The Kitsune Seal
Disclaimer: (animefan29) Turns to lawyer and asks, "This is my fourth chapter. Anyone who has read my first three chapters know I don't own anything, so do I have to keep saying it. (Lawyer nods head). I do? Sigh…I do not own anything concerning Naruto."
"Hello" - Speaking
'Hello' - Thoughts
"Hello" - Demon/Boss Summon Speaking/Jutsu
'Hello' - Demon/Boss Summon Thoughts
--
Chapter 4 – the Preliminaries Start
Sakura had a very strong sense of Déjà vu. For the past 15 minutes she had been watching over her teammates, waiting for them to wake up.
When Kakashi first told her about his use of the Fuuja Houin on Sasuke and Naruto, and how they would be unconscious for a while, she hadn't worried. The sealing had been done by their sensei to help them, and he would want them to be able to participate in the final part of the Chuunin Exam. That was over 30 hours ago and the boys had yet to wake up. What made this really bad was because the second test ended in 30 minutes, and if all of team 7 wasn't there, they would be disqualified. That's why Sakura was worriedly waiting by her teammate's bedside.
It did not help matters that, unlike in the Forest of Death, they only looked as if they were in a deep sleep. Fortunately she had not seen the tiny bit of red chakra that had been dancing on Naruto's left shoulder just minutes before she entered the room, or else she might have had a panic attack. Unfortunately for her teammates, the combined factors of stress and emotional distress that had been building in their pink haired friend was coming to a boiling point, allowing Sakura to express the feelings of her inner self. "WAKE UP YOU TWO LAZY TEMES! IF YOU DON'T, WE CAN'T ADVANCE TO THE NEXT TEST!" Shouted the possessed Sakura as she whacked the two boys in the face with some spare pillows.
As she came down from her emotional high she realized what she had just done and tried to comfort the closest boy, who happened to be Sasuke. "Oooh…Sasuke-kun, I am so sorry. I don't know what happened. I just blacked out for a second…" she rambled. But she forgot that the pillow was still on his face and was smothering him.
"Sakura…can't…breathe…" said a muffled voice from beneath the pillow.
Sakura jumped as she backed away and sheepishly apologized for nearly killing her teammate and romantic crush by suffocation.
"Hnn…Forget about it. Is Naruto awake?" Asked the Uchiha.
No sooner were the words out of Sasuke's mouth, then the blond Jinchuuriki was up and stretching the kinks out of his back. "Aaah…That was a great nap. Oh, hey Sakura-chan. What's going on?"
"What's going on is that we need to get to the center of the tower. You guys have been asleep for over a day. The third test is about to start any minute now," explained Sakura.
"WHAT!?" Shouted the two boys.
"There is no way I am going to get disqualified after getting this far!" Naruto exclaimed as he opened and ran through the door to team 7's room, running headfirst into Hyuuga Hinata. "Oof! Oh Kami, I'm so sorry…Hinata? What are you doing here?"
Hinata had been standing in front of the door using her Byakugan to look inside to observe her secret crush Naruto. But she could never say that to anyone, especially to the boy himself. Well, the part about the crush and using her Byakugan anyway. "U-u-uh, I-I he-heard that y-you w-w-ere hurt-t, and-d I-I c-c-came t-t-to s-see if-f y-you were-re a-alright-t-t." She stuttered before quickly running off, her face as red as a tomato for speaking so many words to her crush. She was quite proud that she managed not to faint.
Naruto just looked on in confusion. He could never figure out what was going on with the lavender haired girl. They had been in the same class in the academy, but the two never really interacted, and the few times they did, she usually fainted. He figured that she didn't hate him because he had spoken to her a few times and her words were kind, even if it was a little difficult to understand her through the stuttering. For the time being, Naruto just chalked it up as one of those girl things that he would never understand.
"Naruto-baka, you need to slow down and look where you're going. We still have some time before the third test," admonished Sakura as she stepped into the hallway and started walking to the arena.
"Hey Sakura-chan, I just saw Hinata. Does that mean her team passed as well?" Naruto asked as he followed her.
"Yeah, she and team 8 were the second team to get here." Sakura answered while recalling her conversations with the other Konoha Genin in the tower.
"Do you know who else passed?" Sasuke asked, curious to know who the rest of his competition would be.
