A/N: Hello again; I'm getting really tired of homework so I'm typing up the next chapter. It's all about balance. Anyway, I'm really excited to see what I'll make for this story next. By the way, I've gotten over 200 reviews! YAY! Okay, that's enough from me; here are the review responses.
Lonewarrior666: I bet you do; I may have inadvertently caused a little suspense in that last part of the Naruto vs. Kiba fight.
Dragon Man 180: You know what; that's not a bad idea. I hope you don't mind if I use it. Also, I noticed the fact that Kakashi didn't use seals for the Raikiri/Chidori when he fights against Orochimaru. That means Sasuke-teme didn't master it! Sucker!
Silver Warrior: Yes, this is very fun! This is so much more interesting than textbooks. Do the publishers purposely make textbooks boring?
Biggestboss: I'm glad you like my story. I'm flattered by your compliments.
Conan98002: Really? I think that's a good thing. Did you have to read it again because it was confusing or did you just want to read it again?
Clone Daniel: I'm glad you liked the chapter. I agree, though; that technique would have kicked ass!
Kyuubidaime: You know; I planned those exact events in a certain way. You'll see when the Hinata vs. Neji fight is written.
S-Wanderer999: I'm glad you liked the chapter. About your idea, however, I think it's great! I'll use it if I can fit it in my story. Thanks for the suggestion.
VFSNAKE: Um, I don't know about that. You'll see. During the fight, however, I will strengthen their relationship.
Anime-Boy07: Narcolepsy is pretty annoying, if you ask me. There are times when a sleeping Ronald is really cute, though. I really hate having Naruto portrayed as a total idiot when he isn't.
NarutoNineTails: I'm glad you think so. I'll keep at it if you keep reading!
Causeiambetta: You know; he was. I explain what he did at the start of this chapter.
Narut0-fan101: Well, here it is.
Tellemicus Sundance: That was what I was going for. I have to admit, your version was pretty original yourself. Also, I hope you don't find anything too similar to your plans in my story. That would be so embarrassing.
Trenchcoatgirl-Kyo: I'm glad you thought so. I thought it was pretty funny when I came up with it myself. I'm also glad you liked my Naruto vs. Kiba fight.
Kitsu Maharu: Thanks for bringing that up, but I already knew that. Some people who read this story don't know that, however. I'll stick to techniques and honorifics, if you don't mind. There may be a point where I use that, though. One more thing, does "cow" have a name?
Chidori vs Rasengan: Okay; I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Also, I am planning on using the attack in a later chapter, so don't worry, it won't be one of those unused techniques.
XxEvilDivaxX: No, no, I don't mind long reviews. I like reading. Also, I do enjoy the fact that you like the tweaking that I did. Some people can be real pricks, huh?
Japanese of red dog: Akamaru is a mixture of two Japanese terms. "Aka" means "red" and "-maru" is a general ending for boy's names. I hope that clears things up. Also, I could make one heck of a pun on your name, but I won't because it's probably cheesy.
Armanstay: I know, it is one hack of a cliffhanger, huh?
Ecchi-Baka-Kon: Nice name; anyway, I'm glad you liked my story and I know you loathe the fact that I just stopped it right before Naruto unleashed a kick-ass move. I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Nielso: Thanks! That means I know I'll get at least 1 review every chapter. This is great!
Dragonzice: I'm glad you liked the chapter.
Lord Purity: Thanks.
Midnight-angel-of-darkness: Yes, but it's not going to be next if that's what you mean.
Takimaru: Um, what is that translating?
ShadowBack: I really enjoy people who give me suggestions on my writing. I will do as you ask after the chaos of the preliminaries is over. I really liked your review. It was helpful and your suggestion is easily incorporated inside what little plans I have. Thanks again!
Jozs001: Ok, will do.
So, anyway, here's the 17th installment of "Cheerfulness Incarnate"
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If you say I do, Joseph the giant hippo will squish you.
(Start Chapter)
Naruto walked up the stairs to the upper level of the stadium and saw the rest of Team 8. He gave a salutary wave and continued to walk when he heard a voice.
"N-Naruto-kun," a soft, shy voice said. Naruto turned to see Hinata with a shy, confused gaze.
"Yes, Hinata-chan," Naruto said.
"W-what h-happened during y-your fight with K-Kiba-kun? I-I didn't s-see much."
"I'm wondering what happened, also. I didn't see very much since Kiba used so many smoke bombs. At the end, mostly, I only saw puffs of smoke under Kiba during your final attack with your clones," a voice said. Naruto turned and saw Kurenai with a small smile.
Naruto smiled before starting to answer them. "You see, I didn't expect many people to figure out what happened. It was a very elaborate trick, if I say so myself. The tricks I pulled with Henge and Kage Bunshin are nothing compared to my full strategy. They're not all that impressive. If you thought so, prepare to be shocked."
Naruto walked a few steps to lean against the railing as he continued. "For starters, I was holding back. I didn't decide to go all out until the end and even then, I wasn't able to because Hayate-san stopped the match. Also, I used Kage Bunshin no Jutsu 3 times in that battle."
"You used it 3 times? I only saw you use it 2 times." Naruto heard Kurenai say.
"That is because I disguised it within Kiba's smokescreens. Also, I rarely make only one clone when I use that technique."
Kurenai and Hinata looked confused. Shino seemed emotionless, but Naruto could tell he was interested.
"Now, let me explain. I made ten clones each time during that battle, making a total of thirty clones. Kiba only destroyed 11 of them; one was destroyed when Akamaru turned red and Kiba destroyed all 10 of them the third time I used it. In all, Kiba saw around 25 of them, including the ones I used for my finishing move. If you're still confused, look down into the arena."
Team 8 looked down onto the arena and saw the normal arena. A second later, the people in the balcony saw 5 puffs of smoke. Four of them were in the same general area and the fifth puff was where Naruto's sword was. When the smoke cleared, the sword was gone. Naruto bent down and picked up a small pebble from the ground as he spoke again, getting the attention of Team 8.
