*Chapter 31*: Chapter Twenty Seven: Jumping at Shadows
-AN: Revised for typos.
Chapter Twenty Seven: Jumping at Shadows
Blood was everywhere. Shikamaru, Naruto, and Sasuke looked over the gory corridor for several long seconds, before directing their collective gaze at the suna nin at the far end of the hallway, who stood wearing a manic, unhinged grin. Gaara- wasn't that his name? -chuckled. "Blood... sweet blood... where is your friend, the one with the ice? Is his blood warm or cold? Mother wants to taste it, It's so hot in the desert, and she would enjoy a nice cold drink."
Naruto took a step forward. "I thought it was my blood you wanted so badly. Now you toss me aside for my team mate? If he wasn't so much prettier than me I'd be offended."
Naruto's forward progress was halted by Shikamaru's hand on his shoulder. "Hey, Naruto, wait." He said. "Remember what Kakashi sensei said. The suna nin aren't to be touched outside the arena. Inside the arena, they're fair game, but outside it we have to leave them alone. Regardless of circumstances we can't engage them. You can beat him in the tournament but nowhere else."
"Kill." Naruto snapped angrily. "I don't know who these guys were but this guy slaughtered them, probably without reason or purpose."
"I have a purpose!" Gaarta yelled, and his expression of manic glee took on a barely pereceptible note of desperation. "I am a predator and I exist to end the existance of those whom I chose for prey!"
Naruto growled softly, and the force of his sudden killing intent was like a hammerblow on everyone in the hallway, even Gaara. Naruto's voice, when he finally spoke after a moment, was a gravelly whisper. "You're no predator and you're no ninja. You're just a rabid dog run loose for far too long, and I will put you down like it in front of all those people you came here with, people you've terrorized for as long as they've known you." Naruto spun on his heel and began walking back the way they came. "Sasuke, Shika, let's take the other entrance. I'd like to let the world watch him die out there, and that's not gonna happen if I keep looking at him."
Team Akachi fell in with him as they walked, and Sasuke snickered softly. "You assume that you're the one who's gonna fight him. I might be the one fighting him instead, you know." The Uchiha commented as they walked.
Naruto shrugged. "Either way. But if you do end up his opponent, kill him, okay?"
Sasuke's response was an amused grunt.
Naruto pushed on the door leading out to the main entry way, and the three genin walked over to the opposite side of the room, still filling up with spectators who were headed to the bleacher stairs. The crowd parted almost unconsciously for the three as they moved, oblivious to the looks they received in passing.
Shikamaru sighed suddenly. "What do you guys know about Tenten?"
Naruto pulled the door handle open as they turned the corner, holding it open for the other two as they entered the second hallway. Shikamaru and Sasuke waited as Naruto held the door for Lee, who had just come in the arena himself. The spandex clad boy grinned at them. "Thank you for your youthful display of politeness! Your sensei has instilled in you a chivalry unmatched by most of our peers!"
Team Akachi stared blankly after the taijutsu specialist in a numb sort of uncertainty as he continued down the hallway, confident and cheerful.
Naruto shook himself, trying to erase the strangely disturbing vision of green spandex from his mind. "Uh... Tenten? Long range combat enthusiast with a taste for sharp objects and loud explosions?"
Sasuke blinked at Naruto, before he recalled Shikamaru's earlier question. "Hn, she's got a pretty high tolerance for pain.
Most women do, actually, compared to guys."
Shikamaru scowled. "I already know all that. No, I mean her personality. Is she stubborn, does she know when to give up, does her pride overwhelm her common sense?"
Sasuke put it together in a little under a second. "This is also about Gaara, isn't it? You want to know if you can safely throw the match without getting someone killed."
Shikamaru sighed. "Depends on whether Lee wins, or not."
Naruto let the door shut with the three of them in the hall. As the latch clicked closed, he leaned back against the door, while the three of them considered this. After a moment, Shikamaru rubbed his chin and said, "Sasuke, you know Lee and his skill set the best- you were cycled in with him team for a while. Do you think he has a chance against Gaara?"
Sasuke frowned thoughtfully. "That's anyone's guess. I take it if Lee wins, you're gonna throw the fight with Tenten?" Shikamaru stuck his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "I haven't really decided yet. Part of me just wants to blow it all off."
"And?" Naruto prompted.
"And part of me says I'll never live it down if you two get promoted before I do." Shikamaru replied with a sudden grin. "I'm trying to decide which is less troublesome."