Sakura thought for a moment before answering. "Well the first team to pass was that team from Sunagakure, who got here on the first day. Team 8 got here shortly after them. Lee's team came straight here after they left us on the second day. Our team and Kabuto's team were the only ones to make it on the third day. Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji got here in the morning of the fourth day. And finally the team from Otogakure got in just a few hours ago."
Sasuke had taken in all the information and was using it to determine who would be put on his threat list and in what order. The Suna Genin was placed at the top of the list because they were the first ones here and he had no clue as to what their abilities were. Next was Team Gai. Not only did he not know what Tenten and Neji could do, but he had seen firsthand the edge their extra year of experience gave them when he fought Lee. Team 8 was third on the list because they had arrived at the tower very quickly. Sasuke also knew that the three members of team 8 Hyuuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, and Aburame Shino came from three of the largest shinobi clans in Konoha, but the Genin were never taught what each clan specialized in back at the academy. The Oto Genin and team 10 tied for fourth place. Sasuke knew what the sound-nins were capable of, but they had managed to beat Lee, so they were still a threat. Team 10 was in a similar situation as team 8, since those three came from slightly smaller shinobi clans, but had taken much longer then their fellow leaf-nins to get to the tower (remember, he wasn't awake when team 10 was fighting, so he doesn't know what they can do). Finally at the bottom of the list were Kabuto and his team. Sasuke had nothing against them; it's just that anyone who was on their seventh Chuunin Exam probably did not have the skills to pass.
By the time Sasuke's thoughts were organized team 7 had walked through the doors to the arena. There in front of them, in the middle of the large room, stood the other Genin, lined up by team. At the far end of the room stood the Chuunin that greeted the Genin, the Tokubetsu Jounin that were proctoring the Exam, and the Sandaime Hokage. Behind them stood the Jounin sensei's of the Genin that were still participating.
Once Team 7 had filed into line with the rest of the Genin, the Sandaime Hokage stepped forward to address them. Even at the advanced age of 68, old man Sarutobi commanded a great deal of respect. He was the student of the Nidaime Hokage and teacher of the Legendary Sannin. He was known as the 'Professor of Shinobi' for his knowledge and mastery of a thousand techniques. And as the Hokage, he was recognized as the strongest shinobi and leader of Konohagakure no Sato. "To the Genin here, Congratulations for passing the second test of the Chuunin Exam."
There were varied reactions between the Jounin and Chuunin that gazed upon the Genin who were recognized as the cream of the crop. Anko, who had recovered from her encounter with Orochimaru, was patting herself on the back for surpassing her own expectations for cutting down the number of Genin taking her part of the Exam. Maito Gai was telling Kakashi how his students' "Flames of Youth" would allow them to soar past Kakashi's students. Kakashi just gave Gai one of his "hip and trendy" responses, which always threw Gai for a loop no matter how many times he heard them. Yuuhi Kurenai, sensei of team 8, noticed how Akamaru, Kiba's dog, seemed to be scared of the sand-nins. Baki, the Jounin from Suna, was simply thinking of how Gaara, third child of the Kazekage and his strongest student, had completed another mission unscratched. Sarutobi Asuma was proud of how his team 10 had managed to complete the test with their teamwork, despite their individual flaws. Finally the Jounin-sensei for the Oto Genin, who was Orochimaru in disguise, just gazed upon the Genin, specifically Sasuke and Naruto.
Sarutobi also gazed at the Genin, but unlike Orochimaru his visage was filled with pride, not hunger. Of the seven teams that passed, five were from Konoha, four of them were participating in their first Chuunin Exam, and three were just rookie Genin fresh from the academy. "Before I explain the rules for the third test, I would like to explain to you all the true reasons for the Chuunin Exam." Said the Hokage to the confusion of the Genin. "Officially, the Chuunin Exam is used to 'Promote friendship between the countries' and to 'Raise the level of shinobi.' In reality the Chuunin Exam is used as a replacement for war." He paused briefly to take a puff on his pipe. "Countries that are now allies were once enemies. When they became allies, the Chuunin Exam was created as a replacement for the battles that were once used to determine which Genin should be promoted, and to protect the prestige of the villages." Sarutobi continued, explaining what he was talking about. "During the third test you will be under the observation of the Daimyos, the nobles of the countries, and other influential individuals who are the clients that hire shinobi for missions. The strength of the Genin is used to determine the strength of their village. If the Genin are seen as strong, then the village will be seen as strong and receive more clients. On the other hand, if the Genin are seen as weak, then the village is seen as weak and loses clients. Unfortunately, the true strength of a shinobi can only be born through life-threatening battle." Sarutobi paused to let this sink into the Genin. "Now for the rules of the third test." He would have continued if some coughing had not interrupted him.