"The secret of my victory is this," Naruto said as he showed them the pebble, "Each of my clones transformed into a pebble on the ground. Also, the sword that I was using was also a clone, as you just saw. Since I have experience in hiding, I was able to hide my chakra effectively. Also, the chakra surge from Kiba's attacks drowned out the chakra surges of both me and my clones so I didn't have to put much effort into hiding. The smoke bombs that Kiba threw became his undoing since I was able to replace myself with one of my clones. Also, each time one of the clones disappeared, I was able to replace it with another one. At the end, all I needed to do was get Kiba close to the collection of pebbles that I created and attack from there."
Naruto then dropped the pebble and started to walk away. "Since most people think I'm an idiot, they wouldn't think I could come up with such a strategy. If anybody detected it, they were probably watching me carefully during my finishing move. I actually got the idea from you and your bugs, Shino-san. You did say that people should have a trump card during your battle with that Zaku person, right?" Team 8 looked shocked as Naruto finished.
Kurenai was surprised the most by Naruto's explanation. Naruto was supposed to be the "dead-last" in the academy. "Isn't he supposed to be the genin that was the absolute worst at the basic techniques?" she thought.She knew that he was smarter than he seemed the day that they met after the genin test, but this was unbelievable. She then saw Hinata step forward as Naruto walked away.
"N-Naruto-kun, w-wait," a soft, timid voice said. Naruto immediately recognized it and turned around.
"Yes, Hinata," Naruto said as he glanced at her. She pulled a small cylindrical container from her pocket and shyly handed it to Naruto.
"Huh, what's this?" Naruto asked with a smile and a confused look as Hinata tried to stutter out a reply. Kurenai saved her student by responding for her.
"It's medicinal cream. Just take it Naruto," she said as Naruto spoke again.
"Oh, okay; thanks Hinata; you're a really nice person, you know that?"
Hinata only smiled as Naruto smiled brightly. Kurenai chuckled at the sight as Naruto walked away again with a seemingly brighter smile.
"Hinata definitely looks happier since Naruto spoke to her. You know, it seems Naruto is also is little more cheerful after that interaction," Kurenai thought.
(Later)
Naruto arrived next to his team less than 30 seconds later. Naruto said what he wanted to say at that point.
"Thank you, Sakura-san. Your encouraging words really helped down there."
Sakura only looked surprised as she asked something that was bugging her.
"Naruto, what happened down there? Also, what's with the smoke puffs afterward? Did you learn how to use your Shadow Clones without seals? " she asked. Lee heard this question and joined in.
"Yes, Naruto-kun, I am confused about the outcome of your battle. I only saw puffs of smoke, especially near the end. Did you learn a teleporting technique or was it as Sakura-san said?"
Naruto chuckled softly before starting to speak. He looked in their eyes and saw only curiosity so he indulged them. "You know, I just finished explaining this to Hinata-chan and her team. Alright then, I think I can trust you two to keep a secret." Naruto opened the small cylindrical container and rubbed the cream on his skin. Naruto was amazed when his wound started to heal miraculously fast, even with the Kyûbi's power.
"Wow, this stuff works great! I wonder when Hinata-chan learned how to do this. It's really nice of her to give me such a useful gift," Naruto thought as he saw Sakura and Lee's expectant faces.
Naruto picked up a pebble as he began again. Sakura and Lee paid close attention as the next match started. Naruto was disappointed as Dosu wiped the floor with Chouji, even when Chouji used Nikudan Sensha. The battle was so quick; Naruto finished his explanation just as the match ended. Sakura and Lee were amazed at Naruto's insight during his battle as the next match was chosen.
Meanwhile, Kankuro started to walk over to Naruto's position.
"I thought the leaf genin would be weak. Maybe I can get information from the dumb one. I think his name was Naruto, right?"
Naruto stayed still as Kankuro approached.
"Hey, your name was Naruto, right?"
"Yeah, what do you want?" Naruto asked somewhat coldly.
"Oh, nothing much; I just want to know about what you did in your battle."
"I don't generally tell a person anything about myself unless they gain my trust first."
"You're interesting. I like that," Kankuro said after a short laugh.
"You're not interesting at all. I don't like that," Naruto said in response.
"I'm going to kill this idiot," Kankuro thought. Both of them looked up as the scoreboard chose the next match.
"Rock Lee vs. Gaara"
Naruto widened his eyes and plugged his ears to prepare himself for what he knew would happen; and, as he predicted, it did.
"YES; IT'S FINALLY MY TURN! I CAN FINALLY SHOW OFF MY POWER OF YOUTH!" Lee yelled not three inches from Naruto's ear. Even with his ears plugged, he could still hear him loud and clear. Naruto braced himself because Gai was speaking.
"GO LEE!" Gai shouted before dropping his voice to a conspiratorial tone, "Lee, no one else has noticed, but… that gourd is pretty suspicious."
Naruto, who unplugged his ears right after they stopped shouting, heard this and almost lost his footing to the stupidity of the statement.
"No, that gourd isn't suspicious. It's just decoration," Naruto thought sarcastically before yelling in his mind, "Of course it's suspicious, DAMN IT!"
Naruto looked beside him to see Sakura looking dumbfounded at Gai's statement while preparing to cover her ears at any moment. Kankuro, beside him, was twitching as he tried to regain his sense of hearing.
"ALL RIGHT, LEE! GO!"
Lee jumped off the balcony as Kakuro was sent into another twitching fit. Naruto chuckled softly as Lee spoke calmly down in the arena.
"It's nice to be able to face you this early."
As Kankuro regained his hearing, he started to speak.
"I don't know what kind of techniques that bowl-cut boy uses, but he can't beat Gaara."
Naruto was reminded of Lee's previous exploits of strength in the Forest of Death and the way he kicked Sasuke's butt before the first exam. He thought carefully before speaking.
"No, he's strong."
Naruto said this as Lee made a quick movement and clutched his hand. He released his fist, dropping a cork to the ground.
"Don't be too hasty," Lee said as Hayate began the match.
Lee charged first and started to leap upward. Naruto watched closely as Lee threw a Konoha Senpû kick at Gaara. Lee was surprised to find that sand was guarding him. Lee unleashed a barrage of attacks while occasionally throwing kunai and shuriken at Gaara. Every single attack was blocked as Naruto watched in confusion.
"Hey, his attacks aren't working. What's going on?"