The three boys shared a quiet chuckle of comeraderie, before the gravity of their situation set in. After a few seconds, Naruto said, "Beat Tenten, concede against Gaara. I think I can make sure he doesn't kill Lee."
"How do you plan to do that?" Sasuke asked with a raised eyebrow.
Naruto smiled. "He really wants to kill me, right? I'll let him know that if he kills anyone else that I'll forfeit our match, and he'll never get the chance."
Sasuke favored Naruto with his trademark smirk. "And what if I beat you in our match?" He asked. "What then?"
Naruto returned a thin smile in Sasuke's direction. "If you can, then he'll want to fight you instead. Either way, he'll win, and get to fight the strongest genin in the tournament."
"I won't go easy on you." Sasuke warned. "You're my next goal."
The two stood staring at each other, challenge and respect reflected in both of their eyes. Shikamaru suddenly felt a deep pang in his chest as he watched the two of them, standing in the hallway, feeling suddenly left out.
"I'm not on either of your radars, am I?" He murmured, a crestfallen expression on his face.
Naruto and Sasuke blinked at one another, then together looked at Shikamaru. A hint of hurt, frustration, and sadness laced his voice as Shikamaru said, "You two stand there and talk as if you're the only ones in the tournament who matter." He paused, then said louder, "I won't let you leave me behind!"
Naruto and Sasuke were both startled by this proclamation, but slowly, they began to smile at him.
Sasuke said, "You can't have it both ways, Shikamaru. You either take the easy way out, or you keep up with us. What do you want more?"
Shikamaru froze. It felt like futures hung on his words, his choices, here and now. For a moment he couldn't think, couldn't blink, couldn't even breathe.
("Son, you'll learn someday that to not choose is a choice in and of itself, and often, it's the worst choice you can make.") His father spoke from his memory.
Shikamaru's face was troubled. "I need... time to think about this."
The arena stadium was slowly filling with spectators, dignitaries, and nobility. Gai watched impassively from the Kage stand as he reflexively practiced muscle resistance exercises in his legs. So practiced was he that his legs did not so much as twitch as he perfectly balanced muscle groups against one another. He'd done this for so many years that the exercise was below the level of conscious thought, and so, unhappily, brought no level of distraction from the issues in the forefront of his mind.
He still wasn't certain why it was him up here in the Kage stand instead of Kakashi, and with assurances of invasion afoot the council wanted the strongest of Konoha's jounin in the Kage box, ready to match the Kazekage when he finally chose to make his move. A brief debate had suggested Jiraiya instead, but the council was reluctant to bring the Gama sennin out of the field and pinned into a stationary location, when it was known that his former team mate was on the move.
Knowing all of this didn't help Gai that much. Two of his pupils were competing down there today and he wanted to be there for them... but he couldn't be.
Gai could only comfort himself with the fact that, after today, this disaster- and the necessity of his intermittent impersonation of the honorable Sandaime Hokage- would all be over.
Ibiki monitored the arena from the Proctor's box. "Yamato, Genma, are the barrier experts in place?"
From his headset came the replies, "Affirmative." "Yep."
Temari, Kankuro, and Baki all stared at Gaara in alarm and disbelief. It was Baki who put voice to his thoughts. "What?"
"Uzumaki Naruto has promised to forfeit his match with me if either of my opponents before him die at my hands. I want you to delay the attack plan."
"But-" Temari began, feeling panic rise. Konoha was counting on the attack happening at the end of the first round, as
their original plan had entailed.
Gaara cut her off. "If the attack happens before we fight, or Uzumaki forfeits, he may die before I get the chance to kill him, at the hands of another." He gave a terrible grin. "Uzumaki Naruto is my prey. I will kill anything that gets in between us."
As Gaara walked away, Baki began massaging his temples. "I will speak to the Kazekage. Temari, you or Kankuro speak to the Konoha nin."
"Kazekage sama." Greeted Gai. "Welcome."
"I thank you, Hokage sama." Replied the Kazekage.
Something about the Kazekage's reply bothered Gai. "You seem... uncontent, Kazekage sama. Is everything alright?"
The Kazekage cast him a sidelong glance. "Merely impatient. I'm quite eager to see how Uzumaki san holds up against my Gaara."
