.
"You really need to change your personality sometimes, Asuka" Ringo remarked, although he could see that she didn't pay attention to him. He then began facing Hanzo. "I know that you are rooting for Manami today, Hanzo. There's no point in hiding it from us" he told the black-haired boy.
Hanzo glanced at him with his normal expression. "It's not that I am rooting for her, Ringo. I am here to observe and see how she has developed under her training" he told him and faced the battleground. "From what I hear, Nashiko Uzumaki may not be that strong, but I would not underestimate her if I were in Manami's shoes right now" he added to his explanation.
Sakura had so far been quiet after seeing who Nashiko would be up against. She had even taken a brief glance at Hinata, who to her surprise, had also been quiet. This indicated that this was something they didn't look forward to in seeing. Both mothers knew that their daughters were close friends, until the third phase defined them as such.
"Listen…..Hinata…I…" Sakura tried to speak up, only to be interrupted by Hinata when she did the same thing.
"I know what you are trying to say, Sakura. But as painful it is to see our daughters' friendship wither, we need to see beyond that picture" Hinata spoke up, which made the pinkette stunned. The bluenette eventually faced her with a gentle smile. "But you and I are still friends. Never forget that" she added.
This caused Sakura to chuckle gently. "I must say. I like you as an adult Hinata. You've grown so compassionate" she complimented him.
Hinata snapped in embarrassment, trying to hide it as best as he could. However, she knew that she needed to say something in return and show appreciation to Sakura for saying such words. "Thank you…for saying such words, Sakura" she thanked her, albeit slowly.
But while Hinata seemed pretty reserved, Ino was filled with insecurity by seeing the possible outcome of today's matches. She felt worried about seeing her twin sons fighting one another against each other, in the finals, happening in a large stadium, where thousands of people were watching. This feeling made her slightly uncomfortable.
"Damn it, Ino! Try not to rush to such conclusions! Inojin's match haven't even begun yet!" Ino thought in her head, being stressed at the same time. Surprisingly, she felt a hand touch her right shoulder and she looked to her right to see that it was Sakura who was doing that. The blonde-haired woman was left stunned. "Sakura…." Ino said lowly while looking at her.
"Ino, it is okay to feel nervous about your boys, I won't judge you for it" Sakura told her.
Nodding at her childhood friend/rival, Ino didn't feel bad for herself anymore. But even so, she still did not look forward to see her sons fighting each other, if that were to happen of course.
Standing not far from Takeda's location were Menma and Ayumu, who had been following the announcement so far with expectations. Getting the picture, they knew that Inojin and Shunsuke could perhaps fight later, but it was too early to conclude. No, they needed to see who would win between Inojin and Kotone.
"Inojin will have one hell of an opponent against Kotone. Her tactics are remarkable" Ayumu admitted while puffing out some smoke from his mouth. The red-eyed man then looked over to his comrade. "But I also wonder if Nashiko will be able to stand against Minami. You saw how Takeshi got his butt handed to him during their fight" he added while mentioning the third phase.
Menma sighed deeply in return. "Yeah, I get it! But all I can do, is to pray that my guidance with her for the last few days…has been worth it" the man with the ponytail said in return while facing his pink-haired student on the battleground. His eyes widened. "Speaking of which, they are about to begin the match between her and Minami" he said while feeling a bit uneasy.
The battleground was almost abandoned, with Lee, Nashiko and Minami the only ones remaining. The two young kunoichis were standing tall, facing each other with stern expressions. Both girls had never expected to be fighting each in circumstances like this. Even Lee could notice it by just studying their expressions.
"I don't know what your problem is, but I won't let it stand between me and my goal. Just remember that, Nashiko" the young bluenette told her sternly while Riko began showing his face from her collar.
The expression on Nashiko's face didn't change by what Minami just told her. She remained determined and focused as she could. "I have no problem with you, Manami. My only problem with you is this roleplaying of yours" Nashiko replied, while readying herself.
Hearing this caused Minami to narrow her bright eyes and she felt an urge to just go ahead and punch her. But she would soon be able to do that. He fists clenched together before she readied her fighting stance. "You will regret saying that to me" the young bluenette told Nashiko in return.
Realizing that the time was now, Lee gave the kunoichis the green light to begin the match. "Begin!" Lee commanded them to.
Minami made her first move as Riko jumped out of her collar and she moving against Nashiko by using a palm of her right hand. Nashiko realized what was happening, so she backed off, thus avoiding the palm. But it was not over yet, as Minami delivered her left palm towards Nashiko and began moving towards her. However, her didn't make contact, thus confusing Nashiko.
