A few moments passed before the next two names appeared on the board.
Shikamaru Nara Vs Kin Tsuchi
Shikamaru groaned seeing the pairing.
He instantly considered forfeiting the match, but one it would be troublesome to deal with Ino and Asuma...secondly he couldn't bring himself to just forfeit a match to a girl.
He ran a hand through his spiky hair.
"No way around it...what a drag" he complained as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and rather than leaping down onto the lower level took the stairs down.
"Go get her SHIKAAAMAARRUU!" Ino cried as she trust her fist out enthusiastically.
"Troublesome blonde..." he murmured to himself as he slowly walked down the stairs.
'Whatever I do I must never marry a blonde..or a pretty girl...just some average girl maybe with brown hair...have two kids then retire and live out my days playing Shogi' he mused to himself as this line of thought while tiresome wasn't as troublesome as this match would likely be.
On the Balcony above Temari sneezed. 'Hmm I wonder if I have a cold...maybe this cooler weather ' she mused to herself.
Finally two minutes after the pairing had been called Shikamaru finally stood across from his opponent with a lazy look in his eye.
"You two may begin when you are ready" Hayate said as he stepped backwards.
Shikamaru remained standing in his lazy pose as he seemed more interested in day dreaming then the girl in front of him.
"Heh you seem like you already wanna throw in the towel...don't let me stop you" she said as she reached into her pouch and pulled out a series of senbon.
"Yeah your right...but to be honest...it would be too troublesome for me to forefeit here." He replied before yawning.
"Well then I'll make this quick." she replied before she pulled back her hand and threw a pair of senbon at Shikamaru.
Shikamaru heard a ringing sound and ducked to the side avoiding one senbon only to be caught in the shoulder by a second one. His eyes quickly looked over the two senbon processing what his opponent's strategy in seconds.
'I see she attaches a bell to some of her senbon. The brain interprets the sound wave from the senbon with bells while ignoring the Shadow senbon that are thrown without bells. In order to fight this hearing alone won't be sufficient...what a drag' he thought to himself.
Series after series of more senbon were thrown...with every volley she'd throw Shikamaru would now avoid them before slowly moving forward forcing her to move backwards away from the center of the room and closer to the far wall.
"I see you've already figured out how my technique works." she mused aloud before smiling.
Shikamaru shrugged. "Yeah after your first attack...but I'm sure you have some other troublesome ability don't you ?" he asked as he looked tired of this match already.
Kin's eyebrow twitched. 'It's like this guy would rather take a nap then be here...how did he even make it this far' she wondered to herself.
"You could say that...you see you've been able to see through my attacks when there's just one of me throwing a few senbon...however how will you fare when your mind has no idea how many of me there actually are?" she said smiling as he raising one of her senbon with bells and began to shake it as she applied chakra at the same time. In addition to further confuse Shikamaru she used her off hand to began shaking another bell that she had already thrown by pulling at thin string.
The result of these bells ringing began to take a toll on Shikamaru. He suddenly saw multiple Kin's all of which were now raising senbon preparing to strike him.
Shikamaru who was now crouching formed a few handsigns moments before she could release her senbon upon him. However she froze a split second before she could do so as a look of surprise crossed her face.
"Heh Shadow Possession success" he said as he stood up.
"B-but how...when did you? " she stammered.
Shikamaru . "It was simple enough...you gave me a perfect cover after all." he said as he held out his hand and she mimicked the action. He opened his hand wide and as she mirrored it the senbon that were in her hand fell to the floor.
"What are you talking about? " she demanded as she tried in vain to move.
"Your string...I created a shadow and moved it under the string attached to your other bell... you didn't even realize it...but from where that string was being held it wouldn't even cast a shadow...but under the circumstances it never dawned on you." Shikamaru said as he reached into his kunai pocket and pulled out a shuriken at the same time she mirrored the action.
He walked her backwards a few feet before he pulled back his arm and she did the same.
"You idiot with me mirroring your actions as long as you dodge my Shuriken ...I'll dodge yours as well...you can't win this way. " she said.
"Yeah you normally would be right but that's not how I intend to win." he stated lazily as he flicked his wrist and in turn she did so as well, both of their shuriken were launched towards one another.
Shikamaru bent backwards to avoid the shuriken as Kin did the same...however as she mirrored his action her head collided into the wall knocking her instantly unconscious.
"What a drag" he muttered as he put his hands in his pockets and began his slow walk towards the stairs.
Hayate shook his head before speaking.
