"Today's the day..." ~ Goku to Chi Chi before he leaves for the Cell Games.
Month of the Finals...
Village of Konoha was extremely crowded today because today is the day to prove each shinobi's participating worth. Many people were expecting great things from Sasuke's fight with Naruto, after all he is an Uchiha and he's facing off against a beast. Nonetheless, the extreme excitement didn't stop the important VIPs front row seats or reservered spaces next to Hokage and Kazekage.
"This should be interesting, right Hokage sama.", the Kazekage said as he was, inwardly beinning to get impatient.
"Of course though it is a shame that all three of your children didn't make it, very unfortunate Kazekage sama.", Sarutobi said with respect as the other kage nodded.
Sakura was on the balcony were the others of who's to fight, however a majority of the people were missing, so far only Shikamru, Hinata, and Gaara, who was in the far end of the corner, were present.
"Hinata...", Sakura called out to the shy girl who was day dreaming about a certain blonde boy.
"Um- yea Sakura san?", she answer in her dreaming innocent voice but held lots of backbone as well, which was something Sakura noticed, as well as Shikararu.
"I just wanted to say good luck to both of us and no matter what, don't hold anything back...", Sakura said almost excited and paused for about 5 seconds before finishing. "After all!", she yelled. "We have to sho9w these guys that they aren't the dominate in the shinobi department.", she finished holding her hand out to Hinata, wanting her to understand she will have no hard feelings when they decided to give it 100%.
Elsewhere...
"Man I still can't believe you managed to defeat Mercenary Tao!", Yamcha said as, with his signature smile, he was piloting a capsule plane Bulma manged to get her dad to borrow.
"Yea you even managed to collect all the dragon balls and save Upa's father. That's one heck of an achievement in my book.", Bulma said with a soft smile remembering that Goku also soloed the whole Red Ribbon Army.
"Yea, but Goku never forget no matter how much stronger you think you've gotten theirs always room for improvement my boy.", said Master Roshi as he approached the Bulma from behind the chair and grabbed Bulma's bust, this however ended up with Roshi later with a huge not on his head in the ocean.
Roshi looking dazed said,"I just wanted my hug she owed me, heheheh", Roshi giggled with a perverted smile with drool sagging off his lip as he sunk in the ocean.
"Hahaha you guys are to much, but Lord Karin did give me some amazing advice though, training with him saved me from losing to Tao. But never mind that why's Krillin sleeping so much all of a sudden?", Goku wondered but was doubtful of getting a good answer.
"Who knows...", Bulma said with Goku narrowing his eyes at this response. "But he maybe saving energy in case something bad happens I guess.", Bulma finished.
Zooming past the clouds in the sky they wait til they arrived in Konoha in just 30 minutes.
At the Chunin Exam Stadium, 25 minutes later...
After the Hokage finished the given speech for the exam he awaited for the procter to begin the matches, the first of which:
Sakura Haruno vs Hinata Hyuga
The crowd were intense, mostly from seeing that a Hyuga and an Uchiha were said to be in the finals which is the main reason a mojority of people from villiages came, not to show respect the contenders but to see a bloody fight, which they will get...most likely.
"Okay I am Genma of the Hidden Leaf Village and I hereby promise, I will show no favorites and stop pointless fighting if I deemed the a contestant outmached or unable to move, are their any questions from the finalists?", he said as he stared at the ninja teens, all giving a nod he continued. "Okay then will Sakura and Hinata remain on the exam ground, and the others please return to the waiting booth.", he said as glanced at an orange like persona descend from the entrance.
"Wait!", an obivous person said rather loudly disturbing most of the audience and the people from the Leaf have an idea on who said it.
"Naruto Uzumaki has reported for duty and I'm gonna win believe it!", Naruto said with a cheerly personality and extremely confidently. Walking behind him was, the enemey to lovely ladies everywhere, Jaraiya of the Sennin.
"Hello there Genma, I hope your doing well.", Jaraiya said with a slight smirk.
"Ah Jaraiya, uhh... you do understand that you are interrupting the finals right?", Genma asked a little dumbfound that he let his toothpit fall to the ground. Waving his hand in dis-missal, he said its okay and apologized and to ask can Naruto still compete, Genma ceded agreed.
Naruto saw both of his friends about to get ready for their battle and coud'nt figure out on who to root for, Naruto inhaled and exhaled after a deep breath and did a double thumb-up two his friends, and flashed towards the waiting booth and stunned most of the spectators and ninja there, most were starting to overlook that he was a abnormal piece of society and saw him as a possible rival for the Uchiha, Gaara was pretty much interested in the strong opponents who were shown to be the best and with that thought Gaara knew he had to kill the strongest, and the strongest will be in the finals.
"Hey Naruto, Sakura!", another familiar voice said as he descended from a yellow capsule plane. Looking in the sky the people could'nt believe that another person had postpone the fight... again. "We made it with time to spare Bulma!", Goku yelled much to the annoyance of Bulma.
Landing on the stadium ground debris began to scatter everywhere in the area until Yamcha finally hit the "minimize " button, relieving the people.
"Hey sorry if were intruding.", said Master Roshi with a sheepish smile.
"Oh your not intruding at all.", Genma said in a sarcastic voice.