"Physical attacks are useless against Gaara," Kankuro said from behind Naruto. Naruto turned to face him as he continued. "Independent from his will, the sand will move to protect Gaara. That is why no one has ever wounded him."
Naruto looked shocked as he looked down again. Gaara was beginning to speak in a cold lifeless voice.
"Is that all you have to use against me? There isn't enough blood!"
Naruto started to feel slightly afraid of the Sand ninja as Lee was attacked by another wave of sand. Lee saw the sand rushing towards him and he was caught on the ankle by it. Lee was thrown against the wall as Gaara launched another sand wave. This time, however, Lee dodged it and began to bombard Gaara once again with ferocious attacks.
Naruto began to pay attention to the people around him when Sakura spoke.
"Why is Lee-san using only taijutsu against him? In this situation, he should pull back and use some ninjutsu to attack."
Gai answered this with a simple statement. "The reason is not that he isn't using them. It's because he can't use them."
Sakura and Naruto looked up immediately as Gai continued.
"Lee has absolutely no talent in ninjutsu or genjutsu."
Sakura gasped as she looked down again to see Lee barely escaping another sand wave by jumping into the air. Lee landed on a statue behind Hayate, out of Gaara's reach. Gai began to speak again.
"I know that ninja who can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu are rare, but for Lee, that's all there was. He could only survive by using taijutsu techniques. But, because of that, he can win!"
Naruto turned to face Gai again as Sakura asked a question.
"What do you mean?"
To Naruto, it seemed as if the question was ignored because his next statement didn't explain at all.
"LEE, TAKE THEM OFF!"
Lee looked at Gai from his position and started to respond.
"But, Gai-sensei, you said that I could only do that when protecting someone precious!"
"IT'S FINE! I WILL ALLOW IT!"
Lee seemed to smile brightly before sitting cross-legged on the top of the statue. Naruto watched as Lee took off a set of weights from his legs.
"Those are weights, right?" Naruto asked no one in particular. Kankuro scoffed as Lee started to drop the weights.
"There is no way that a measly set of weights can let him win against…"
BOOM! The spectators were stunned at the amount of weights that Lee wore. The weights seemed to make a 3 foot indentation on both sides of the statue. Naruto immediately thought one thing.
"Holy Shit! That is way more than what I have on! Lee is probably incredibly fast right now! Let's see, judging by Lee's speed before he took off the weights, Lee should be faster than anyone here, except maybe Gai-sensei!"
Naruto heard a few statements behind him. The one that made him laugh was the comment from Kakashi.
"Isn't that a little bit too much, Gai?"
Gai didn't respond. Instead, he pointed outward and shouted to Lee.
"NOW, GO!"
As soon as Gai said this, Lee stood and disappeared from the top of the statue. The spectators strained to keep up with Lee's speed, but they had little luck as Lee laid blow after blow within Gaara's sand. One punch in particular penetrated all the way through, missing Gaara's head by a fraction of an inch. Gaara, inside a rising circle of sand, began to look flustered as Lee laid waste to the shield.
Meanwhile, Gai was finishing his explanation.
"Since he can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu, he trained his whole ninja career in the physical arts. Lee has dedicated his entire schedule to learning and mastering the ways of taijutsu. Even if he can't use any other techniques, he can still win as a taijutsu specialist!"
At this point, Lee jumped up into the air and disappeared again. He reappeared above Gaara's head and spun rapidly as he fell. He released himself from his position just in time to strike Gaara's head from the top, leaving a wound on he cheek and the back of his head.
Naruto could hear an incredulous gasp from behind him. Naruto turned to see Kankuro looking at the battle in shock. He was only able to speak a few words.
"He…actually… hit Gaara. That's…not possible."
Naruto looked back down to see Gaara staggering backward. Lee charged again, disappearing as Gaara summoned a wave of sand. Lee reappeared behind Gaara and punched him away. Gaara slowly rose as Naruto turned to see the reactions of the people around him. Naruto saw the usual cheering faces around him, especially from Gai. The face that confused him was the expression that Kankuro wore.
It was an expression of fear.
Kankuro was only able to wrench out a few words.
"He's…screwed."
Naruto grinned before replying. "That's right. Black-eye boy is toast."
"That's not what I mean," Kankuro said while holding his expression, "That Lee kid is screwed; look at Gaara."
Naruto listened and looked down onto the field. Naruto widened his eyes as he saw Gaara wearing an evil grin while the sands surrounded his body. The grin faded as the sand closed the hole around his face.
"What the hell is that?" Naruto was able to ask as Kankuro answered him.
"That is the Suna no Yoroi. The sands surround Gaara's body and form a protective barrier around his skin."
"Wait, does that mean that he has an absolute defense?"
Kankuro didn't answer. He only thought as he looked down at the field.
"Actually, the defensive power of the Suna no Yoroi is weaker than Gaara's Suna no Tate. Also, this technique is reliant on Gaara's will and it uses a lot of chakra. Gaara's weight also increases greatly since the sand is compacted against his skin. If he activated this technique, this means he is focused solely on defense."
Naruto turned his attention back to the field to see Lee facing upward towards Gai. Naruto saw a slight movement which Naruto could interpret as a nod and Lee grinned before staring to unravel the bandages around his arms. Naruto opened his eyes wide as he recognized what would happen.
"Is he going to use the move he used on that Dosu guy? Without the weights, Lee will probably hit a lot harder. I wonder what Gaara will do."
Lee then started to run around Gaara at high speeds, creating a circular gust in his running path. Gaara merely stood calmly within the spiraling winds and said only one thing.
"Get on with it, already."
As soon as this was said, Lee shouted, "AS YOU WISH!" and moved to slam his foot into Gaara's chin. Due to the armor of sand, Gaara was too heavy to be set into the air and Lee continued, sending a barrage of kicks to his underside. Naruto looked intently as he saw movement from behind him. Lee cringed in pain during the attacks and Naruto noticed something.
"Something's wrong. I just know it. What happened just now?"
Naruto continued to watch as the bandages wrapped around Gaara. Lee faced Gaara's head towards the ground and began to spin rapidly while holding tightly to Gaara's bound body.