"Actually…cough…Hokage-sama, as the proctor for the third…cough…test, I should continue from…cough…here," Said a Tokubetsu Jounin with a sword on his back, signifying that he specialized in Kenjutsu.
"By all means Hayate."
"Hello everyone I'm Gekkou Hayate. I'll be the proctor for…cough…the third part of the Exam." Hayate said as he stood in front of the Genin, who all thought that Hayate should be on his death bed judging from his looks. In actuality Hayate was perfectly healthy. He was just born with a small bronchial problem that developed into a mild cough later in life. His looks could be attributed to the make-up he wore to make himself look sick, so he would be underestimated. "Before we…cough…can hold the third test we will have to hold…cough…a preliminary round. This…cough…is to determine who gets to…cough…participate in the main event." These words caused a number of the Genin to become disgruntled, especially Shikamaru who did not want to do the extra work implied by these words.
"Excuse me, but why aren't we all allowed to participate?" Sakura asked the question on a number of Genin's mind.
"Since the third test will be observed by…cough…numerous people we must make sure that it is…cough…carried out within a specific time table. This is why we…cough…must hold the preliminaries immediately." This made the Genin even more disgruntled, but they knew that since they all had time to rest, they weren't being treated unfairly. "So, anyone that does not feel up to fighting…cough…please step forward now."
At these words one silver haired, glasses wearing Genin stepped forward to drop out of the Exam, confusing two members of team 7 and causing the third orange wearing one to just glare suspiciously at the boy.
"Hmmm…You're Yakushi Kabuto of the Leaf?" Hayate asked as he reviewed a file handed to him from a Chuunin. "All right, you may go. Does anyone else wish to quit?" He asked waiting to see if any other Genin would leave the competitions.
No one else raised their hands to signify their desire to quit participating, but only Hayate and some of the Chuunin were paying attention to that. The Hokage and Anko were having a quiet discussion about how this was the second time Kabuto had made it to the finals of the Chuunin Exam before quitting, his lower than average number of missions, his average grades at the academy, and more than ordinary past concerning the battle at Bellflower Pass.
"Well, if no one else wishes to quit, then…cough…it's time to start the preliminaries." Hayate stated. "The…cough…preliminaries will consist of one on one fights, held…cough…in ten individual matches. There are no rules and the fight ends when…cough…one of the fighters forfeits, is knocked out, or dies. However, I can stop the match whenever I feel that…cough…there is a clear winner." The sword wielding shinobi explained. As Hayate explained the rules, Anko spoke into a radio causing a wall panel to slide away to reveal a large electronic scoreboard. "This board will randomly select the fighters for each match, and the first fighters are…"
Abumi Zaku VS. Akimichi Chouji
"HURRAY! LADY LUCK IS ON MY SIDE TODAY!!" Shouted an excited Akimichi, who was eager for another chance at revenge.
Zaku was cursing his own luck at having to deal with Chouji again, and it did not help that he had both of his arms in slings. "Aaah…Kami! Why did I have to get paired with that fatass?"
"WHAT DID YOU SAY!? I TOLD YOU I'M NOT FAT! I'M BIG BONED!!"
Shikamaru just sighed at his friend's antics. "Man this is troublesome. That sound-nin should have just dropped out. He won't be able do much with his arms like that."
"Now, we will be starting the first match…cough. Will everyone but the participants…cough…please move to the upper level." Said Hayate as he indicated towards the stairs along the wall.
--
(On the Balcony)
"Ha Ha! This will be easy for Chouji! There is no way that Zaku guy could win in his condition!" Ino gloated up in the stands.
"It would be illogical to assume that Chouji will be the winner, even with the Oto shinobi's apparent handicap." Spoke the quite voice of Aburame Shino from the back of the balcony as he leaned against the wall. "Since he did not drop out with his arms like that, then it is only logical to assume that he must have a plan to compensate."
--
In the arena the two Genin eyed each other, waiting for the proctor to start the match.
