Sorry everyone. My computer crashed, again, and I had to get a brand new one! Talk about bad luck. Anyway, I'll be writing my next chapters on this computer! So give me a while for the next chapter. I want to get it up to date. The reason I'm writing this chapter now is because I feel you deserve at least one chapter after my long absence. Well, on with the show!
Chapter 7: The Third Exam
Naruto made his way to the huge stadium where the third exam was being held. It was the same as the one used for the finals last year. It was a dome of stone that had no top, as if some giant had cut it clean off. Naruto also saw that there was much more security around the stadium this year. Everyone was given a pass and had to present it to the guards before entering the stadium. Every guest had to have a pass and even Tsunade herself had one. It looked like there was going to be a tournament again.
Naruto sighed; with the unexpected toughness of the last two tests Naruto expected something a little more challenging and creative, oh well.
Tsunade walked to the center of the area wearing the Hokage's head dress.
"Welcome to the final test of the Chuunin Exams!" she said, a little more glamorously than needed. "First I would like to thank all of you for coming, in spite of last year's, er…excitement. This year will be, of course, the traditional one-on-one tournament, in which you decide you will pass or fail."
Naruto snorted, "Kinda obvious," He said looking bored.
Lee turned to him, "Never expect the obvious, Naruto, especially not from a ninja."
"But," continued Tsunade, "we've decided to raise the stakes this year."
Naruto looked up, "See?" said Lee. Naruto frowned, he was mad that Fuzzy Brows had outsmarted him, but he had to be happy that he would get a challenge out of this.
Tsunade gestured and a pair of ninja brought in a ball spinner. Like the things they use to spin out balls in Bingo, or the Lottery. Sure enough another ninja came out with a bag of balls, but these balls didn't have numbers on them, they had pictures, pictures of them! Naruto saw a ball with a picture of himself on the very top.
The ninja handed the balls and the ball spinner to Tsunade which she took, with one hand, and placed on the ground.
"The matches will all be completely random," she told the guests as well as the contestants. "Every round two balls will be spun out of this," she indicated the ball spinner, "and the two ninja the balls represent will fight. Afterwards the winner will advance and the loser's ball will be taken out." A gleam of malice entered her eyes, "The twist is that the winner's ball will be put back in immediately after the match has ended."
The ninja around Naruto gasped. "But that means…" started Sakura.
"That means that a ninja could fight one match or even every match, though the chances are slim. Also if a ninja must fight twice in a row he or she will not, I repeat not, be given a chance to rest, no matter the circumstances. A match will end when one or both ninja, give up, are knocked out, or die." She said that last word with extra malice in her voice.
"Ya know," said Naruto, "No matter what I do in life someone always tells me that the next thing I do might cause me to die."
"It's crazy, but I know what you mean," said Lee.
Tsunade now spoke directly to the audience, "In today's exam these ninja will be competing: Naruto Uzumaki of the Hidden Leaf Village, Sakura Haruno of the Hidden Leaf Village, Rock Lee of the Hidden Leaf Village, Noma Heru of the Hidden Flame Village, Shino Aburame of the Hidden Leaf Village, Burame Yoi of the Hidden Mist Village, Hesoma Rodan of the Hidden Flame Village, Hinata Hyuuga of the Hidden Leaf Village, Kiba Inuzuka of the Hidden Leaf Village, Ino Yamanaka of the Hidden Leaf Village, Gaara of the Hidden Sand Village, Chouji Akimichi of the Hidden Leaf Village, Uzona Wetnen of the Hidden Ocean Village, Doni Veaz of the Hidden Ocean Village, Commo Seiama of the Hidden Wind Village, Flire Flamin of the Hidden Flame Village, Sonna Yuria of the Hidden Mist Village, Izon Ardeno of the Hidden Ocean Village, Gir Hurenodan of the Hidden Wind Village, Seclair Boanar of the Hidden Wind Village, Hyea Xan of the Hidden Mist Village, Yesa of the Hidden Leaf Village, Iora of the Hidden Leaf Village, and Jamus of the Hidden Leaf Village!"
Naruto looked around him; there were a lot of ninja here to compete against, and not just from the leaf village either. No, these guys were not going to be weak. The other villages would send only their strongest teams. Naruto hadn't heard much about the Ocean and the Flame Villages, but the Mist was a strong lot and the Wind loved to use trickery to win. Sakura had told him that once.
"Hey Sakura," said Naruto quietly, "what do you know about these Ocean and Flame Villages?"