"Omote Renge!" was heard as Lee bashed Gaara's body into the ground, leaving a 3 foot crater in the arena. Lee landed near Gaara's body and smiled.
An eruption of cheers came from around Naruto as he looked down, trying to think about what happened a few seconds ago.
"Something is off. I know Gaara did something when Lee cringed, but what?"
Naruto then heard gasps of shock from all around. Naruto looked down in the arena and saw Gaara's body crumbling away, leaving a disintegrating shell of sand.
Lee looked shocked as the sands bulged behind him. Gaara emerged from the bulge, sporting a devious smile. His figure was oozing killing intent as he launched waves of sand at Lee. Lee only blocked or took the hits of sand as Naruto watched closely. Naruto then heard a voice filled with fear.
"The beast has awakened. Those eyes are…"
Naruto didn't bother asking as he watched Lee smash into the wall by means of a massive sand wave.
"Lee, get out of there!" Naruto yelled as Lee took the hit. As Lee emerged from the destruction, Naruto could see that Lee was slowing down. Naruto listened carefully as Sakura asked a question.
"Why isn't he dodging the attacks? With his speed, he should be able to avoid the sand easily."
"It's not that he isn't dodging it. He can't dodge it," Gai said as Sakura gasped. Kakashi continued for him.
"That technique, the Renge, is a double-edged sword. That is the reason why it's a forbidden technique. The Renge is neither Genjutsu nor Ninjutsu. It requires the user to move at a high rate of speed. Because of the speed required, the strain on the body is incredible. Lee's body is probably hurting all over, restricting his movement."
Sakura gasped and started to face the field, shouting to Lee.
"Lee-san! Stop fighting before you die!"
At this point, Lee only smirked as Gaara sent another wave of sand towards him. Lee held a steady stance as the wave approached. At the last moment, Lee disappeared from view to reappear unharmed.
"He's recovered! How is he able to move!" Naruto asked himself as Kankuro spoke again.
"That Lee kid had bad luck since Gaara is his opponent."
Gai spoke up at that moment as a response.
"No, Lee won't give up that easily, I know it. Lee will corner him now. The lotus blooms twice in Konoha."
Naruto immediately thought carefully as he looked down at the field.
"Twice; what does he mean twice? Does he mean that Lee could use that technique again?"
Naruto perked his head up as he heard Kakashi speaking.
"Gai, did you teach Lee…"
"Yes, it is as you suspect," Gai said in response.
So, that boy, a genin, is able to open the Eight Inner Gates and use Ura Renge?" Kakashi asked with a panicked tone.
"Yes, that's correct." Gai said in a whisper, surprising Naruto.
"This is horrible…" Kakashi said before raising his head again.
"Gai, how many of them can he open?" Kakashi asked with a hard tone.
"Five," Gai said simply.
Sakura had had enough by this point and made her presence known.
"What are the Eight Inner Gates and the Ura Renge?"
"Opening the Eight Gates, or Hachimon Tonku, is the process of removing the mental and physical limiters in the body, enabling the user to use the Renge."
"Limiters in the body?" Sakura asked before Kakashi continued.
"Yes; in the body, there are 8 areas where the chakra nodes converge on your chakra circulatory system. These are the eight gates. The gates, in order, are as such: Kaimon, Kyumon, Seimon, Shomon, Tomon, Keimon, Kyomon and Shimon. The Eight Gates constantly control the chakra in the body and the Renge forcefully override them to gain the power necessary to use it, even if the body is destroyed in the process."
Gai spoke up at this point, continuing the explanation.
"The Omote Renge forces open the Kaimon, or Gate of Opening, to override the mental inhibitions of the muscles."
"What about Ura Renge?" Sakura asked.
"Ura Renge," Gai started, "requires the user to open the Kyumon, or Gate of Rest, to boost his or her energy and the Seimon, or Gate of Life, to release the inhibitions in the nervous system."
"But, the Omote Renge," Sakura started, "got Lee beat up already. If he tries anything else…"
"That's right," Kakashi said, "When you open all eight gates, you will be able to have nearly infinite power, if only temporarily. As a consequence, however, the person will inevitably die."
Sakura gasped as Kakashi started to demean Gai. "Gai, I do not know what that boy means to you, but you have disappointed me."
Gai shot Kakashi a dark glare while he spoke in response. "What do you know? That boy is willing to die to achieve his goal. I taught him a forbidden technique to help him become what he wanted to be."
Naruto looked down and watched Lee closely. "Is he really able to use that much power?" Naruto thought as Lee crossed his arms and started to focus. Naruto widened his eyes as he felt a massive chakra surge. The pebbles around him lifted into the air as Lee started to change color.
"His skin is …red?" Naruto thought as Lee shouted.
"Daisan no Mon: Seimon: Kai!" Lee shouted as he crouched down lower. Naruto felt a larger chakra surge as he saw Lee scream again.
"Daiyon no Mon: Shomon: Kai!" Lee shouted as the blood vessels became visible on Lee's head.
Everyone saw him disappear as Lee rushed forward, obliterating the arena. The next thing anyone saw was Gaara's body rising from the rubble and dust created by Lee's sprint. Everyone shielded their eyes as the cloud passed.
"Where's Gaara?" Naruto heard as he looked upward. Everyone else followed suit as they saw Gaara's rising body. They were unable to see Lee as Gaara was pummeled by all sides by an invisible force. The sand couldn't keep up as Gaara was treated like a pinball. Lee reappeared in front of Gaara as he clutched his fist and spoke.
"Daigo no Mon: Tomon: Kai!"
The audience watched Gaara closely as a green figure punched him in the stomach. As awaited the jerk that signaled the time for the finishing blow, Lee was able to think one thing.
"Neji, this attack was supposed to be used on you. I didn't want to show you, but here's a sneak preview!"
Lee, at that point, felt the familiar jerk of his bandage as Lee tugged violently. Gaara started to move quickly upward as Lee hit Gaara with two destructive hits from his right leg and arm.
"URA RENGE!"
The bandage released at this point, sending Gaara, hurtling full-force to the ground. As he fell, a few people noticed something.
"The gourd is made of sand! Why the hell is it disintegrating!"
Gaara hit the ground hard as Lee fell without bracing himself. Lee struggled to get up as he saw a frightening sight.