Gai's hackles rose immediately, although the reason was yet buried in the back of his mind. Keeping his expression light, he replied, "You surprise me, Kazekage sama. I had thought you would look forward more to seeing Uchiha Sasuke compete today, to measure the talent of Sunagakure against the last member of the Uchiha clan."
"So I had thought as well," the Kazekage answered, "until I learned of the performance of his more talented teammate during the second exam and the preliminaries from my subordinate Baki." The Kazekage's face was hidden, but Gai could clearly see the crinkles in the corners of his eyes as he smiled. "I imagine the fight between those two boys will be almost as entertaining as the one between Gaara and the victor. Don't you agree, Hokage sama?"
"Of course." Gai responded calmly. Inside, he was anything but the calm surface he portrayed. He reflected on the information he'd gotten from the ANBU mere moments before the Kazekage arrived. So the Sand team requested the Kazekage delay the attack, rather than the other way around. Then they were likely telling us the truth that the delay was to keep Gaara from going out of control unpredictably. Gai looked back down into the ring, feeling he was somehow missing something. Something is very wrong here.
"It's go time." Said a proctor from the door. Genma chewed his fukimibari thoughtfully.
"Well, we're as ready as we can be. Let's just hope the last match doesn't bring down the house around our ears." He muttered.
"Lee." Said Neji quietly. "It's time."
Lee looked solemnly over at the Hyuuga prodigy. He'd decided to spend the lead up time in the stands next to his team mate rather than wait in the competitor's row below. It had struck him as unfair that the strongest member of their team was the only one who would not compete today. And they were a team- he would not leave him to witness this all alone.
Despite the ministrations of Lady Tsunade, Neji was still stiff and sore. It would be a long time, six months or more, before he regained his full strength and flexibility. On seeing Lee's gaze, Neji frowned slightly. "Stop it."
"Stop what?" Asked Lee, puzzled.
"Stop pitying me." Neji replied, with a little heat in his voice.
"I don't pity you." Lee said, surprised. "I envy you. I don't know if I could have survived such an injury as yours and still have the strength to continue on."
Neji laughed, a cold sound. "It was not strength. Just fate."
Lee directed a glare at the Hyuuga genin angrily. "You're a fool. You could have settled for living your life as a civilianpeople in your clan do it every day. You chose- YOU CHOSE- to fight against it and suffer, so that you could rise above it all. Don't cheapen that, don't cheapen yourself, by calling it fate. Life is ten percent what happens to us and ninety percent what we do about it- that's what Gai sensei once told me."
Neji's snort was filled with derision. "Sounds like something he'd say."
Lee was silent for a few seconds, before he finally said, "It's time, though. Remember... your opponent gave you a way out. None of this would have happened to you but for a choice you let your pride make for you."
The Hyuuga prodigy froze, looking at his team mate oddly. A voice rang out over the arena, announcing the first two contestants: Lee and Gaara.
Lee started to go, when Neji stopped him. "Lee."
The Taijutsu prodigy stopped, looking over his shoulder.
"Don't let him catch you. His sand will break even your bones. And don't mess around with him."
Lee nodded, understanding what Neji was really saying. "Thank you. And... when you've fully recovered... I'll be waiting for you."
A moment of understanding passed between them, and Neji felt lighter. Nothing miraculous, nothing amazing, but suddenly, he felt like there was a reason for his path to continue on.
Lee casually hopped the distance from the stands to the arena floor, bypassing the competitor's box altogether. Calmly, he began walking towards the center of the arena, where the proctor and Gaara both awaited him impatiently. Lee's gaze was focused on the Suna genin, his outward calm belying the whirlwind of thoughts running through his head. Sand. Lee thought to himself. That's his weapon. It's fast, and he seems to be able to do almost anything with it. Weapons, defense, even basic ninja tools.
As Genma announced the match, Lee dropped into a defensive stance, eyeing the sand nin warily. Gaara simply stared back at him, arms folded across his chest, with a slightly resentful look on his face. Neji is quite correct. Lee decided. Gai sensei, I apologize, but it seems I must take them off.
"Any questions?" Genma asked.
"A moment, if you please, proctor." Lee asked, before elaning down and removing his leg warmersm then unstrapping his weights. They fell to the ground with a shuddering thud that heard and felt even to the stadium seats. A hushed murmur went through the crowd at this as Lee nodded. I am ready."