"First Match: Abumi Zaku vs. Akimichi Chouji Begin!" Shouted Hayate jumping out of the way since he knew what happened to those that insulted an Akimichi's weight.
No sooner were the words said then Chouji made the hand seals for his family jutsu. "Baika no Jutsu (Multi-size technique), Nikusha (Meat Tank)." With that the large boy became even larger and began spinning a an incredible speed heading straight for the sound-nin.
Zaku countered by removing his arms from their slings, revealing that he could use them, and fired his favorite jutsu. "Zankuuha (Decapitating Air Waves)," however his arms were still strained from his fight with Sasuke and he couldn't put as much power into the jutsu as he normally would.
What happened next was essentially a repeat of the fight in the Forest of Death, only this time Chouji was not thrown into the air as high. This meant that his descent was shorter and took less time, so Zaku could not dodge again as he was planning. With a loud wham, the human boulder that was Chouji crashed into Zaku breaking the humerus bone in his arm, two ribs, and fracturing the tibia in the leg, as well as leaving a small 4 inch deep crater in the arena floor.
Hayate came over to check the fighters' condition as Chouji shrank and moved away from the crater he made. Seeing that Zaku not only had broken bones but was unconscious made his decision as a proctor clear. "Winner: Akimichi Chouji!" He exclaimed.
--
"Alright Chouji! Way to go!" Ino shouted as her teammate came up to the balcony, while the medics carried Zaku away. "Ha! See Shino I told you it would be an easy win for Chouji!"
"I never said that he would not win, only that it would be illogical to assume he would." Stated the stoic boy. "In the shinobi world making assumptions based on appearance can be dangerous.
Abumi-san proved that when he revealed that his arms were not useless, an assumption that could have cost anyone else their life."
"Well I am still proud of him, and I congratulate Chouji on his excellence performance." Said Asuma, giving his student a pat on the back while handing him a bag of chips.
"Thanks Asuma-sensei!" Said Chouji as he happily started munching on his favorite snack. He had to forgo indulging himself with this snack for several days because of the Exam.
"Quiet! The next fighters are being picked!" Shouted Inuzuka Kiba anxious for his fight.
Aburame Shino VS. Sabaku no Kankurou
"All right, looks like it's my turn to beat on some leaf brats." Stated a calm Kankurou.
"Kankurou, don't take this fight lightly," admonished his instructor Baki.
Kankurou just smirked as he hopped over the railing. "Yeah yeah…whatever you say sensei."
Hinata watched as her teammate calmly walked down the stairs to the arena floor. "D-Do you think-k that-t Shino-kun will-l b-be alright-t?" She asked her remaining teammate.
"Like you need to ask Hinata. Shino's strong. He is one guy I never want to fight." Answered her other teammate Kiba, who for once did not have his trademark grin.
--
Shino and Kankurou stared at each other as they waited for the proctor to start the match.
"Fighters, are you ready?" Asked Hayate.
"Yeah, just get on with it." Said Kankurou who had been waiting for a good fight.
Shino merely offered his hand to his opponent, who looked at it questioningly. "In a friendly competition such as the Chuunin Exam, it is only polite to wish one's opponent luck for the upcoming match."
Kankurou snorted, "Like I need luck," he stated as he shook Shino's hand.
"Alright, Second Match: Aburame Shino vs. Sabaku no Kankurou Begin!" Declared Hayate.
"Heh…I hope that you put up a good fight." Kankurou said as he took of the large wrapped bundle from his back and stood it up next to him.
Shino just stared at him for several seconds before replying. "I will give you this one chance to surrender. It would be wise of you to take the offer since I already have the advantage of having you surrounded."
Kankurou couldn't help but look around confused. "Surrounded? What are you talking about…" His voice trailed off as he saw the swarms of insects that emerged from the shadows of the balcony and spread out to cover his right, left, and backside, while Shino took his front.
"These are the Kikaichuu (Destruction Bugs) that my clan utilizes. The Kikaichuu is a beetle that swarms their prey and consumes their chakra. I started releasing them when we were told that we would be participating in one on one fights, in preparation for my match."
--
"Wooaahh! Kakashi-sensei, where did Shino get all those bugs?" Asked Naruto voicing the question on the majority of the Genin's mind.