"Well," said Sakura just as quietly, "I've heard that the Ocean used to have some of the strongest clans in the world, but most have died out. However, that doesn't mean we're in the clear. The Ardeno clan is said to have a powerful bloodline limit. The power to use ninjutsu without using any chakra! And some clans from the Flame Village have been working with that Flire kid," she indicated a tall, skinny, red-haired boy with black flames painted on his face standing with the utmost patience, "to teach him some sort of secret technique."
"What is it?"
"I don't know."
"I do," said Lee, "It is the power to use ninjutsu and genjutsu without seals."
Naruto was about to respond when Tsunade spoke. "Before we begin the final exam, we will run a medical inspection on the contestants to make sure that they are in fighting condition." Actually they had already had a day's rest. Naruto didn't see why they had to be checked on medically. Though it couldn't hurt.
"So, the third test has begun," said a man, blackness hid his face completely.
"Yes father, they will start the first round shortly,"
"Good, and our men?"
"We have successfully smuggled twenty stanine into the stadium."
"I mean the others, fool."
"Oh, of course father. Yes they have made it to the third round, of course, and according to the scouts the competition should be very poor, excepting of course this Gaara fellow. He is without a doubt the strongest of the ninja."
"Really? My associate tells me of another, even more powerful ninja within their ranks, Uzumaki Naruto."
"Ha! That boy? Your associate gives him far too much credit. All scouts report that he has, some skill, but in comparison to our men, he is like a fly trying to attack a tiger."
"All it takes is a fly. Once you underestimate your opponent you can consider yourself as good as dead. I want this boy watched. I want our men to be aware of this danger to the mission."
"Of course father, anything you say."
"Good boy. Soon Konoha will belong to me, and then the Hidden Leaf Village will cease to exist."
Yuoo had, much to his discontent, been stationed on guard duty during the chuunin exams. He wanted to watch the fights. Well, everyone did, but they had good reason, Jamus. That boy had more talent then an army of jounin. It would be an opportunity of a lifetime to watch him fight. He graduated the academy in one week! That was phenomenal! Most jounin didn't even have the skills he possessed now.
Two people came over a hill heading toward the stadium. They were both dressed in all black cloaks with the hoods pulled over their heads hiding their faces, even though it was summer and very hot. The one on Yuoo's right was tall, taller than Yuoo himself and much taller than the person on Yuoo's left. That person looked to be a kid. Perhaps no older than 15.
As they approached the gate Yuoo stopped them. "Do you have a pass?" he asked professionally. He could feel the tall one smiling at him even though it was impossible to see it.
"No," he said in a whispered voice that seemed to chill Yuoo's bones. The four other guards gripped their weapons, swords and spears mostly though one had a crossbow. "Although," continued the tall one, "You will have to make an exception for my friend and I."
"Oh and why is that?" The tall man laughed lightly, and Yuoo could feel sweat dripping down his back.
"Because you can't guard this place if you're dead." Yuoo's eyes widened as a kunai slipped from the tall man's hands to plant itself in his throat. There was no pain. The only noise he heard was the gasp then silent thunk of the guards behind him taking their last breaths.
Yuoo fell to the ground and watched as Orochimaru walked calmly into the stadium. Then everything went dark as he drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
Once again Naruto walked out into the stadium, 23 others paraded out behind him. He had to admit he was more than a little impatient, but he was finally going to see some action.
Tsunade strode up the ball spinner and shouted, "Let the third exam begin!" a great roar of applause exploded from the crowd as she spun the ball spinner.
A ball fell out and she took it. It had a picture of Sakura on it.
"Sakura Haruno will be fighting in the first match!"
Naruto looked over at Sakura who looked surprised, but determined. Naruto smiled, he knew that Sakura had come a long way.
"Her opponent will be…" continued Tsunade.
He pitied the poor idiot who would have to fight Sakura.
Tsunade looked at the second ball and appeared to choke for a second. Naruto raised an eyebrow, was it Jamus? Tsunade then smiled a wide malicious smile that made Naruto shiver.
"Her opponent will be," repeated the Hokage, "Naruto Uzumaki!"
Naruto suddenly wished he could throw up right then and there.
There you have it. Now please, please, Please review! I need reviews! Need! Reviews! It doesn't matter if it's a paragraph or half a sentence. Just please give me reviews! Also if there is a certain fight you want to see tell me and I'll see what I can do. ;)