Gaara was still conscious. He was lying in a pool of sand.
Gaara reached his hand towards Lee as Lee tried to run to no avail. Sands rushed towards Lee and enclosed around his left arm and leg. Naruto was able to hear Gaara say one thing.
"Sabaku Kyû"
The sands compressed, breaking Lee's limbs. Lee screamed out in pain before collapsing from the strain on his body.
The sands attempted to crush Lee again, but a gust of wind and Gai's hands prevented them from going any closer. Naruto was standing next to a shocked Kankuro as Naruto held his hands forward.
"I don't know why I did that, but I know that he will not die; not on my watch," Naruto said before preparing to jump in if necessary.
"Why?" Naruto heard as he looked at Gaara. "Why do you protect him?"
With a serious face, Gai said simply, "He is my precious protégé. I will protect him with my life."
Gaara simply collected his sand and walked calmly away.
"I'm done here," he said
Gai noticed something and turned to find Lee standing in his battle position. Gaara stopped in his tracks as Gai spoke.
"No way… Lee, you should stay down. The match is over."
As he laid his hand on Lee's shoulder, he noticed something.
"Lee, even when you're unconscious… you are…"
Gai shed tears at the mangled sight of his student. Gai pulled Lee into a hug.
"You are already a splendid ninja."
Naruto jumped down and ran towards the area where Lee was being taken by the medics. He was able to hear the things that the medics were saying to Gai.
"He's breathing on his own, but there are many fractures and torn muscles throughout the body. If that was it, we could expect a full recovery, but his leg and arm injuries are extremely severe. I'm afraid… that he will never recover enough to be a shinobi again."
Naruto was shocked as he looked at Lee. Naruto had decided that healing him would only cause problems so he left it to the medics. Now, it seemed that Lee wouldn't be able to fight, even with their help!
"This is terrible…" Naruto said as Lee was carried away. Naruto felt helpless as he returned to the top.
Gaara disappeared in a spiral of sand and reappeared on the balcony near his team.
Gai lingered behind until Kakashi told him to return to the top for the final match.
"Hyûga Hinata vs. Hyûga Neji"
Naruto, still feeling bad for Lee, saw his friend going down nervously. Naruto felt a spring of worry as he felt something bad. He also noticed Neji's surname and thought about that as well.
"Are they related? Neji and Hinata seem to have the same eyes so it's a distinct possibility. I do have a bad feeling about this battle, though."
Hayate started to speak, gaining Naruto's attention. "Now, let the 10th match begin."
Instead of an initial strike, Neji started to speak.
"I never thought I would be fighting you, Hinata-sama."
"I-I agree, N-Neji-nii-san."
Naruto furrowed his eyes at this point. "They're siblings?"
Naruto's thoughts were interrupted by Sakura's outburst. Ironically, the outburst stated what Naruto was just saying.
"Are they siblings?"
Kakashi answered for her. "They are among the members of Konoha's famous Hyûga clan. They're related, but they're not siblings."
"Then, how are they related?" Sakura asked.
"Well, they are members of the Hyûga clan's Main House and Branch House. Hinata-san is a member of the Main House and Neji-san is a member of the Branch House."
"So, they are related. This makes it pretty hard to fight, huh?" Sakura asked.
"Not necessarily," Naruto surprisingly said, "I heard that there is some strain between the Main House and the Branch House. I don't know the details, but Neji is launching some killing intent down there."
Naruto looked down as Neji started to speak.
"Now, Hinata-sama, I have something to say before we begin. You are not cut out to be a shinobi. Withdraw from the match!"
Hinata flinched as Neji continued. "You're too kind to people. You create peace, not trouble. You are the type that is easily led. You have absolutely no self-confidence so I know you would have been content as a genin, but I know that you entered for the sake of your teammates since you can only enter in groups of three. You have been reluctant to enter from the start, haven't you?"
"N-no, that's n-not true," Hinata started, "I-I really wanted to change so I-I entered in free will."
Kurenai thought back to when she confronted Hyûga Hiashi as she stood up in the balcony.
(Flashback)
Kurenai stood before the leader of the Hyûga clan, Hyûga Hiashi. He was currently training his youngest daughter in one of the dojo. He stood majestically as he had Hanabi, Hinata's younger sister; stand to run through a drill once again. Kurenai began to speak.
"From this day, Hinata will be under my command. She will be faced with life-threatening situations on a constant basis, especially since she is the Hyûga heir. Do you have any objections, Hiashi-sama?"
"Do as you wish," Hiashi said coldly as he stared at Kurenai, "she is useless to the clan since she can't measure up to Hanabi, five years her junior. She is a failure that we do not care much for. If you don't have anything left to discuss, leave. I am busy."
"Yes, Hiashi-sama," Kurenai said as she left. As she exited the building, she thought one thing.
"I hate sucking up to this bastard. He doesn't have any respect for others, even if it is his own daughter! He treats everyone like dirt and he gets away with it since he is among the most powerful people in the village! I can't believe the nerve of that guy! You don't know how relieved I am to be out of this stupid place!" Kurenai thought as she stepped outside of the building. She turned to leave the compound to see the only Hyûga that she respects. Hinata stood with a sullen look as Kurenai thought one thing.
"Did she hear what her father said?"
(End Flashback)
"Hinata is trying to change herself in her own way…" Kurenai thought as Neji continued his verbal onslaught.
"Hinata-sama, you are the spoiled, sheltered baby of the Main House, just as I thought."
Hinata looked up as Neji continued. "People are unable to change themselves!"
Naruto looked up sharply as Hinata gasped. Neji ignored Hinata's expression and continued.
"A failure is destined to fail every time. A weak person does not become strong. Since people cannot change, differences are born. Out of these differences, people judge you and label you with terms such as "elite" or "failure", just as you judge others the same way. It doesn't matter who you are, you are judged with the same criteria. Your appearance, your intelligence, your abilities and personalities are tested and labeled by others as you do to everyone else. We live within the boundaries of others' judgments and the labels are irremovable. It is as permanent as the fact that you are of the Main House and I am of the Branch House."
Naruto was growing angrier by the second. Sakura hadn't noticed, but Kakashi and Kurenai had noticed immediately.