"Winner Shikamaru Nara" he stated.
With no time being wasted moments after Shikamaru had reached the stairs and Kin had been carried away, the board began to shuffle the remaining names again.
The Next Pairing could be seen a few moments later.
Temari No Sabaku Vs TenTen
The ensuing fight proved to be the most one sided fight thus far.
Though neither Kunoichi was by any means weak, TenTen found herself fighting an enemy in which her fighting style was all but ineffective.
The fight lasted less then five minutes as TenTen implored every weapon from her robust arsenal only to have them scattered and knocked away by Temari's fan and powerful wind techniques.
The Wind Mistress finally brought the match to a close as she caught TenTen within a powerful Cyclone before dropping her upon her closed fan instantly knocking her unconscious.
"Winner Temari No Sabaku" he stated.
Rock Lee landed to catch TenTen before she could be thrown down upon her own scattered weapons by Temari.
Hayate narrowed his eyes as he looked at Temari.
"Temari No Sabaku you are the Winner of this Match...however you should know there are regulations...in regards to trying to kill an opponent after you've already been declared the winner. Try that again and you'll be disqualified...you should show more respect to your fellow Ninja no matter what village they may be from." he said.
Temari just rolled her eyes as she turned away and began to make her way to the stairs. "Whatever" she stated as she climbed the stairs before taking her spot next to Gaara.
A silence settled over the room as the board began to flicker to life again.
After a few moments it came to a stop revealing the next pair.
Shino Aburame vs Ino Yamanaka
"Interesting" Shino remarked as he adjusted his glasses before coolly flipped over the railing landing silently as he awaited his opponent to join him.
"Good luck Shino Man! let's go for 3 for 3 cus you know I'm gonna win my match" Kiba yelled before flashing a toothy grin at his friend.
Sakura shook her head before calling out to Shino. "Good luck Shino-kun ! Kick Ino-pig's butt" she said before flashing Ino a grin.
Kurenai just groaned. 'When will they grow up' she wondered to herself.
Ino's eyebrow twitched as she shot Sakura a glare. "Oh it's so on Forehead..." she seethed before she looked at Shikamaru and then Asuma.
"Well aren't the two of you going to wish me goodluck?" she asked as she put her hands on her hips.
"I considered it...but since your asking for it now...it's too troublesome" Shikamaru remarked before he leaned back against the railing.
"Ino just be careful...Shino is very calculating...don't let him control the fight" Asuma advised.
"No worries..I'll be fine" she said before she leaped over the railing and landed softly on her feet before she strode over towards the center of the room before stopping about 20 feet away from Shino.
"As a fellow leaf Ninja I wish you the best of luck Ino-san" Shino said quietly as he looked at the platinum blonde in front of him.
"Same to you Bug boy" she said with an exuberant smile.
"There are times...when Ino can be such a blockhead...I'm beginning to wonder if's she's becoming a second Naruto." Sakura muttered to Kiba.
"Eh I can see what you mean...that's a scary thought believe it!." he commented before howling with laughter.
Naruto who had only caught his named blinked in confusion as he looked at the pair that stood a few feet away.
'Eh what am I missing ?' he thought as he scratched his head in confusion.
Sasuke snorted as he heard their conversation while little Hinata was having her own ...interesting thoughts.
'A world with Two Naruto's...' she flushed deeply at the little fantasy that played in her head.
'Bug boy? I would normally feel insulted...but I think that was her idea of being kind' Shino thought to himself.
"The Two of you may begin when your ready" Hayate stated.
Ino crouched forming a strange handsign.
Shino quirked an eyebrow curious as to her first maneuver as he took a guarded stance as he held his left sleeve downwards as he began to let some his beetles out discreetly onto the ground hoping to use them later in the match.
Shino flipped backwards to analyze the situation and was about to implore his first technique when he heard Ino call out.
"Mind possession Jutsu" however whatever she effect she had intended was far from the result as she doubled over in pain.
As she finally looked up she found a kunai at her neck and Shino standing directly over her.
"I can only imagine that your ability would be very useful on most opponents, however having thousands of minds that are apart of me makes take control of my body exceedingly difficult." he stated.
Ino groaned and could help blushing. She felt so embarrassed to be beaten so quickly.
'I can't believe I lost out to forehead' she thought glumly.
Hayate held out his hand after a moment.
"Winner Shino Aburame" he stated.
"Shino man what the hell was that ? You were suppose to do something cool, that was a lame fight." Kiba huffed as he crossed his arms and stared at the bug user.