"What…why did she stop…OH CRAP!" she cursed and covered herself by using her arms.
"Eight Trigrams Air Palm Wall!" Minami said and she fired chakra from her palm towards the young pinkette. Nashiko was taken by it and sent flying backwards towards the dirty ground. But the bluenette was not finished just yet, as she kept firing Chakra from her palm towards the pinkette.
Nashiko groaned while lying on the ground, trying to withstand the chakra being shot against her. "Damn it…she's really serious about this!" she remarked and suddenly reached for two kunais and held of them in her hands. She then stuck the kunais on the ground, trying to hold tightly as she could. But she could see that a cut had appeared along her neck and she became stressed. The young girl did a hand seal. "Time to get serious! Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!" she exclaimed and a horde of shadow clones were made and they began circling around Minami, forcing the young bluenette to cease her attack.
Minami gritted her teeth in irritation by seeing her surroundings. "Great! She's using that jutsu!" she noted, but suddenly began forming a smirk with her mouth. "But I will play along for now. Byakugan!" she said, thus activating the infamous Kekkei Genkai of the Hyuuga clan. She then began eyeing and every shadow clone, trying to rat out the real Nashiko. "Of course, she's hiding amongst the shadow clones, but I know what to do! Riko! Human Beast Clone!" the young girl exclaimed as her dog partner began transforming herself into a clone of herself.
"Woah, Riko just transformed himself" one of Nashiko's shadow clones spoke up.
"But there are only two of them and a horde of us! She won't stand a chance!" another shadow clone spoke up.
As much as it irritated her that so many Nashikos began talking to her, Manami beamed with confidence as Riko stood beside her. She made sure that he began mimicking her fighting stance. The bluenette faced the various shadow clones.
"Come out and face us, Nashiko!" Minami taunted.
In response, Nashiko's shadow clones made their move and launched an attack on Minami and her dog partner. It was an entire crowd assaulting them. Nevertheless, the young bluenette continued to smirk at the situation she was in.
"You're mine now! Protective Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!" Minami shouted and she an Riko began forming blades of chakra that appeared on the various shadow clones. One by one, they disappeared, with Manami determined to rat out Nashiko. "Keep up the good work, Riko! She can't hide forever!" the young girl urged her partner.
But unbeknownst to Minami, she could feel a punch landed in her left cheek. That came from the real Nashiko, who had begun using her strength to attack her opponent. The young pinkette smirked as she did that.
"Heh, how do you like my knuckle sandwich, prom…." Nashiko stopped taunting as she could see that Minami remained still, her feet stuck on the ground. The bluenette moved her right hand and delivered it right at Nashiko's stomach. This sent her flying and she landed on the ground by her back. Nashiko could notice how painful it felt in her stomach, and she coughed out blood while slowly getting up on her feet. "That really…..hurt" Nashiko noted while panting between her words.
She could see Minami standing there, wiping away the blood that ran from her lips. To Nashiko's surprise, the bluenette didn't necessarily seem bruised on her cheek.
"Damn it…when did Minami get so endurable!?" the young pinkette wondered in her head. She was now standing on her feet and had to launch a counterattack. But Manami's attack had left some aftereffects on her stomach, and Nashiko could still feel the pain. "She only pushed her palm at my stomach…yet it still hurts!" Nashiko was filled with disbelief.
Minami crossed her arms and formed a slight smirk towards her opponent, which made Nashiko boil in anger. "Did you expect me to be sent flying by that punch of yours?" she asked the pinkette mockingly. "You're way over your head, Nashiko! That punch was nothing compared to those I felt while training with my cousins!" she went on to scold Nashiko.
Being reminded of this, caused Nashiko to snap in surprise. "Hold on…..did she receive training by her cousins from the Hyuuga clan?" she wondered.
Hikari Hyuuga was sitting beside her older sister, mother and grandfather among the tribunals. So far, she had begun to question whether Manami would change during the finals. She looked at her sister and mother, who were engaged in a conversation.
"Her endurance has improved. What sort of training did you give her?" Hanabi asked while commenting her niece's abilities.
"The same training you have shown me, Hikari and Hanzo" Himawari answered before looking beside Hanabi to face her grandfather, who had his arms crossed with his eyes shut. "I assure you, I have not broken any laws of our clan, grandfather!" she said with a respective nod.
So far, Hiashi had not responded, but he did in fact speak up his mind without as much as looking at Himawari. "I know you haven't broken any law, Himawari. Nevertheless, I am still disappointed of your decision to help that spoiled brat!" the elderly man replied with arrogance.