Gaara's eyes widened and his mouth broke out into a hungry smile, but then his expression gave way to indecision and frustration as his eyes shot up to the competitor's box where Naruto sat. After a seeming agonizing moment, frustration was replaced by resignation, before Gaara gritted his teeth, mastered his expression, and muttered, "Proctor, I too, am ready."
Genma raised his hand, then brought it down. "Begin!"
The Proctor leaped backwards as Lee took a single step forward. Then Lee seemed to vanish as dirt and dust sprayed into the air, obscuring the arena floor for a few seconds, as powerful, thunderous impacts could be heard. A frew seconds after the impacts ended, the dust cleared, revealing Lee crouched at the far end of the arena floor, panting gently, while where Gaara had stood there was a masive dome of sand.
Lee trotted from side to side easily for a few seconds, popping his neck and stretching his arms across his chest, assessing the defensive measures his opponent had taken. Finally, he nodded to himself, as if decided, before he gave a short hop to the arena wall before kicking off it to make a lightning fast dash past the dome.
From the Kage box, Gai smiled slightly- Lee had retrieved his weights and was now partially assembling his staff. And he's stopping at only four sections, Gai noted to himself. Enough to gain leverage for a powerful impact but still light enough to maintain his mobility.
Lee spent bare seconds assembling his weapon; it was almost too long. He shot into the air as sand erupted from beneath his feet, and engaged in an amazing display of acrobatics as several waves of pounding sand attempted to smash him into the ground. Lee recovered the initiative quickly, and dashed between two incoming masses with a twisting charge that seemed to defy the laws of physics. His dash terminated at the barrier as the entirety of his momentum and force transfered to the bar in his hands, moving so fast the bar seemed for a split second to be a mirror hanging in mid air. The force of the blow tore open the side of the dome thunderously, barely slowing the weapon as sand gouted outwards in a fourteen foot spray.
Lee's eyes widened in shock.
The dome of sand was empty. Lee knew he'd been baited when the sand arose from all directions. He leaped desperately into the air, but there was nowhere to go except down when gravity reasserted itself.
Lee was obscured from sight as the sand enveloped him completely.
Across the arena from where Lee was caught, Gaara rose from the ground in a pillar of sand. "Proctor, I can kill him in a moment by crushing him. I have won this match." He said calmly.
Genma, looking over at the amorphous lump of sand, raised a hand-
-And the sand prison exploded outwards. Lee stood blazing, power radiating from his body in waves. His skin was flushed red, his veins bulging, as he screamed out, "Seimon- KAI!"
Gaara encased himself in sand immediately- it was almost too late. Lee vanished from sight as sand, dirt, and turf fountained skyward. Gaara's form was thrown violently into the air; Lee shot up to follow in a blur of green spandex.
"Shomon- KAI!"
Gaara felt himself slammed sideways with the force of Lee's kick- even through the sand armor it was like being hit by a charging elephant. The taijutsu specialist used the force of his kick to rebound into the wall of the arena. He launched off the wall, driving a knee into Gaara's side, an elbow into his chest, a kick that began on the arena floor and terminated into Gaara's jaw forty feet in the air. Blows came so quickly that the impacts sounded like a drumroll, as Lee heard tendons and muscle fibers in his limbs popping and snapping like overtaxed violin strings. Several times through sheer luck Gaara had managed to interpose the sand wall between them, but it was too difuse to matter and Lee had shot through the defense like it wasn't there. Sand was still making it to Gaara's body and coated him ever heavier- Lee knew that it was now all or nothing. His handwraps loosened with a practiced twist of his wrists and he lashed them around his opponent as he hurtled towards the arena floor, binding Gaara and yanking him back towards Lee with a taut jerk as Lee unleashed the fifth gate: "Tomon: KAI!"
Years of training had toughened Lee's knuckles and bones to a strength somewhat higher than laminated tempered steel. Despite this, Lee felt fractures in both his striking arm and the leg that kicked along side, both limbs coordinated to deliver the single hardest blow he'd ever dealt in his life. Gaara smashed into the ground in a towering plume of dirt and debris, leaving a crater in the dirt where he impacted. Lee hit the ground unevenly, tumbled uncontrolled and awkward to a pile of pain wracked limbs and genin with a groan. Levering himself up with his good arm, he struggled back to his feet, limping uneasily towards his fallen opponent.
Did I do it? He wondered.