Shino sighed. "There is little need in revealing all of my abilities now. It will give me an advantage in the finals." he stated before adjusting.
"Shit you could have at least done something a little bit more flashy" Kiba muttered as he put his hands behind his head.
Kurenai smiled. "A very wise choice Shino it shows how mature you are..." she said softly.
"That's nice and all...but I still intend to kick ass when it's my turn" Kiba muttered.
"Kiba if your curse one more time in front of me...I'll tell Hana and your mother...and I'm sure both of them would be more than willing to wash your mouth out with soap." she said as an evil glint crossed her eyes.
"You w-wouldn't Sensei" he sputtered.
"Try me " she said in sickly sweet voice.
Ino had a pout on her face as she made her way up the stairs and back towards her spot beside Shikamaru and Asuma.
'Well that sucked' she thought as she crossed her arms.
"Hey cheer up kiddo... like I said not many your age get this far." Asuma said.
"I didn't realize just how much better everyone else is gotten..." she said somewhat sadly.
"I'll see to it that we double our training efforts after the exams then." Asuma said before offering her a smile.
'Troublesome' Shikamaru thought as he leaned lazily against the rail.
Ino returned Asuma's smile halfheartedly as she like the rest of the Genin returned her attention back to the board curious as to who among the remaining genin would fight next...
The Board begin to once again shuffle the remaining Ninja, at this point the tension was running high for the remaining competitors.
Finally however the board came to a stop.
Naruto Uzumaki Vs Kiba Inuzuka
"Phew that's a relief isn't it Akamaru...and here I thought we might have to end up fighting Neji or that scary sand guy." Kiba remarked as he howled in laughter before he sprung over the balcony and landed in a crouch.
Kurenai and Sakura groaned at Kiba's rude display...while Shino glanced over at Team 7 that stood a few feet away.
"Finally it's my turn" Naruto exclaimed happily as he threw his hand up in the air.
"Naruto?" Sasuke asked as he looked intently at the blonde.
Naruto looked over at the raven haired Ninja before speaking. "Huh what's up?" he asked.
"You'd better win your match...your one of the people I want to fight most in the finals." he stated before offering the blonde a smirk.
"Heh of course I'll win...I'm the future Hokage after all" he said cheekily as he gripped the railing as he prepared to jump down to the floor before however before he could do so he felt a small hand on his jacket.
He looked back to see Hinata with a faint blush on her cheeks. "Eh what's wrong Hinata-chan?" he asked with a worried expression.
"A-ano...it's n-nothing just do your best.. I believe in you N-naruto-kun"she said softly as her pale lavender eyes looked into his cerulean orbs for a moment.
He offered her one of his sincere smiles as he nodded before squeezing her hand. "You betcha Hinata...I'll be back in no time" he whispered before he flashing her one more grin before he turned and sprang over the balcony landing rather ungracefully on the ground as his legs were spread wide before he readjusted himself.
"So this should be a pretty one sided match don't you think Shikamaru ?" Ino asked as she elbowed him in the side.
Shikamaru grumbled. "I couldn't say...we haven't really had a chance to see much of Team 7 or 8 since graduation except in passing. I wouldn't underestimate them Ino...though it's a drag to admit it, both of their teams got here a few days ago...we only made it here yesterday" he remarked.
"What I meant is what real chance does Naruto have against any of us? he was the dead last of our class...I mean it's only been a few months since then... I don't see how he could have improved enough to have a chance even against Kiba." Ino said before flipping her hair.
"Heh the same could be said for some of us Ino...look around...no one is the same as they were at graduation. A few months ago Sakura wouldn't have been able to win her match against that sand guy." he stated bluntly.
Ino huffed before pouting. "So you really think this match could go either way?" she asked.
Shikamaru. "yeah I do...but I have a feeling I know who will win..." he said as he lazily leaned against the railing.
'Something has changed in his eyes...he's still troublesome...but beneath that there's a fire..one that wasn't nearly as strong as it is now...I wonder how much he has grown since then.' Shikamaru mused to himself.
"Shikamaru who ?" Ino drawled as she pressed him for an answer.
"It would be too troublesome to explain and it would an even bigger drag if I'm wrong...so just watch." he said as he turned his attention to the ground below.
'Uzumaki...spill his blood and prove your existence to me...it will only make it more satisfying when I spill your blood for mother soon' Gaara thought as he began twitching in excitement as his hands gripped the railing as he stared with a psychotic grin towards the blonde.