Kakashi took the time to look up from his copy of Icha Icha Paradise, although he was actually watching the match, to answer. "Well Naruto, the Aburame are a clan of insect handlers, and while they are known to make use of numerous species they are most famous for their Kikaichuu which they have formed a symbiotic relationship with. Whenever someone in the Aburame clan is born a contract is made that allows them to command the Kikaichuu for whatever purpose the clan needs. In exchange the Kikaichuu are allowed to nest within the bodies of the Aburame and feed on their chakra."
Sakura looked up at this slightly disturbed at that last part. "Wait…do you mean that they actually have bugs living inside them?"
"That's precisely what he means," said Hyuuga Neji, turning everyone's attention towards himself showing he had his Byakugan activated. "I can see dozens of insects residing and moving within his body. No doubt the hundreds that now surround the Suna Genin are also part of his personal swarm."
Suffice it to say that some of the Genin, specifically Ino and Sakura, were feeling a little ill at hearing this. However two Genin felt a form of kinship with the Aburame for possessing something that lived within them as they did. Although one of those Genin would not hesitate for a second from killing every Aburame to prove his existence.
"No offence, but that is just…ewww." Said Sakura.
"Well as disturbing as it might seem to you, it has allowed the Aburame clan to become known as one of the greatest clans in Konoha, and the strongest insect handlers in the world." Said the ever pragmatic Kakashi.
--
Back in the arena Kankurou was trying to figure a way out of this little predicament.
"As I said before, it would be wise to forfeit. Even if you attack in two directions, you will be assaulted from your undefended sides."
Kankurou smirked. "So attacking in two directions will get me attacked huh? Well what if I attack in four directions?" He asked as he dropped his bundle while two extra arms sprouted from his clothes, ripping the disguise revealing a three eyed, four armed puppet wearing a tattered black cloak. The puppet, Karasu, extended its four arms towards the Kikaichuu, and opened to reveal hidden launchers that fired poison packets that exploded and released poison gas that drove the bugs back. At the same time its mouth opened and fired four poison covered kunai at Shino, catching him in the abdomen and arms.
Once that was over, an arm ripped out of the bundle wrappings and unwound the rest to reveal Kankurou. "Heh, guess you never faced one of Suna's Puppeteers before," he said with a gleeful smirk as he continued to manipulate the puppet with Chakra strings attached to one of his hands.
His joy was short lived as he saw Shino dissolve into a mass of bugs, "What!?"
"It would have been illogical to assume that you would not find a way out of my trap." Came the stoic voice of Shino as he stepped out of the shadows of the balcony. "So I kept a number of my Kikaichuu in reserve to make a Mushi Bunshin (Insect Clone) that I kept hidden to perform a Kawarimi with."
Kankurou was livid that some leaf-nin had out-tricked him, and tried to have Karasu fire more of its projectiles at the boy, only to have his puppet collapse into a useless heap on the ground. "What the hell!?" He shouted as he reattached the chakra strings, only to feel them grow weaker.
"If you are wondering what happened to your puppet, the answer is that I had placed several of my Kikaichuu on it when we shook hands. Of course I did not know it was a puppet and thought that you would not notice because of your gloves and black clothing," explained the Aburame. "The Kikaichuu that I placed on you puppet have had enough time to find the chakra you are using to control it, and consume enough of it for you to lose control. Oh, and you will find that unless your poison contains ingredients that can only be found in the forests around Konoha, it will have no effect on the Kikaichuu. Now it is time to finish this match." Shino raised his right arm and the insects swarmed up Kankurou's body and began draining him of chakra. Once he felt that they drained enough chakra, Shino recalled his insects back inside his body. "Proctor, it would be wise to end the match. I did not take enough chakra that it would threaten his life, but he will be unconscious for a while with chakra exhaustion."
Hayate checked Kankurou's condition and determined that Shino was right. "Winner: Aburame Shino!
--
"I can't believe he lost to some leaf Genin." Muttered Temari as she watched her teammate and brother get carried away to the tower's medic station.
"Kankurou lost because he wasn't taking the fight seriously," stated her sensei Baki. "He didn't think that there would be any Genin from Konoha that could challenge him. Because of his attitude he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings, allowing the bugs to sneak up on him. He is just lucky that this won't affect the plan."
While the team from Suna was discussing the match, the next fighters were selected.