Gai felt his heart hammering in his chest as he watched his prized student display his prowess in its fullest glory. The crowd was roaring, on their feet, as the proctor walked forward to have a closer look at the sand ninja. He suddenly stopped as Gaara's hand shot out, still prone, and all the sand that had worked its way into Lee's clothes emerged. It shot out from his clothes, his pockets, his hair, even some from his tool bag strapped to his thigh, and whipped around Lee's throat, hauling him into the air. Lee had no leverage- his hands scrabbled at the viselike grip of sand around his throat. His feet kicked helplessly at empty air, but with nothing to kick off of, there was no escape for him.
Gai's jubilation had fallen away into pure terror, and it was only abject shock that kept him from breaking cover to save his pupil.
From the stands, Gai heard a voice shout out, "Gaara!"
Gaara's eyes snapped to the stands, where Naruto stood, glaring at him. With a snarl, he opened his fist, and Lee dropped bonelessly to the arena floor. "Proctor..." He growled.
"Winner: Subaku no Gaara!" Genma snnounced.
Gaara pulled himself painfully to his feet, his entire body feeling bruised. He walked to the stands, masking his discomfort and ignoring the enraged screams of bloodlust denied that echoed in the back of his mind.
Within seconds, he was looking up at Naruto defiantly. "He'll live."
Naruto nodded. "You can be taught. Maybe I don't have to kill you after all."
Gaara bared his teeth in an expression that was too hungry to call a smile. "Even if Mother is angry for sparing him, your blood will be the sweetest offering I can give her."
Naruto shook his head in resignation. "Yeah, I guess it WAS too much to hope for."
One of the proctors looked uneasily at the cracks in the arena walls where Lee had pushed off during his crazed, pinball assault on Gaara. "Maybe we should have had barriers for ALL the fights this year."
"Quiet over the air." Snapped Genma on the headset, before he switched to the PA channel. "Next match to commence:
Tenten no Konoha, Nara Shikamaru."
"Tenten will win." Commented Chouji, popping another rice puff into his mouth.
Sakura shot Chouji a surprised look. "What? Don't you have faith in Shikamaru? I thought you said he was your best friend."
Chouji began to answer, but stopped.
("If anyone in this exam is strong enough to beat him, it's you.")
Can I trust him anymore? Chouji wondered. Was he just saying that, or was he just trying to make me believe in myself like Jiraiya sama says?
Chouji's eyes watched Shikamaru as he walked out to the center of the arena, avoiding the various pitfalls and hazards that had been created in the first match. He was walking slightly slouched over, hands in his pockets, looking for all the world like he didn't want to be there. Chouji smiled at the sight, it was just SO Shikamaru.
"He's going to quit." Chouji said with a reassured smile.
"Why would he quit?" Asked Ino, somewhat breathless. She was recuperating well, enough so that she'd been released from the hospital last week... but she wasn't fully recovered yet. Water in the lungs does more than suffocate, it ruptures delicate walls that aren't meant to handle the non- compressing nature of fluids. With Lady Tsunade's ministrations she'd eventually recover to full strength, but it would be a while longer yet.
Chouji only smiled at her. "You don't know Shikamaru."
Shikamaru sighed. Tenten was ecstatic. bouncing almost, full of confidence, energy, and anticipation. She was ready to come through the tournament like a freight train and let nothing stop her.
There was no way she'd give up short of death against Gaara.
Shikamaru looked up at the clouds and sighed, before rolled his neck. Finally, he looked over at Tenten. "Mendokuse."
Tenten growled at him. "Are you calling me troublesome?"
Shikamaru sighed again. "No. Just the sun is in my eyes."
Tenten scoffed. "Aw, poor baby. Would you feel better if we switched sides for the match?"
Shikamaru shrugged. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble. I hate mornings."
Genma shook his head with a snicker, almost disbelieving. "You are both welcome to change sides if you agree to it." Tenten nodded. "Sure. I'll let princess be more comfortable in the beginning of the match."
The two genin switched places.
Up in the stands, Chouji leaned down and nudged Sasuke in the shoulder. Sasuke looked back and smirked. "The sun is in my eyes?" Chouji said with a laugh.
"He pulled that on you too?" Sasuke answered.
"Yeah, it's one of his favorite tricks- like fool's mate in chess." Chouji answered. "That girl Tenten doesn't even realize that with the sun at Shikamaru's back, she's standing right in his shadow."
Genma waited patiently as the genin moved to their respective positions. "NOW are you ready?"