Temari felt her heart hammer in her chest as she hesitantly took a step away from Gaara before glancing down towards Kiba and Naruto.
'What has Gaara so...on edge...surely it's not one of those two idiots' she thought as she looked them over critically before dismissing them again.
"Who do you think will win this youthful fight Neji ?"Lee asked loudly as he pumped his fist in the air as he was growing restless waiting for his own match.
Neji cast a sideways glare at his annoying teammate. "Uzumaki has no chance...he is the deadlast of his class and is no a talented loser" he stated coldly before he turned his attention back to the ring.
Lee's enthusiasm subsided a bit as he felt that he could relate with Naruto all to well. 'I don't know if your the same as me Naruto-kun other than us both being deadlasts...but if you and I are anything alike...I'm sure you won't let anything stop you from being a splendid Ninja no matter how hard it may be. I wish you luck and hope you that you prove Neji and those who doubt you wrong' he thought before a grin spread across his face.
Gai remained silent though he much like Lee hoped that Naruto would prove Neji's assumptions wrong.
"I'm not going to go easy on you Naruto just because you were last in our class." Kiba said with a toothy grin as Akamaru leaped off of his head and onto the ground next to him.
"Heh you shouldn't underestimate me Kiba...I'm no longer the Dobe you and rest of our class remembers." Naruto said as he flashed Kiba a serious look.
"Even if what you say is true...I doubt you could have grown that much in such a short time." Kiba remarked.
"I guess we'll see"Naruto replied cryptically as a glint of mischief crossed his eyes.
"NARUTO-KUN MAY THE FLAMES OF YOUTH BURN BRIGHT AS THE SUN IN YOU!" Lee cried from the balcony in return receiving some funny reactions from the other genin and a glare from Neji.
Naruto sweat dropped. 'Thanks Lee...I have no idea what any of that stuff means...but I think that was a good thing.' he thought as he scratched his head sheepishly before flashing Lee a grin and a thumbs up.
Hayate coughed. "If the two of you are done...let's get on with this match...you may begin when your ready." he said before flipping backwards.
Kiba instantly formed a series of quick handseals before calling out his first move. "Beast Mimickry: All Fours Jutsu" he stated before he instantly assumed a new position as he placed both of his hands on the ground and chakra began envelop him. Over the course of a few seconds his eyes grew more ferocious, his fangs elongated and finally his finger nails grew long before becoming razor sharp claws. "Akamaru hang back ...I'm going to see what he's made of first" he said in a guttural tone before his eyes focused back on Naruto.
Naruto quickly raised his fingers before crossing them in a way that was all to familiar to his teammates.
"Massive Shadow Clone Jutsu" He called out casting the room in a smokescreen for a moment as he summoned forth over a thousand shadow clones leaving many in the room bewildered. There were so many on the floor many of them were crowded or piled on top of one another...
"Impossible...he's just a genin" Kurenai whispered to herself..
'hmmm interesting...what will you do now Kiba?' Shino thought as he crossed his arms.
'This is Naruto?...he really has grown' Sakura thought as she still remained in shock at the amount of clones littering the room below.
'This kid was the deadlast of his year?' Asuma wondered as he placed his hands on the rail as he studied the horde of Naruto's below.
"Troublesome Naruto...it seems like I was right...you have have grown...what a show off " Shikamaru muttered
"Wow I guess you were right Shikamaru...who would have thought Naruto would be capable of something like this?" Ino mused aloud as she placed her hand on her hip.
Hinata smiled brightly as she looked down below. 'Your doing it Naruto...people are finally starting to acknowledge you, like I have for so long' she thought happily.
"So much for starting small and building up"Sasuke chuckled.
Kakashi eyed the fight. 'Hmmm I hope you plan to do more than overwhelm Kiba with numbers...that won't work in every situation...then again you are the most unpredictable Ninja' he thought before offering an eye smile to his other two students.
"Wow that's a lot of Narutos...seems like we won't be able to pull any punches...Akamaru front and center with me"
Immediately Akamaru was at his side.
The Horde of Narutos began to brandish Kunai as they began forming several large groups before they began to circle Kiba and Akamaru.
"Alright Akamaru let's do this" Kiba yelled before charka began to swirl around him and Akamaru
"Imitation Beast Ninja Art: Beast Human Clone" He cried.
A poof of smoke appeared around the pair and as it cleared their was no sign of Akamaru's as it seemed there were now Two Kiba as one crouched on all fours on the second Kiba's back.