"Oh okay then we just come to see Goku make it the final round of this exam.", said Krillin who patted Goku on the back and the both sharing a smile.
"It fine, but you might want to hurry the VIPs are getting fustrated on the fact that the exam hasn't begun yet.", Genma said in a whisper like tone for the group could hear them. Nodding, the group of four left to the spectator booth with front row seats thanks to her connection with Capsule Corporation.
"Goku long time no see. Wow you look buffed-up.", Naruto said slightly budging Goku with his elbow Goku smiled faded as soon as he seen everyone in the booth.
"Um, were's Sasuke?", Goku asked with concerned, Naruto shoved his shoulders.
"I have no idea were he is, actually we were in seclusion from our teammates because if we do end up fighting one another, we won't know what the person is capable of, but I'm not to worried about it though I have my "insurance".", Naruto said as he put on a cocky voice on insurance which Shikamaru didn't miss.
"Interesting.", a lazy-like voice said. Naruto and Goku turning their heads to see none other than Shikamaru.
"Shikamaru?! I didn't figure you was gonna show up.", Naruto said as he and Goku approached him from the left.
"Yea well, my dad wanted me to get in here and face off in this to prove to my ma that I'm not a slacker.", Shikamaru sighed with a half bored face hunched over on his knees.
"Well, you really have your work cut out for ya heheh.", Goku said as he pointed towards Gaara.
"You may say that Goku but you're up against Lee, and his crazy strong teacher Guy sensei most likely trained him 10x harder than what he usually did, after all you did defeated Neji with not so much of a problem, taking that into account Lee must have studied your fight with great precision, the guy did 1000 run around the village in like in 2 hours!", Shikamaru said as he gazed at Goku. "You better be on guard against him, however I'm sure you're aware of the power he displayed in his fight against cloud ninja with that extreme display of Nintaijutsu.", he added.
"I know I'll be ready I haven't exactly been sitting around ya know.", Goku said as he took a seat beside Shika with Naruto soon follow after.
"Okay are you two ready to begin?", Hayate said as he had his hand foward reading the two kunoichi. Them both nodding Hayate gave them the signal and thus the first round began.
'I'll do my best for Naruto kun!', Sakura and Hinata told themselves internally as they faced each other down with the determination Naruto has.
The girls simultaneously flipped backward, Sakura landing around the threshold beside the tree she made a summoning seal and a scroll seemed to appear to be about 120 cm. Hinata was no longer waiting to find out what Sakura had planned but then as soon as she was in eye shot of her Sakura made a straight shot towards Hinata's stomach area, this shocked Hinata, she wasn't expecting anything like this from her and the fact that the blade was avoided she was still scraped around the right of were her ribs are.
"Sakura I didn't figure you was training in kenjutsu.", Hinata said in a pants, shaken up of her near-death experience.
"I have a lot more than just this, watch!", Sakura said as she twirled the naginata in her hand before shouting:
"Kenjustu Style: Moon Catastrophe!", Sakura yelled as she re gripped the naginata and made strikes that seemed impossible for kunoichi. Her strikes struck with 90 degree angle in a circle like fashion. Hinata was quick to put up her guard but the strikes were incredibly painful. Her right arm was slashed, both her legs were slashed just above her thighs.
"Woah what was that technique?!", a person said in the audience with other people seemingly just as confused as the man who asked the question.
"Incredible Sakura was able to perform one of the most deadly kenjutsu art in ninja history, with an over-sized naginata no less.", Shikamaru said with an excited smirk on his mug.
Naruto, however to smart he is, was still quite dense.
"What do you mean?", he asked since it was obvious he knew and wanted Shikamaru to shed a little light on this jutsu.
"This is gonna be a drag but basically the naginata is an awkward blade that is extremely difficult to master due to it's sheer size and the fact that its heavy to lift makes it even more difficult to use without proper training, but the damage it outputs is damaging. Combine that with the Moon Catastrophe lethal strikes makes it one of the damaging kenjutsu in the the world.", Shikamaru explained as simply as he could for Naruto to understand. This seemed to make Goku acknowledge her fighting prowess greatly.
Back on the Exam Ground...
"I'm sorry but I can't lose Hinata I trained to the point that I felt like crap and couldn't go on to deal with the hindering of this blade Hayate sensei entrusted to me.", she said as she slowly but firmly lifted the blade within her grasp.
Hinata was in no mood to try and evade that same attack twice consecutively, gathering whatever strength her body allowed her to gain, Hinata in a fast motion distanced herself from away of the range that the naginata blade bestowed for Sakura, which made her options limited since she was a Hyuga, she specializes in taijutsu and rarely mid-range battles. Slightly whimpering Hinata felt her heart shatter under the fact that after all the training she endure this past month was mostly wasted since she did really have a way around her defense.
'Defense', Hinata thought almost stunned that she completely forgot that she practice this technique once, but failed at it multiple times. 'I have to give it a try it may be my only way to get around her Moon Catastrophe.', she thought as she began to set her plan into motion.
And this is Chapter 16 I hope you guys enjoyed this "cat fight" I designed lol. I will give you guys the origins of Sakura's technique later down the road aka chapter 17, which will be out much earlier then this one.