Tenten's cheerful, boistrous affirmation was a sharp contrast to Shikamaru's mellow nod.
Genma raised his hand. "Begin!"
Tenten tried to leap backwards, but discovered she couldn't. "W-what-"
Shikamaru took his hands out of his pockets, and Tenten's arms moved to mimic his posture. In a bored tone of voice, he said, "Kagemane no jutsu successful. And if you ever intend to become a chunin, you must remember..." he trailed off, pointing down to the ground, Tenten's hand following the gesture towards the blot of shadow connecting the two of them. "Remember that you never, ever... allow your enemy to fight on ground of his choosing so long as you can possibly help it." Shikamaru pulled out a kunai and a note from his collar, noting with satisfaction that she apparently held no weapons there. As he wrapped the note around the kunai, and handed it to her, he mimed taking a non existant weapon from her outstretched hand as she took his from him. Tenten stared at the note like she'd been handed a live bomb- which she had been. Shikamaru mimed holding the deadly kunai to his chest and watched as she did the same.
Shikamaru turned around and backed up, so that the two of them were standing back to back. "If you don't give up in five steps, the note explodes. Ten paces and your body between me and the note should make sure I'm fine. One..." And Shikamaru took a step forward.
Tenten had never felt so powerless in her life. She was a prisoner in her own body, her actions slaved to another's will- a will that had her clutching death to her breast like it was a child.
She felt her feet take a step forward, quickly, and she remembered everything she'd ever heard about team Akachi- the so-called Reaper squad. The rumors from the hospital after the second exam said that they'd killed more competitors than all the other teams combined- more than any squad in Chunin exam history.
Step.
She remembered blood flying out in a gruesome spray from the massive sword in Naruto's hands and the eyes of his team mates that bespoke how comming this sight was to them.
Step.
She thought of Neji, broken on the floor of the competition room in the tower at the center of the Forest of Death, wrapped in a net.
Step.
It was the fourth step that broke her.
Gai suppressed a shudder as a terrified scream tore its way from Tenten's throat, as she surrendured. Shikamaru released his hold and Tenten threw the kunai as far from her as she could, before her knees gave out and she was violently ill on the arena ground.
Gai closed his eyes briefly in sadness.
He had failed them by recommending them too soon- for all their enormous talent, his team simply had not been ready.
Chouji stared in disbelief as he watched the proctor announce Shikamaru's win. The simple fact of the win, not to mention the cruel manner in which it had been executed, left Chouji in a state of numb disbelief, his world shaken to its very foundations.
It had been only two and a half months since Shikamaru left team ten- two and a half months since they'd trained together and hung out as team mates. When he'd left team ten, Shikamaru had been a lazy, laid back kind of guy.
Chouji looked at the Shikamaru before him- cold, deadly, and competent- and of his old friend he could only find the faintest traces.
I guess the person who didn't know you... was me.
Sasuke looked surprised at Shikamaru as he returned to the stands amidst the polite applause of the nobles- most of the rest of the crowd had been stunned by the sheer ruthlessness he'd displayed.
"I didn't think you'd take it that far," the Uchiha commented. Shikamaru snorted. "I thought I'd actually have to light the note off."
"You would have?" Sasuke asked, startled again. Shikamaru just shrugged. "It was only a stun bomb."
Sasuke burst out laughing.
Temari watched the two Konoha genin converse- two of Naruto's team mates, the Nara who'd threatened to kill the other girl from Konoha, and the Uchiha boy. And now the two of them were laughing over it.
These were Naruto's team mates. And she'd be fighting one of them next. She wondered if he'd been told not to kill her.
From the intelligence Suna had been given by Otogakure, the Nara boy was the least combat oriented member of his team. And she was slated to fight the last member of the Uchiha clan.
The proctor announced the next match. Steeling her nerve, Temari hopped onto her fan and rode the air currents into the ring.
Genma watched the suna defector ride her massive warfan down into the arena. Although she presented a calm confidence, Genma noted the tension under her eyes as she arrived. She's either rattled by the violence of the first two matches, or she's not certain that Konoha didn't decide to tie her loose ends off in the match. He thought to himself. Considering she's teamed with that Gaara kid, I imagine it's the latter. And another time she might even be right, except her defection brings a jinchuuriki with her as well as vital invasion intelligence. That other kid, Kankuro, he's not as brave as she is, he'd never be able to toe the Gaara kid into line long enough for us to get him in our debt. Out loud, he said, "Welcome to the finals. Nice fan."