"Ok let's see what those horde of clone rejects can do" one of the Kiba's said as both of the Kiba's sprang forward and an accelerated speed as they began shredding a hole through the ranks of Naruto's on the floor.
The next fifteen minutes ticked by as the pair whittled rank after rank of Narutos away. Though for each one they dispersed it seemed like two more would soon take it's place.
"Fang over Fang" Kiba cried as he and Akamaru for the countless time launched into the air spiraling like a drill through another several dozen clones.
As the pair landed Kiba growled as he looked over still seeing a little over fifty clones remaining.
"Dammit Naruto ...what are you playing at? you're running out of clones...your smell is all over this room...I will find which of you that remains is the real one." he stated in a growl as he began to pant deeply.
"OOoooi KIBA it's me" cried one of the Clones.
"No way it's totally me" another said waving at Kiba.
"Their both lying it's me" a third clone declared before shooting Kiba a raspberry
"Damn you Naruto...I will get you." he growled as he darted in swinging his claws furiously as Akamaru followed his lead while still in the form of Kiba.
"Is Naruto afraid to fight Kiba or what?" Ino asked frowning.
"Hardly...Naruto has already won this match" Shikamaru stated lazily.
"How so?" Ino asked bewildered.
"Look Naruto seems to have a crazy amount of Chakra and Stamina...wherever the real Naruto is...he probably hasn't broken a sweat yet...however Kiba has already spent so much Chakra on all those clones ...and will soon be physically exhausted...but to make matters worse...Kiba is now angry and his moves are getting sloppy..."
"Huh I can't believe Naruto is capable of planning something that Smart." Ino remarked.
"Knowing Naruto...it's probably tied to some sort of prank..he's probably getting a big kick out of this...he's such a pain at times." Shikamaru muttered.
Five minutes later
Kiba began panting deeply and at about the same time Akamaru collapsed before transforming back to his normal state. Kiba gritted his teeth.
'Akamaru is spent and I'm not far behind him...that damn prankster...there are still ten of him left... I have to stand and finish them off before I completely run out of energy' he thought as he slowly stood.
"I don't know why you're dragging this along Naruto...but I will find you." he growled as he summoned from his reserves of chakra before lunging forward into the remaining Naruto's with strike after strike
Kiba's howled in delight as he finally cornered the remaining Naruto before lunging forward with a powerful strike with his claws. However what he didn't expect was for that Naruto to go poof as well.
"WHAT? " he cried as he began looking around utterly confused...many others in the room seemed equally surprised as the blonde seemed to have simply disappeared without a trace.
"Oi I'm guessing your looking for me Eh Kiba?" Naruto voice could be heard from a distance.
Kiba and even on those on the Balcony looked upwards at the high vaulted ceiling to see Naruto hanging from the ceiling by using chakra applied to his feet.
"How and when did you get up there ?"Kiba yelled as as clenched his hands together.
"Oh from the beginning...I used the smokescreen provided when my clones were first created and even my clones helped by launching me up here. Though I'd like to come down now I'm starting to get really dizzy" he said before laughing as he scratched the back of his head.
"Dammit...this entire time" Kiba growled under his breath.
"Well it's time to get serious" Naruto said as he crossed his fingers again creating a dozen more shadow clones. That were rooted by side him on the ceiling.
"Ok this is a new move...I call it Uzumaki Clone Drop" he said nodding vigorously pleased at the name while those who heard him sweat dropped.
"Alright boys now that he's weak let's finish it" Naruto yelled.
"Right On Boss" the Naruto's yelled as they kicked off as hard as they could from the ceiling and began spiraling down downwards at a super fast velocity towards the ground where Kiba was.
There was a resounded crashing and popping sound as the Clones slammed into the ground kicking up dust and dirt into the air.
Kiba grunted as he was now lying prone on the ground he spit up some blood as he somehow managed to summon his strength as he prepared to stand back up, however before he could do so he so a single flash of Orange blurring towards him.
'Oh shit' was the last thing Kiba thought before Naruto Knee was buried into his gut and coughed up more blood...this time he couldn't find the strength to rise.
Naruto who now stood beside him inclined his head. "Your strong Kiba...I'm sorry for being so sneaky...to be honest I didn't want to give away all my secrets here. Next time..no more pranks I promise."
Kiba coughed before forcing a smile. "Heh you really are the most unpredictable Ninja...you better do well in the finals or I'll look bad" he chuckled weakly.