"Naruto is pissed. Anyone who looks at Naruto for more than a second could see that. Neji is really testing his nerves right now. Also, anyone who knows anything about Naruto's life will know why he's pissed as well. I bet that Naruto would tear him apart at the first opportunity," Kakashi thought.
"Wow, I never saw Naruto so pissed before. I know why Naruto is pissed, but usually he would hide it. Also, I wonder what aspect of Neji's speech is bothering him. Is it the fact that he's basically demeaning his way of life or is it the fact that he's targeting Hinata?" Kurenai thought.
Neji spoke up again as Naruto struggled to stay quiet.
"I've seen many things with my Byakugan eye and I know that the courage you're displaying is a complete bluff. I know for a fact that you desperately want to run away right now!"
As Hinata protested, Sakura asked a question. Naruto answered it, but in a voice that radiated fury.
"The Byakugan is the Hyûga's bloodline. It's a trait in the eyes like the Sharingan, but the Byakugan surpasses it completely when it comes to ocular perception."
Sakura immediately picked up the fury and shook as she thought.
"What's wrong with Naruto? He seems…angry. Also, how does he know that?"
Naruto turned his attention back to the field as Neji activated the Byakugan. Hinata diverted her eyes first to the upper left and then to the lower right before looking down and shivering. Naruto was worried as Neji spoke again.
"My eyes can't be fooled. Just now, you attempted to avert your eyes. First, you looked to the upper left, signaling the recollection of a past experience that brought you pain. Secondly, you looked to the lower right, signaling the recollection of pain and suffering. This means that you based the outcome of this match on the successes of your past experiences. You predicted your own defeat."
Hinata, at this point, raised her arms in front of her and touched her lip. Neji noticed these movements and continued.
"Even, now, you're bringing your arms upward to shield yourself from me like you wish to be away from me. Also, the way that you're touching your lip signifies your mind's struggle to erase your doubts and fears. It's a defensive reflex. So, by these actions, I know that you are aware of the fact that you cannot change yourself!"
"YES, SHE CAN!" was heard around the arena. Naruto had had enough of this guy and exploded as he thought.
"This asshole, he has the nerve to say such a thing to Hinata-chan? Hinata is much stronger than we know. Also, how could he say that failures never change? Was he blind during my fight with Kiba? If he was right, I would have never won! Hinata-chan is not a failure!"
"How dare you say that? You can't automatically decide the aspects of other people, you asshole! As much as I want to go down there and hand you your butt to prove you wrong, I won't!" Naruto shouted down to Neji as Sakura looked in surprise.
"Hinata-chan," Naruto said with a slight smile, "listening to this guy has pissed me off, but I won't fight him now."
Hinata looked confused as Naruto spoke again and grinned. "This is your fight. I'll destroy him after you're done with him."
Hinata looked in shock as Naruto gave Hinata a pleasant smile. Hinata looked down, but Naruto knew that wasn't due to discouragement.
Hinata looked at the floor as she focused her chakra and thought.
"Naruto-kun," Hinata thought as her chakra flowed to her eyes, "Thank you."
Hinata opened her eyes and the blood vessels around her eyes bulged from her skin. Naruto smirked as he saw Hinata activate her bloodline.
"I won't run anymore," Hinata said as she looked at Neji. Naruto looked down expectantly.
Neji raised an eyebrow as he looked at Hinata. "Her eyes are different. There seems to be something there."
"So, Hinata-sama, are you going to forfeit? If not, I will not be responsible for what happens here."
Hinata stood her ground and fell into a Jûken stance.
"Neji-nii-san, let's fight," Hinata said confidently, earning a smile from Naruto.
Naruto noticed one thing as he watched the standoff. "They have the same stance, after all. I wonder how they'll fight."
Neji charged towards Hinata and they unleashed a barrage of Jûken attacks at each other. Hinata parried each of Neji's attacks and swiftly countered. Neji blocked the counterattacks and continued to attack. To the spectators, the match was more like a dance than it was a fight.
Down on the field, Hinata was fighting with complete focus. Her movements were made with complete precision. That's why, when she had the chance…
"Ugh," Neji said as Hinata grazed his side. He stepped back and regained his stance as Naruto spoke.
"She got him," Naruto said with a smirk.
"Not really, it was only a knick," Sakura said with a hint of disappointment.
"But, a knick is all it would take."
Naruto and Sakura turned around to look at Kakashi who continued. "The Hyûga are famous for their dangerous taijutsu style. Unlike the normal taijutsu that Lee uses, the Hyûga clan uses their chakra in their taijutsu attacks. Lee's taijutsu style, Gôken, is all about breaking bones and causing injury. The Hyûga use a different style, Jûken, to injure the Keirakukei, or chakra circulatory system. It doesn't look impressive, but the effect increases after the initial attack since there is no way to strengthen the inner organs."
In the middle of the explanation, Naruto turned his attention back to the fight. Hinata seemed to be taking control since Neji was barely able to dodge or block her attacks.
"She's pushing Neji. Hinata-chan has really been training. She's gotten better."
"Who are they to attack the Keirakukei? Also, how can they attack what they can't see?" Naruto heard from beside him.
Naruto answered while keeping his eyes on the match. "They can. The Byakugan can see the Keirakukei inside the body and they can see how the chakra moves. They also have incredible control since they could see what they're doing. They do need the control in order to do the Jûken since they are releasing their chakra through their palms to damage the Keirakukei."
At this point, both contenders were charging at each other, their right arms ready to strike a critical part on their opponent's bodies. Both attacks landed and it seemed as if time stood still as the audience watched who would feel the attack first. Naruto looked worried since he knew that the hit areas caused immense damage.
No one moved. No one was able to. Everyone watched carefully, waiting for the outcome.
"GACK"
Shock was evident on everyone's face as they saw Hinata spit blood. Neji had poked something on her outstretched arm and it seems as if he wasn't affected.
"What the hell; what happened?" Naruto asked as Neji spoke.
"So, this is the full power of the Main House?"
Hinata narrowed her eyes and began to attack with her other arm. Neji only grabbed the arm and poked the middle. A few people, including Kurenai, Kakashi and Sarutobi, noticed what just happened.