Temari jumped a little at the mention of the fan, but managed a short, "Thanks."
Sasuke sized up the Sunagakure kunoichi as he walked onto the field. She carried her massive fan easily, like an extension of herself. It was a far nicer fan than the one she'd lost when she tried to defend the Kabuki genin from Naruto.
He'd been briefed by Shikamaru on the skirmish he'd had with her and her team mate a month ago. She was fast, and Naruto had been thwarted in his killing stroke by her sacrificing what had apparently been her working weapon. The weapon she'd been seen carrying since was of a quality several orders of magnitude higher than the one Naruto had destroyed- either it was some sort of heirloom, ceremonial weapon, or else it was a spare she had brought with her on the off chance she encountered a weapon user wielding something of similar quality. In either case, having such a weapon readily available meant that she had an enormous degree of either political influence or money- or possibly both- making her apparent defection to Konoha all the more mystifying. Kakashi sensei had made it clear that he was NOT to kill her, although defeating her was certainly permitted. He'd also been told not to share his information with the rest of his teamthis operation was strictly need to know.
So Sasuke was going to go along with this little play date, and see where it led.
The fight was short. Temari displayed some talent with wind jutsu, but after an especially elaborate fire attack, she gave up quickly. Never mind what it looked like, never mind promotion. If Konoha was to survive, they would need all of their fighters- herself and Sasuke included- to be in good form to weather the storm of what was coming, and for Temari to survive, Konoha would likewise have to survive. And if Temari DIDN'T survive, neither would Kankuro... or Gaara.
So regardless of whether it made her look bad, she would act as her mission required.
Let the chips fall where they may.
Kakashi watched the girl walk back to the stands, her head held high in spite of her poor showing. But then, he knew full well why she'd done so poorly- and the art of the ninja is deception.
I'll cast my ballot for her promotion to chunin. She knows when to sacrifice herself for the good of the mission.
Sasuke watched the Suna girl walk off the field. The fight had bothered him- Sure, her affinity for wind techniques made her terribly vulnerable to his own affinity for fire, but he got the distinct feeling that she hadn't really tried. It was almost an insult.
Still, he'd be fresh enough to give Naruto a run for his money when their match rolled around.
The proctor was announcing the next match: Uzumaki Naruto and Mizuten Takumo.
Sasuke suddenly felt uneasy. Potentially three fights were coming up for Naruto, and he'd declared formal intent to kill two of his upcoming opponents.
That realization sparked a memory, one of a conversation held in Nami no Kuni, about the effects of the Mangekyou Sharingan. How much of the Sharingan remai9ned in Naruto? Was it still there, the damage from the Mangekyou, slowly poisoning Naruto's mind until he finally snapped? The thought made Sasuke feel sick inside.
And the way Naruto had explained his decisions to kill were so reasonable, if he WAS going mad, was that madness contagious? Not so with the Sharingan, but this Kamigan was more powerful by far.
I don't want to believe he's going crazy, Sasuke thought to himself, but I have to know.
Naruto was just getting to his feet. Sasuke set his hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Hey, Dobe."
Naruto's lips quirked into a half smile. "What is it, Teme?"
"I know you decided to kill him... but don't, okay?"
Naruto looked confused. "He tried to kill Ino, and he did so after his match was over. He tried to murder one of ours, someone from Konoha. He's an enemy, and he'd do it again if he got the chance."
"So be the better man. Kick his ass, humiliate him if you want. But don't kill him." Sasuke urged.
Naruto blinked at him for a long moment, before he looked over at Gaara with a measuring glance. Sighing, he finally nodded. "Alright."
Sasuke nodded back, and as he watched Naruto enter the arena suddenly he felt better than he had in a long time. Better than in years. Since before the massacre, even. It took him a few seconds to identify what that feeling was, back a long time ago. Back when he'd sprained his ankle training, and Itachi carried him home.
After all these years, he finally had a big brother he could trust and count on again.
Genma watched as Naruto hopped down from the stands, walking confidently over to the center of the ring.
Genma continued nibbling his fukimibari, granting Uzumaki a mellow stare. This was the match they warned me aboutthe genin from Takigakure is horribly outmatched here, and according to Hayate, Naruto threatened to send the kid out of the arena on a stretcher or in a bag.