"Count on it" Naruto said as he flashed him a smile.
Hayate approached the pair and shook his head. "Winner Naruto Uzumaki" he said before coughing.
'What an interesting kid' he thought as he looked at the blonde.
"Hey Kiba...we'll train sometime soon alright ?" Naruto said before he patted the dog user on the shoulder as Akamaru approached his master and licked his face.
"Count on it" Kiba replied weakly before he lost consciousness.
Naruto put his hands behind his head as he strolled towards the stairs whistling a happy tune...of course about half the way up the stairs he threw his fist in the air before yelling.
"Woohoo I won" he exclaimed beaming happily.
'Uzumaki why do you seem so different than me...why did you not kill that weakling and prove your existence...how is it you are the way you are?' Gaara wondered as his gaze never left the blonde.
"Nice one Naruto...but next time try not to put me to sleep" Sasuke said smirking at the blonde.
"No chance...the next time you and I might be the ones fighting" Naruto said with a huge grin.
"Hn" Sasuke replied as he turned away and began to study the board as he waited for it to began shuffling the remaining names.
"Nice Job Naruto" Kakashi said before offering an eye smile at the boy.
"Thanks Kakashi-Sensei " he responded happily.
"C-congratulations N-naruto-kun" Hinata said softly offering him a shy smile as she blushed faintly.
"Thanks Hinata-chan" he exclaimed as he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tightly before spinning around in circles holding her.
"Woo if you win your match Hinata...all of us get to go to the finals together" he cheered.
Hinata blushed redder then any tomato as she nearly fainted from the attention she and Naruto were receiving from his outburst.
Sasuke grunted. "Chill idiot before Hinata dies of embarrassment or you miss something interesting...or don't you want to see the next match up?"
The Blonde stopped spinning Hinata around before his eyes widened as he studied the next pairing...
Neji Hyuuga Vs Zaku Abumi
Naruto leaned against the railing as he studied Neji and Zaku as they made their way to the preliminary arena below.
"Oi is it bad that I'm not rooting for a leaf Ninja ?" Naruto asked quietly.
"Hnn Normally I'd say yes...but in Neji's case...I feel the same way" Sasuke muttered as he too joined Naruto as the pair watched the two below take their positions across from one another.
Kakashi looked at the duo curiously, before he turned his attention back to his book.
Hinata bit her lip as she fiddled with her fingers. 'Nii-san' she thought as her pale lavender gaze turned to the battle that was about to begin.
"The two of you may begin " Hayate announced before falling silent.
Neji stared at the boy in front of him without uttering a word. Unlike his previous encounters he had little to no knowledge of what to expect, though he was sure that his opponent would quickly fall to his mastery of the gentle style.
"Well your a quiet one...maybe you're afraid...if that's the case I'll make sure to take my time picking you apart." Zaku stated with arrogance.
"Ah it seems I was mistaken after all...I thought you might actually make for a decent fight, but it seems the only thing your capable of is hiding behind your own insecurities with a false bravado...you should surrender now your fate has already been decided" Neji stated as a dark smirk spread across his lips as he held two fingers out before calling out.
"Byakugan" Immediately veins began bulging around Neji's eyes as his vision increased exponentially.
Zaku body tensed as he clenched his fist before springing forward...as he was in mid jump he opened his palms and pointed them towards Neji before yelling out.
"Decapitating Airwaves"
Immediately a powerful torrent of supersonic air erupted from the Sound Ninja's palms and begin hurling towards Neji.
Neji slammed the ground with a palmstrike enhanced with Chakra to force himself backwards and away from Zaku's deadly airwave.
The attack collided into the floor where the Leaf Nin had been moments before and shattered the reinforced floor with relative ease.
'Interesting he utilizes the tubes in his arms to produces those airwaves with precise chakra control. However he can hide nothing from me or the Byakugan' Neji thought as he took the Gentle Style stance as his eyes still remained fixed on Zaku.
"Heh well your pretty quick on your toes...but you have no chance against me " Zaku stated as he stared at Neji.
Neji's cold gaze remained unwavering. "And why do you assume that?"
"Because I know a little bit about you Hyuuga...I know that you're experts of Taijutsu and to fight hand to hand with you would be stupid, but you see your Taijutu means nothing if you can't get to me."he smirked as he raised his palms up before focusing chakra again.
"Decapitating Airwaves" he yelled again as the super powered winds erupted from his palms and hurled towards Neji slicing the ground it came in contact with as it neared the Leaf Prodigy.