Haruno Sakura VS. Yamanaka Ino
Upon seeing the names, Kakashi put away his book so that he could pay better attention to the fight, not that he wasn't already paying close attention to the fights but he is taken more seriously without the little orange book. "Are you going to be alright Sakura?" He asked his pink haired student, aware of her past with the Yamanaka.
"Don't worry Kakashi-sensei. I'll be fine," she assured him as she walked down to the arena.
--
Ino watched her opponent as she stood across from her and began the somewhat traditional trash talk. "I hope you're ready to lose Forehead girl. And when you do Sasuke-kun will be all mine!" She exclaimed, hoping to anger her rival for the Uchiha's affection.
"I'm not fighting you for Sasuke this time Ino." The pink haired girl calmly stated.
"Huh?"
Sakura took off her hitai-ate and retied it around her forehead. "I intend for this to be a true fight between kunoichi." She told her blond rival.
"So that's how you want to do it, huh?" Ino commented as she took off the hitai-ate she had been wearing as a belt and tied it around her own forehead.
"Third Match: Haruno Sakura vs. Yamanaka Ino Begin!"
The two girls rushed at each other to start a battle of Taijutsu. Sakura managed to catch Ino off guard when she applied the basics of the tree climbing exercise by putting just enough chakra to the soles of her feet to explode forward at an increased speed and punched Ino in the jaw. Ino rolled with the punch and came back with one of her own that got Sakura in the chest, only to be caught and kneed in the stomach by Sakura. The two kunoichi continued their fight in a similar fashion for several minutes showing a considerable amount of skill in the Taijutsu taught in the academy that taught basic offensive, defensive, and combination moves that form the basis of more advanced Taijutsu styles. After both girls took a particularly nasty punch to the jaws they backed several feet apart, from there they stared as they each needed to recover from the heavy breathing that resulted from the contest.
"Heh…I thought that you were going to fight me like a real kunoichi Forehead." Ino taunted.
"It's not over yet Ino-pig." Sakura shot back as he made a Hitsuji (Ram) seal. "Bunshin no Jutsu (Clone technique)," she called as she made four Bunshins appear around her.
Ino snorted as she watched the five Sakuras charge her. "Please Sakura, this isn't the Genin exam." Ino pulled out two kunai that she threw at two of the fakes, causing them to dispel, and then used her analytical abilities to pick out the real one from the amongst the two remaining clones. Ino timed it just right before she sent round house kick that caught the real Sakura in the head and sent her flying. "Sorry Sakura, but it looks like you weren't ready for a real fight." She whispered as she looked over her fallen former friend.
"AAAAUUUUGGGHHH!!"
"AAAAUUUUGGGHHH!!"
Ino turned towards the two screams of pain in the balcony and saw one of her worst nightmares. The two remaining Oto Genin had stabbed several kunai into Chouji's and Shikamaru's back. The kunai were in deep and the boys were losing a lot of blood. She would have screamed in horror if her mind had not caught the fact that not only was Asuma-sensei's face blank, but everyone else acted as if they had not noticed and were continuing to watch the match. Then it clicked, 'Genjutsu!' Ino brought her hands into the Hitsuji seal and shouted, "KAI," and flared her chakra to dispel the illusion.
No sooner was she free from the illusion, she was struck in the temple just hard enough to cause disorientation. Then ninja wire was wrapped around her, pinning her arms and legs together. And finally a kunai was brought to her throat.
"Now its over," said the pink haired kunoichi that held the kunai.
Hayate decided now was a good time to step in. "Since it is obvious that Haruno-san could have killed Yamanaka-san, I declare Haruno Sakura the Winner!"
--
Up in the stands Yuuhi Kurenai, the 'Genjutsu Mistress of Konoha' was impressed at how the match was decided. "Hey Kakashi," she called over to the silver haired sensei of team 7, "what did you teach that girl?"
