Chapter 25: Round Two
"What are you talking about? You've always been fine on your own. I was the one always being saved by you and Sasuke," Sakura said.
"I'm not talking about in a fight," Naruto said as he tried to pull himself into a sitting position.
Sakura put a hand on his chest and pushed him back down, "No, you need your rest, especially if you're going to still fight," Sakura said.
Naruto was startled a bit at this, "you want me to still fight?" he asked.
"No, but I know you do, and I won't be able to stop you," Sakura said with the shadow of a smile.
Naruto grinned, "thanks. But seeing as how you won't let me get it myself, can you hand me my kunai pack?" Naruto asked pointing to the round pack at his feet.
Sakura took it and held it in her hands, "What's in here that you want so badly?" she asked.
"I'll show you," Naruto said reaching for the pack.
More sounds from the other room signaling the end of another fight, only one more until Naruto is up again.
"Udon and Moegi are done huh?" Naruto asked.
"I guess," Sakura said, her eyes on the door and handing Naruto the pack.
Naruto took the pack and started looking through it. Sakura turned back to him to see what he was looking for. Finally he found it and took out a small container, inside where three pills.
"Soldier pills? Naruto why do you have those?" Sakura asked.
"Situation like this," Naruto said forcing himself to sit up.
"But you can barely move, you're so beaten up," Sakura said.
"You just said you couldn't stop me from fighting in my next fight, right? Would you rather have me fight like this, or with the help of one of these," Naruto asked.
Sakura didn't answer, 'I also said I didn't want you fighting at all,' she thought. "But those are dangerous, taking one is fine, but why do you have three?" Sakura asked.
"In case I lose one, or need another one," Naruto said.
"Naruto, please, promise me you won't use all three. Promise you won't use more than one for a single fight," Sakura said.
"Why?" Naruto asked as he opened the container.
"Taking two, even one for each of the two fights could end up causing a lot of damage. But all three, the repercussions could be deadly, especially in your current condition," Sakura said.
Naruto looked at her face, saw the pleading in her eyes, "Alright, I'll only take two of these a most, one for each fight," Naruto said holding up one of the pills.
Sakura smiled slightly and nodded. Naruto put the canister back in his pack and forced himself onto his feet. He put his forehead protector back on and his pack back on the back of his belt. He pocketed the pill, he was going to wait for the start of his fight before taking it so he could use the full effects of it.
Sakura helped him walk out of the medic room and into the other one. There they saw Udon and Moegi sitting on their beds talking to each other. They stopped when Naruto entered and looked at him.
"Oh my god! Are you okay?" Moegi asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. How 'bout you two?" Naruto asked.
"We're fine, just a few scratches, but you should be careful, that guy I fought, Isis… his ninjutsu is academy level, but his taijutsu is really high," Moegi said.
"Yeah, and I got the feeling Vin was toying with me," Udon said.
"Well, I just hope Konohamaru does good, I'm really looking forward to fighting him," Naruto said.
Almost on cue Konohamaru walked in with two medic ninja. He had a few scratches, but was in a relatively good condition. It appeared Dozez used the same technique on him as he did on Coe.
"Konohamaru! Are you alright?" Moegi running up to him.
"Yeah, but I lost," Konohamaru said looking at the floor.
"Hey, at least you can walk on your own. I won and I can't even make it to the arena on my own," Naruto said with a smile.
Konohamaru looked up at Naruto, "boss! What the Hell happened to you?" he asked.
"He saved a life," Link said from the corner of the room.
All heads turned to look at her, but it was apparent she wasn't going to say anything else.
After a moment Naruto spoke again, "well, if you're done then my fight is next, I gotta get to the arena," Naruto said as Sakura helped him out of the room.
x-X-x
"It seams your special circumstance is out of commission," the Raikage said looking at Tsunade.
"Hokage-sama, what do you want to do? Call an intermission and allow him more time to heal?" a chuunin asked.
"That seems a bit unfair. Although they all get a breather, the two Grave ninjas didn't get one after their first fights. Are you planning on calling an intermission after every round?" the Raikage asked.
"No, not after every round, just the largest. This is about halfway through the test, the audience may appreciate the break," Tsunade said.
"There's never been an intermission before, the audience is used to it that way," the Raikage said.
"If you two would look at the arena, or even listen to the crowd, you'd see that an intermission would be unnecessary," Gaara said.
Tsunade and the Raikage looked to the stadium, and as if taking out earplugs, could hear the cheer of the crowd. Out in the center of the arena stood Neji, and walking towards him at a somewhat slowed pace was a heavily bandaged Naruto.
"Damnit, what's he thinking, why isn't he resting?" Tsunade asked.
"When was he last time Naruto stayed in a hospital bed without being unconscious?" Jiraiya asked with a smile.
Tsunade smiled in remembrance, 'he never did like the hospital...'
x-X-x
Neji looked at Naruto as he got closer, "are you sure you can fight?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'll win this thing," Naruto said with a smile.
Neji returned it and Naruto's opponent appeared, it was the short Grave ninja. 'this is Isis then,' Naruto thought.