Neji flipped to the side avoiding the attack, before he darted forward trying to close distance on the Sound Ninja.
Zaku continued firing wave after wave at the Prodigy all of which proved ineffective as Neji proved to be fast enough to avoid being hit. Slowly Neji began to press forward till he was only fifteen feet feet away from the Sound Ninja.
'Dammit...he's getting too close...it's time to finish this...I really wanted to save this for the Finals...but there's no choice' he thought as he began summoning more chakra than before as he held his palms outward again towards the approaching Neji.
'He's focusing more Chakra then before...at this range I won't be able to dodge such an attack...there's no choice' Neji thought to himself.
"Extreme Decapitating Airwaves" Zaku yelled as the entire room shook as a massive torrent erupted from his palms and hurled forward threatening anything that was on this floor...the tiles on the floor and the nearby walls began to crack under the pressure as it darted towards Neji.
The Hyuuga stopped as he took his Gentle-Style again before he held his palms out and began to rotate.
"Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation" He called out.
As the Airwaves collided into the Rotation there was deafening boom as dust and smoke was kicked up in the air from the point of impact.
Zaku held his arms out panting. 'Did I...' his thought was cut short as Neji lunged from the smoke and struck both of his shoulders momentarily surprising him however he remained standing now only a foot from Neji as the attack didn't seem to have much force behind it.
Zaku's eyes widened as he looked at Neji who was completely unscathed. 'Impossible...' he thought before he returned to his senses as he raised his palms towards Neji's face and smirked.
"You failed Hyuuga...I can still feel the Chakra in my arms...now it's over" Zaku Laughed as he began to summon chakra for another airwave.
Neji surprisingly remained unmoving as he seemed almost bored.
Zaku's laughs began to cease as his arms began to bulge unnaturally and chakra began to pour out from his arms. As blood began to seep out of arms he screamed as he fell to the ground and writhed in agony.
"What...what did you do?" he screamed as he cried in pain.
"Simple...you claim to know something of the Hyuuga...but you only know a fraction of what the Hyuuga are...rather than shutting off your chakra I redirected the flow and actually increased the output in your arms. I analyzed your arms and realized your attack requires precision and control...with so much extra chakra coursing through your arms...I knew the pressure would prove too much for the tubes in your arms and would ultimately leave you like this" Neji stated coldly.
"Y-you Bastard" Zaku growled as his vision began to blur from the blood loss and intense pain.
"Now I imagine you see that it was your fate to lose to me" Neji stated as he turned and began to walk towards the stairs as he deactivated his byakugan.
Hayate shook his head slightly as medics quickly filed into the room.
"Winner Neji Hyuuga"
Naruto clenched the railing .
"That guy...someone needs to kick his ass" Naruto growled.
Sasuke's eyes remained focused on Neji as he said nothing.
Hinata's eyes were downcast as she thought of her Cousin. 'Nii-san will you ever let go of your hate?' she wondered sadly.
"Neji-kun...it was most unyouthful how you defeated your opponent, but nevertheless Congratulations on making the finals."Gai said as he offered Neji and nice guy pose only to have Neji offer a grunt in return.
"Gai-Sensei...I hope it is I that fights next...I wish to show that my fire burns bright and impress Sakura-chan in the process" Lee exclaimed excitedly as he pumped his fist into the air.
"Lee you are most youthful and I'm sure that young Sakura will be enraptured by your flames of youth" Gai declared as he looked at his student and smiled brilliantly.
"GAI-Sensei"
"LEE"
"Gai-Sensei"
"LEE"
This went on for several moments before the pair hugged each other.
Across from the pair Sakura cringed as she looked over at Shino.
"Being around those two is reason enough for someone like Neji to be in a bad mood all the time" she whispered.
Shino adjusted his glasses. "I agree" he murmured quietly.
With the 8th Match completed it left but 5 individuals remaining.
Hinata,Gaara,Kabuto, Lee, and Misumi.
Naruto and Sasuke shared as look as they watched the board nervously...both of them were afraid for Hinata if she ended up having to fight Gaara.
However to their relief the next pairing could be seen after a few moments...putting their worries to rest.
Sabaku No Gaara Vs Misumi Tsurugi
Kabuto kept his false mask as he looked over at his teammate with a concerned expression, who was currently looking at the Sand Genin in terror.
"Misumi..." Kabuto said quietly.
Misumi looked over at Kabuto before nodding as he raised his hand.