Kakashi looked up to the female Jounin from his recently retrieved book. "Well, her school file stated that she had potential in the field of Genjutsu so I decided that that would be good choice to teach. She had trouble at first dealing with the Genjutsu I put her in, but she eventually got the hang of it. I believe the one she used on Ino was a modified version of the Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu (Demonic Illusion Hell Viewing Technique). Normally when used it will cause the victim to see something akin to a nightmare, such as the death of a comrade. However anyone with skill in Genjutsu can figure out it's an illusion, and because of the small amount of chakra needed for the technique to work, it is relatively easy to dispel." Kakashi explained. "Because Sakura isn't capable of creating her own Genjutsu yet, she decided to try modifying one she already knew. First she created the Bunshin to distract Ino so she would not notice Sakura making the Hebi seal. Then, once she is in the illusion, Ino will see something that she wants to see, such as knocking out Sakura. Since it was something she wanted to happen it's doubtful that she will notice the Genjutsu. That's when the normal nightmare part kicks in and where most people will realize the trap in the first place. By that time, Sakura will have had enough time to prepare something, such as the use of the ninja wire to bind Ino. All in all, it is quite the crafty trick."
Kurenai was impressed at the cleverness and simplicity of Sakura's Genjutsu. Most Genin and even some more experienced shinobi wouldn't think twice of checking for an illusion when they see something good happen. Her musings stopped when she saw the names on the board slow down to a stop.
The next fighters are….
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Author's notes: Cliffhanger! Sorry guys. I know that this is about 2,000 words shorter than the last two chapters but I really wanted to get chapter 4 posted before I devoted my time to college work. If I didn't then you would not see this chapter till June, maybe late June since I have to go to Texas for my sister's college graduation. Well on to more interesting topics.
THE POLLS ARE CLOSED! THE OFFICIAL PAIRING FOR THIS STORY IS NARUTO AND HINATA! I know that will make some people upset, but I have my reasons. First and foremost Naru/Hina is probably my favorite pairing so I know how Hinata fans react when they don't get together. Second there were by far more votes for Hinata over every other girl. In fact if I combine the votes every other girl got, they would tie with Hinata. Finally most people who hate Naru/Hina, hate it because there are so many of those 'Naruto suddenly loves Hinata and hates Sakura' stories. Personally I hate those too and that is not how this will turn out, nor will their love be perfect in every single detail. Maybe I should explain it like the author of 'Of Vixens and Kitsune'. Naruto has had a lonely childhood; his crush on Sakura is based on the fact that she is, by his standards, pretty and that she would pay a form of attention to him. Hinata grew up in an overbearing "royal" household that bases a person's worth on where they were born and how skilled they are at fighting. Even though she is the heiress and is supposed to be the strongest, she is considered weaker than her branch house cousin and her younger sister, her father, intentionally or not, degrades her abilities, and she feels guilt over the death of her Uncle and the Kumo Shinobi that kidnapped her. Naruto is the only one she knows who might have a worse life then hers, yet he never gave up. Despite his hardships he perseveres in the hopes of achieving his dreams of becoming the strongest Hokage, and receive the acknowledgement of
the people. Naruto is the epitome of what Hinata wants to be, he is her inspiration to live the life of a ninja. That is what her crush is based on. But what makes her crush closer to actual love is the fact that she is willing to acknowledge his imperfections. She just considers them minor compared to his good points. And as I said before, do not expect any real romance until the Shippudan timeline when they are fifteen and their hormones have settled down.
And I bet none of you were expecting me to change the fight lineup, then join the club. It was sort of a spur of the moment thing. I have already decided who is going to fight whom and who will win. I also have some ideas on how to make some fights more interesting. I will warn you that apart from the Sakura/Ino fight three other matchups will be the same for plot purposes, but that doesn't mean the fights will be the same.
Also you guys have no doubt figured out one major change I made in this story. Kakashi can actually teach. I checked the official timeline and there were like 6 months between the Genin Exam and the Chuunin Exam. That's five months between the Wave arc and the Exam arc. I have a hard time believing that in all that time team 7 did not gain any new skills beyond tree climbing. And if there are people out there that say that he spent the time training Sasuke then I feel compelled to mention how everything Sasuke used during the Chuunin Exam were things that he probably got from the Uchiha library, and second Sasuke had a huge difference in skill and chakra after one month of real training with. How strong would he have been if they had spent 6 months like that? Nope, when it comes to canon Kakashi I just believe he can't teach.
And the reason Sakura did not use her Genjutsu in the Forest of Death is because she was tired and I wanted to surprise my readers.
One last thing. As a special spoiler in chapter five I will start to reveal the abilities and changes in Naruto's seals
Please Read and Review. In my opinion constructive criticism is always welcome, but it has to have a suggestion for improvement to be considered constructive. And Don't bother trying to flame me about my pairing choice, just stop reading.