Himawari gritted her teeth in anger by seeing him behaving this way. "Grandfather…" she muttered underneath her breath.
Meanwhile, Minami's relatives from the Inuzuka clan were having their own opinions about this match. Truth is, they didn't sit so far away from the Hyuuga clan members. Hana was to her embarrassment, trying to calm down Tsume, who were staring at Hiashi with open disgust.
"Just look at that arrogant fool! Even towards his grandchildren, he's still an ass" Tsume remarked.
"Mom, can't you focus on the battleground instead of Hiashi?" Hana asked her while sweating.
Meanwhile, her children were focused on the match below and Kenta wanted to ask his older brother something.
"Hey big bro. Can I ask you something?" the young boy said to Masajun, who faced him with a gentle smile.
"Sure, Kenta. What is it?" Masajun replied.
"About the training Minami received…...do you respect Manami's deciscion? I mean…..you, Yume or Shoma could've given her if she asked you, right?" the young boy said, unsure about what he wanted to ask.
Masajun was confused at first, but he immediately fixed a gentle smile towards his little brother. "I know what you're trying to say here, brother. But truth is, I don't resent Minami for choosing Himawari and her siblings over us. It was her decision and I respect it" he told him.
Not entirely getting the answer, Kenta simply nodded and refocused his attention towards the battleground. "Well, I hope you know what you're doing, Minami" the young boy thought.
Meanwhile, Haruto was feeling concerned about his big sister and he could see that his mother felt the same thing. The young blonde-haired boy looked beside to her mother. The pink-haired woman could notice her son staring at her, so Sakura tried to fix a smile to cover her concerns.
"Nashiko really got a tough opponent today, mom" Haruto remarked. "But I'm not giving up on her" he added with determination.
Sakura giggled by hearing her son say such words. "That is very thoughtful of you, Haruto. But remember that Nashiko is currently in a difficult challenge. There is no help in underestimating your opponent" she told him.
"I know that. But I think Minami should not underestimate Nashiko either" Jiro said, causing Sakura to watch him with a surprised glance. The young boy fixed a cheeky grin, similar to that of his father. "And besides, with all of us including dad watching her, I bet that she will be more than willing to show us what she's capable of" he added while looking up to see where his father was standing.
Sakura did the same thing and spotted her husband watching over the battleground proudly. The pink-haired woman was stunned by seeing the way Naruto was watching. He was smiling, having his arms crossed, and never leaving the sight of their daughter. Sakura smiled by what she saw.
"I may have not seen her in combat, but I know that you have, Naruto" Sakura remarked in her thoughts.
Minami snapped in surprise, as she could see Nashiko stretching her arms and eventually cracking her knuckles. A few minutes ago, she was struggling to get back on her feet, but now, she seemed to not care about the pain that was aching her. However, the bluenette still believed in her own eyes that she had the upper hand.
Minami readied her stance and Riko mimicked her. "Give it up, Nashiko. Unless you wanna get hospitalized, I suggest you forfeit the match" she suggested to her opponent.
The young pinkette spit out some blood before fixing her emerald eyes upon Minami. Despite having minor bruises on her face, Nashiko's face was still filled with beauty, while having some tomboyish effect added.
"Forfeit the match, you say?" Nashiko asked, revealing her cute and smug smile afterwards, signaling her answer. "Not a chance in hell!" she added, with a hint of fire burning within her voice.
Despite being angered by Nashiko's cocky voice, Minami fixed a smug smile in return. "If that's what you want, then I'm going to enjoy this fight" Minami said, trying to taunt her opponent. She then pointed her finger towards the young pinkette. "So me and Riko are gonna take our time, and wipe off that smartass-smirk off your sissy face!" she added, trying with another taunt.
Even though she resented being taunted like this, Nashiko easily withstood it. "Bring it on!" she replied before they both clashed once again in hand-to-hand combat.
To be continued…
Author's notes: This was chapter 41. Been a long time since I wrote this. The next chapter will focus on the rest of the match between Nashiko and Minami and what happens afterwards. Here are some of the voice actors I chose for the new characters we got introduced in this chapter. And just to be clear: they won't have a great part in this story as Nashiko and her friends will.
Ringo Nakada – Dan Green
Asuka Tamon – Veronica Taylor
Yasushi Enomoto – Samuel Vincent
Kanaye Senri – Tony Sampson
Shoma Inuzuka – Chiara Zanni