"No way; you mean, from the beginning…" Hinata said as she looked at Neji's position. Neji pulled back Hinata's sleeve and responded.
"Yes; I can see the Tenketsu."
"What is he talking about?" Naruto asked. This time, he didn't know what happened and he wanted to know why. Kakashi spoke to answer.
"He's saying that he can hit the Tenketsu. Along the Keirakukei are 361 points not larger than a pencil point. These points are called Tenketsu and it is said that if you can accurately hit them, you can halt or enhance the flow of chakra to a given area. I can't even see these points, even with the Sharingan. To think that he can perceive so accurately in the heat of battle…"
Naruto stopped listening as he heard Hinata's scream. Neji threw Hinata to the ground and Hinata struggled to stand. Blood splattered on the floor as Neji spoke.
"This is the distinct gap between elite and failure. The moment you refused to forfeit was the moment your defeat was assured. I will give you one last chance. Forfeit!"
Hinata unsteadily stood as she stuttered out a sentence through her pain.
"I will n-never go back on my w-word because," Hinata said as she stood and faced Neji, "That is my shinobi way as well."
Naruto looked shocked as he basically heard his words come from Hinata's mouth. Kakashi started to speak.
"Neji sealed up the Tenketsu in Hinata's arms. She has lost the ability to perform the Jûken. This fight is as good as over."
Hinata coughed blood again, earning shocked looks from around the balcony. Naruto smirked before shouting once again.
"Hinata-chan, you know as well as I do that Neji didn't seal all of the Tenketsu in your arms! You don't need my permission; use it! I know you know what I'm talking about!"
Hinata gave a weary smirk before bringing her hands together. She closed her eyes as she performed five quick seals and her hands glowed green. Naruto smiled as he saw Hinata move her hands across her arms. She then placed her hands on her chest and focused to heal herself.
Up in the balcony, people were either watching Hinata in awe or watching Naruto in confusion.
"Is that…a healing technique? I didn't know that she knew a technique like that!" Kurenai thought as she looked at Naruto. "Also, what did Naruto mean by 'you don't need my permission'?"
Sakura and Kakashi were giving Naruto the most confused looks as he kept focused on Hinata's progress. "She's done well to master that technique. I may well have to teach her another one," Naruto thought as he smiled brightly.
When the technique finished, she reopened her eyes, showing overflowing confidence.
"Naruto-kun," Hinata thought as she charged forward, "I've watched you for so long. Why is it that, when I watch you, I feel that I can be worth something? That is how I feel. I've watched you for so long; now, it's your turn!
Neji defended her attacks while looking for an opening. As he weaved in and out of her assaults, he thought, "The look of courage has returned."
Up in the balcony, Kurenai also thought. "Hinata, you always had a bad habit of quitting when you got under confident. You trained so hard, but on missions, you would always full of flaws. You were weak and shy. You never had faith in yourself. Now, that's not true. Now, you have a look in your eyes beyond what I had ever seen!"
Neji finally found his opening as Hinata charged one last time. Neji dodged Hinata's arm and thrust his right arm into her chest cavity. Naruto gasped and widened his eyes as Gai spoke.
"That was Neji's best attack. Her heart was just heavily damaged."
Hinata fell to the ground as Hayate knew he had seen enough.
"I am now stopping this match before…"
"NOT YET; DON'T STOP IT!"
Hayate looked up to Naruto as Sakura started to yell.
"Naruto, shut up! She's got nothing left!"
Naruto only stood calmly with his arms crossed as looks of shock circulated throughout the stadium.
Hinata was unsteadily standing. Her movements were sluggish, but she was slowly transferring her weight from her hands to her legs. Hinata clutched her side as Neji spoke.
"Why are you getting up? If you push yourself too much, you'll die."
Hinata thought as if she was answering Neji's question.
"It's because I am now being watched by the person I've adored and I can't afford to look bad. I will show him my true demeanor!"
"T-this is not over." Hinata said unsteadily as she looked at Neji. Neji just stared impassively as he spoke again.
"Drop the act; I can see clearly that you are totally drained. You are faced with the destiny of the Hyûga clan from birth and you've hated yourself due to your weakness. Unfortunately, you can't change your fate. You don't need to suffer any more."
"No, Neji-nii-san," Hinata said, "You're the one who's suffering. It is you who is caught between the intertwined fates of the Main and Branch Houses of our clan."
The veins around Neji's eyes bulged out even further as he grew angry at Hinata's words. He charged forward to deliver a finishing blow, but he felt many points of resistance a second before he was able to strike.
The first resistance came from his sensei, Gai, who was holding Neji's neck securely. The second resistance came from Kurenai, who was holding his left wrist and crouching in a position that was ready to interrupt his movement. The third resistance came from Hayate, who was focusing chakra in his fingertip and pushing Neji back from his position in front of his palm. The fourth resistance came from Kakashi, who was simply holding his right outstretched arm.
"So, why are all of you involved? Special protection for the heiress, I presume?" Neji asked from his bound position.
"Neji, you said that you wouldn't bring your clan's matters into this exam," Gai said.
"This match is already over. I will prevent excess dead bodies if I can help it," Hayate said.
"I have the duty to protect my student," Kurenai said.
"As do I; also, if you progressed any further, you would have been faced with an even greater danger. A danger that can be found behind me," Kakashi said.
Sure enough, behind Kakashi, stood a pissed Naruto who was in the middle of a seal order. Kakashi dropped Neji's arm and had Naruto stop his technique.
The serious atmosphere was dropped when Hinata coughed and gasped. She dropped to the ground in pain as Kurenai released her hold and rushed towards her student. Naruto rushed soon after to notice Hinata's condition.
"She's pale. That Jûken attack must have hit her pretty hard."
"Hey, Dropout Boy," a voice interrupted Naruto's thought. Naruto stood and faced the source of the voice, Neji.
"Here's some advice; a true warrior would have too much pride to cheer for strangers. You shouldn't have made a spectacle of yourself. Also, one more thing…"
Naruto narrowed his eyes as Neji completed his statement. "A failure will remain a failure. You might as well accept that."