"Ready?" Neji asked looking from one to the other, Isis nodded and Naruto raised his had to his mouth, ready to deposit the soldier pill there, "Begin!" Neji yelled jumping back.
Isis dove at Naruto who dodged, grabbed Isis' wrist, pivoted, and threw him across the arena, 'whoa, this it great! I don't even feel the pain form the last fight anymore,' Naruto thought.
Isis skidded to a halt and stood up, Naruto was still in the center of the arena. Isis extended his left arm towards Naruto with his middle and pointer extended forward, the other fingers folded back. Isis turned his body so that his left side was towards Naruto and right side away.
"You're fast for being so wounded. Let's see just how fast you are," Isis said as he touched the middle and pointer finger of his right hand to their counterparts on his left.
Naruto stood watching Isis, as did the rest of the crowd, waiting for the attack that would come. Isis kept his left arm still and pulled his right arm back and a blue light connected his extended fingers.
x-X-x
"What the hell? Is that…" Tsunade asked standing up.
"Yeah, it looks like lightning," Jiraiya said.
"Is that even possible?" Tsunade asked.
"It'd have to be. but for someone that young to even do something like that… Naruto might not be able to beat him," Jiraiya said.
x-X-x
The light disconnected from Isis' right hand and shot out like an arrow. Naruto didn't even have the time to dodge, the bolt struck right in front of his left foot, leaving a small crater.
"My Arrow Lightning moves as fast as lightning with the accuracy of an arrow. If you don't give up, I will kill you," Isis said.
Naruto grinned, "let's go then," he said before charging Isis, kunai in hand.
Isis grinned and pulled back another bolt. His left arm followed Naruto, keeping his aim. Then he released his bolt, an instant later Naruto threw his kunai at the ground a few feet in front of Isis. The bolt shot at Naruto but was redirected and pulled towards the metal of the kunai.
Naruto kept running, and pulled out two kunai, Isis pulled back another bolt and shot it at Naruto, as soon as it was fired he shot another, and then another.
Naruto threw both kunai, the first two bolts hitting the first kunai as it struck the ground near the other, the third bolt hit the second kunai as it continued to soar threw the air towards Isis. Isis dodged and caught the kunai by the handle. Naruto stopped suddenly as sparks emitted from the kunai.
"That will do nothing but empty your resources of kunai," Isis said.
Then the kunai in his right hand exploded. Isis stumbled backwards out of the smoke, his right hand and arm covered in blood and his face burned from the blast. Naruto charged him again and punched him in the burnt part of his face, sending him to the ground.
Naruto stepped back looking at his fallen opponent. Isis was holding his burnt face with his left hand, his right arm limp at his side. Naruto waited for Isis to get up and waited for him to throw an attack but Isis just looked at him whit his left eye, his right being covered by his hand.
"Why didn't you make it stronger?" Isis asked.
"I have nothing against you," Naruto said.
"Your kindness will be your downfall," Isis said jumping back several times to put great distance between the two.
Isis took the stance of firing his bolts again. His left arm straight, his right covered in blood, and the right of his face covered in burns and blood. His will of fighting had to be near Naruto's.
Isis fired a bolt before Naruto had time to react to it. He was hit in the right shoulder and fell to the ground. Naruto was on his back, the area on his shoulder around where he was his was burned and his right arm was twitching from the electricity. He slowly got up and grabbed his right arm, waiting for the twitching to stop. As he got up Isis fired another bolt. Naruto managed to dodge it and began running towards Isis. He took out a kunai and when Isis fired another bolt Naruto flung the kunai at the ground, knowing his aim wasn't as good with his left hand as with his right.
The bolt shot to the kunai and Naruto continued running, he started to get control back in his right arm. He pulled out another kunai, this one in his right hand. When Isis shot another bolt Naruto threw the kunai at his feet. The kunai struck the ground at Isis' feet and the bolt shot to it.
Naruto smiled, his aim had returned. Isis pulled back another bolt and shot it, Naruto threw another kunai which landed next to the last one, but he was unaware of the second bolt. The first went to the kunai, but the second hit him dead in the chest. Naruto was knocked back from the blast. Now it wasn't just his arm paralyzed, but nearly his entire body. In addition to that, the soldier pill seemed to have worn off.
Isis pulled back another bolt, "I must comment you on your rather good accuracy, especially with only one eye, but if you don't surrender now, this next bolt will kill you," Isis said.
"Heh, I don't even know how bad I'm hurt, my bodies gone numb from that last bolt," Naruto said.
"Is that a surrender?" Isis asked.
"No, I'm still waiting on yours," Naruto said.
"I won't give in because you spared me as Link did," Isis said.
"I don't expect you to," Naruto said.
Isis scowled, he was about to release the bolt when there was an explosion at his feet. One of the two kunai Naruto threw there had an explosive tag on it. A tag with a much stronger explosion than the last one. When the smoke cleared Isis was on his back, his entire front covered in blood.
Neji walked over to him and inspected him, "the winner by knockout is Naruto," he yelled to the audience which instantly burst into applause.