Genma held no illusions about this- Hayate was therefore put into an awkward position, considering that the tokobetsu jounin quite literally owed Naruto his life. But duty had won out, and in his own way Hayate was still looking out for Uzumaki- forewarned, Genma could keep the blonde from doing anything that might harm his career or that he might regret later. Or at least, so Genma hoped.
Several minutes passed as Mizuten looked on from the vantage point near the stadium. Look at these pathetic Konoha nin, standing there waiting as if this little test of theirs actually means something. He thought to himself. 'None of them have a clue that their little village and all of their posturing is going to die today.
He looked back from the arena to his assigned target during the invasion: the Konoha Shinobi Academy.
Naruto stood with him arms folded, a disgusted look on his face. Genma raised an eyebrow, looking up at the Hokage, who nodded.
Genma shifted the needle, and announced, "Due to lateness, Mizuten Takumo is disqualified. The first round is finished; next match to commence, Subaku no Gaara, Nara Shikamaru." End Chapter Twenty Seven.
-AN: To all my fans out there who have waited literally three and a half months for this chapter to come out: I deeply apologize.
My carefully ordered life has been neatly unravelled; following my demotion from my cashier position for cost saving measures (And in the process, hitting me with a 25% cut in pay) I have been forced to restructure my life. Many of the things which I had woven into my life, including a stable work schedule, a WoW account, eating habits (I am again becoming acquainted with the detestable flavors of Hamburger Helper, on the nights I don't just settle for Mac and cheese or ramen and diced vegetables) have been replaced with unwelcome experiences I haven't gone through since high school. Much of the last three months have been spent wallowing in a deplorable, shameful state of self pity.
It was a few days ago that I was reading through my notes when I ran across a passage I had written before all of this upheaval occured: Lee speaking to Neji, a bit that I wrote in above and left intact: "Life is ten precent what happens to us, and ninety percent what we do about it."
It was a splash of cold water and a slap in the face to read that and realize that my situation was not outside of my control, but first I had to remove myself from the state of depression and largely self inflicted helplessness I was feeling.
Forcing myself to sit and transcribe this chapter is the first step I'm taking to get my ass back in gear. Call it disciplining myself, call it about f**king time, call it what you will, but this chapter is being released. Now. And I am going to sit back and wallow no longer. Don't cheer me for it; I should have done this at the very latest two and a half months ago.
A preview, then sign off.
Chapter Twenty Eight Preview:
Morale first faltered when Shukaku appeared. What should have been a rallying sight for the invaders turned sour as it became apparent that the Ichibii was, at least for now, quite securely contained in the arena. Slowly but surely the two Konoha Sannin were dealing with the snake summons in spite of the horrific initial colateral damage.
One of the Praetorian serpents crashed through the defensive line, the flanking heads laying down sporadic barrages of acidic venom to either side, forcing the defenders into cover. As the massive summoned beast thundered through the abandoned Uchiha sector, a gargantuan toad landed on the three headed snake's massive back.
The cacophanous crushing noises were more than summoned flesh and bone- the fallen serpent's heads plowed through a half dozen building from the force of the blow. Without waiting to assess the damage from its initial assault, the toad whipped out its colossal blade and made three lightning fast slashes. The heads parted from the thrashing body of the snake before all parts vanished in smoke; the toad fell the intervening distance to the ground that the snake had occupied, and the ground shuddered from the weight.
Jiraiya himself was not idle in this battle, as a team of Oto nin bore down on his position, hurling shuriken. Jiraiya stepped behind cover of what little wall there was left standing after the snake had smashed through it. A sudden Rasengan drove through that wall, peppering the advancing team of oto shinobi with a spray of jagged, deadly fast bits of brick and mortar.
The one nin who managed to shield himself with a wall of air was roasted alive as Jiraiya's fireball jutsu plowed through the wind barrier completely unimpeded.
Jiraiya shot a weary look in the direction of Gamabushi- the toad was blistered and bloodied, and breathing in great gasps. "Sorry to ask this of you, my friend, but there's still one more out there."
"Think nothing of it, Gama sennin. Although," the toad mentioned almost as an afterthought, "I believe your partner may well have things in hand."
Jiraiya looked in the direction Gamabushi was watching, and chuckled to himself as one head of the distant praetorian was rocked backwards by a piece of masonry the size of a cow that flew skyward like a rocket. "Heh." Jiraiya said with a tired grin. "I love that woman."
End preview.
Ja mata.
-AXENOME