Naruto held his expression while speaking in a cold tone. "As much as I would love to kick your butt to Sunagakure and back, I'm busy right now. But, I swear, when we fight," Naruto knelt down to slide his fingers through a pool of Hinata's blood, "I vow to win and show you how much you are mistaken," Naruto said as he stood up again and outstretched his right hand, dripping blood on the crumbling floor. Naruto brought his hands together and said one thing with unrestrained anger.
"Now, if you excuse me, I have a friend to help."
Naruto turned and quickly cycled through five seals; Ne, Tori, Inu, Saru and Tatsu (Rat, Bird, Dog, Monkey, and Dragon). As soon as he reached Hinata's body he spoke again with an urgent tone.
"Kurenai-sensei, please move; Kousei no Jutsu," Naruto said as Kurenai did as she was asked. Naruto started to place his green hands over Hinata's chest as he let the chakra seep in. He focused carefully to ensure the success of his technique.
"Now, let the chakra seep in. Let's see, the lungs are damaged as well as her heart. I need to work on those quickly. The damage is really severe. He really tried to kill her," Naruto thought as he gave Neji a dark look.
As the technique ended, Naruto took a deep breath and opened his eyes to look at Hinata. "She's still pale. Her breathing is still heavy and her heartbeat is still wild. I have to do it again!"
Naruto performed to same seals in front of Kurenai as she watched to whole thing. Naruto thought as he finished the seals with dried blood on his hands. "Shit; whatever the hell that snake bastard did is really messing with me. I still have enough control to use this technique, but I'm wasting a lot of chakra."
"Kousei no Jutsu!" Naruto shouted as his hands turned green again.
Kurenai thought as Naruto placed his hands in position again. "Wait, is that what he meant? If I'm not mistaken, that's the same technique! Also, Hinata is starting to look better. He's really doing a good job here."
Naruto raised his hands and looked. He performed the seals again and spoke.
"One more time; KOUSEI NO JUTSU!" Naruto shouted, moving his hands over Hinata again. Naruto kept his eyes open this time and saw Kurenai's confused look. He immediately saw the unspoken question and answered it.
"If you're wondering, Kurenai-sensei; yes, this is the same technique. In fact, I taught her. She mastered this technique pretty quickly, may I add."
Kurenai widened her eyes as Hinata's breathing steadied. Naruto's technique ended as Kurenai noticed the color returning to Hinata's face. Naruto was falling to the ground as he said one last thing.
"I've done…all I can. I hope…it is enough."
The last thing Naruto remembered was the feeling of being exhausted followed by the feeling of being caught by a pair of feminine hands.
(POV change)
"Naruto-san!" Kurenai shouted as she caught Naruto's unconscious body. The medic team came to pick up Hinata at that point and Kurenai noticed that Hinata looked just fine. A second team came to pick up Naruto and Kurenai gave his limp body to them. The genin that passed then went down to the destroyed arena, the exceptions being Naruto and Sasuke.
Before the Hokage spoke again, a medic walked up to Kurenai and handed her a piece of paper. Kurenai opened the folded sheet and began to read.
Hyûga Hinata will recover fully within the week due to immediate first aid. She was suffering from a moderate heart injury which was mostly healed before we arrived. She is currently recovering from the aforementioned heart injury and moderate chakra depletion. There will be no lasting damage to the cardiac muscles or respiratory muscles.
Uzumaki Naruto is merely suffering from minor wounds and chakra depletion. He will probably recover with a few days.
Otherwise, there is nothing else to worry about.
Konoha Medic Team
Kurenai only smiled.
(End Chapter)
Technique List:
Henge no Jutsu: Transformation Technique
Suna no Tate: Shield of Sand
Suna no Yoroi: Armor of Sand
Omote Renge: Front Lotus
Ura Renge: Reverse Lotus
Sabaku Kyû: Desert Coffin
Kousei no Jutsu: Resusitation Technique
(End Technique List)
Gates Translations:
Hachimon Tonku: Hachimon Tonku is the process in which the Eight Gates are forcefully opened, allowing the user to use massive power. The condition in which all Eight Gates are opened is called "Eight Gates Inner Formation" and the user will have nearly infinite power for a short while. After the effect wears off, the user will die.
Kaimon: Gate of Opening: releases the brain's ability to limit the strain on the muscles, but does damage to the muscle fibers
Kyumon: Gate of Healing: releases the brain's limit on the body's stamina making a battle worn person become miraculously ready to fight as if the fight had just started
Seimon: Gate of Life: located on the spinal cord, it releases the limit on the nervous system, which makes information travel at a faster rate and creates even more stamina
Shomon: Gate of Harm: releases the limit on oxygen intake in the lungs that creates much more energy for the body to use
Tomon: Gate of Limits: releases the amount of chakra released because this is the area, the upper abdomen, where chakra is stored before it's released in the body as jutsu
Keimon: Gate of Viewing: removes the limit on how much the intestines, where the gate is located, can digest fat/proteins and releases otherwise useless energy resources giving the body even more power and stamina
Kyomon: Gate of Wonder/Insanity: removes the limit of how fast the body can move, removes wastes from dead skin cells to feces, the gate is located in the bladder, and gives the body a much cleaner system to work with and seemingly produces more power and stamina
Shimon: Gate of Death: uses all the body's energy and opens the final gate located at the heart. It makes the heart pump at maximum power and exceeds the power of the last gates. This uses up all the cells energy and gives them power close to infinity, well above that of any Kage. This "big bang" effect lasts only for a while and ends up with the muscles, including the heart, being completely destroyed and killing the user
Daisan no Mon: Seimon: Kai: The Third Gate: Gate of Life: Release/Open
Daiyon no Mon: Shomon: Kai: The Fourth Gate: Gate of Harm: Release/Open
Daigo no Mon: Tomon: Kai: The Fifth Gate: Gate of Limits: Release/Open
(End Gates Translations)
A/N: All of the attacks used and the information about the gates were taken from Wikipedia. Now that that is out of the way, I hope you liked this chapter. As usual, please tell me what you liked and what you hated, along with whatever grammar or spelling mistakes I made. Trust me; writing this story is much more fun than scanning a textbook for information for a stupid paper. It's like they make textbooks boring on purpose in an elaborate plot to bore teenagers to death! Anyway, please review by pressing the pretty button!