"Proctor...I should have said something earlier when you asked...but my Chakra reserves are still low and against such an opponent I would most certainly lose...I resign." he stated simply earning some shocked looks from the surrounding Genin.
Hayate groaned. "Fine by Forefeit... Sabaku No Gaara is the Winner of this match." He stated.
Gaara's ice blue gaze narrowed dangerously as he stared at Misumi from across the balcony.
'Mother begs for the coward's blood... and she shall have it soon' he thought as he smiled a devilish maddened grin towards Misumi who in return looked away as he felt terrified under the Jinchuriki's gaze.
'Excellent...now no one will now what Gaara is truly capable of till the Finals.' Baki thought as he crossed his arms.
Hayate looked up at the board. "Without any further ado...this is the 10th and final match of the Preliminary rounds" he stated as the last 3 names began to be shuffled.
After but a few seconds the names came to a stop revealing the final match.
Hinata Hyuuga vs Kabuto Yakushi
Hayate nodded before he turned to look up at a deeply depressed Lee.
"Rock Lee...by default you will be moving forward to the finals. Now if the two of you will join me down here we can finally bring this preliminary stage to an end." he stated before coughing.
Kabuto nodded as he lightly gripped the rail of the balcony.
'I must admit I'm surprised. Though it shouldn't require very much effort and perhaps I'll be able to test Sasuke's capabilities in the finals. Is that why you wished me to continue Master?' he wondered to himself.
Hinata stared at the screen a moment in surprise before she found herself battling with her insecurities.
'No I fought to be able to make it here today. I can't back down now...what would Naruto-kun think of me' she thought as she fidgeted slightly.
A warm voice tickled her ear. "Hey Hinata-chan you can do this... I believe in you"
Hinata looked up to see the blonde she loved right next to her smiling a foxy grin.
"H-hai" she stammered before she reached out and hugged him tightly for a moment before pulling away as she began to grip the railing as she prepared to spring over it.
"Goodluck Imouto" Sasuke whispered almost to himself.
Hinata giggled as she spared him a glance over her shoulder before saying just as softly. "T-thankyou Nii-san"
A moment later the Hyuuga Heiress landed on her feet gracefully before she quickly approached the center of the room across from Kabuto.
She took a deep breath as she prepared to steel herself for the battle ahead...
"Perhaps she will learn her place in this match." Neji seethed aloud as he crossed his arms as his gaze remained intent on Hinata.
"Wooo GOOOo HINATA!"Naruto screamed from his position on the balcony earning some looks from those around him.
"Idiot can you shut up ? you're giving me a headache"Sasuke groaned.
"Sorry Sasuke didn't catch that, too busy rooting on Hinata" Naruto said before flashing his friend a grin.
"Blockhead" he muttered shaking his head and suppressing a smile as he looked down below.
"Goodluck Hinata-San" Kabuto said as he offered a fake smile towards the lavender haired Kunoichi.
"Arigato and to you as well Kabuto-san" she said softly.
"The two of you may begin when you are ready..."Hayate stated before coughing as he flipped backwards away from the duo.
Hinata took her gentle-fist stance as she held her fingers out in front of her before whispering aloud. "Byakugan"
A moment passed before veins began to swell around her lavender tinted eyes.
Kabuto remained standing in a casual stance as his arms rested at his sides as he studied the girl in front of him.
'She has strength in her eyes...but her insecurities seem to hold her back. Perhaps I should push her and see what she is truly capable of.' Kabuto mused as he held his left arm out and chakra began to course along it forming what looked like a blade of chakra that extended from his hand.
Hinata eyes widened as she studied his arm with her eyes.
'His chakra control ...it's... incredible...his manipulation...If only I could match it...with my own techniques' she thought as she shifted slightly.
"Well Hinata-san if you aren't coming to me ...then I'll come to you" he stated with a cheerful smile before he darted forward swiftly, faster then the young Kunoichi anticipated.
His first strike almost proved a dangerous one as the Heiress managed to slap away his hand before it collided with her right shoulder. She then returned an open palm into his stomach forcing him back several feet.
She winced feeling a severe pain in her left hand and arm. 'My hand feels like it's on fire...even to close my hand or move my arm seems impossible...but how...' she wondered as she maintained her gaze on Kabuto.
"I see you realize the dangers of my Chakra Scapel...Much like your own fighting style I don't rely on forceful attacks to defeat an opponent...there's no need to when I can disable an opponent by severing their muscles and tendons from the inside' he stated.
Hinata's eyes widened. 'Then the Gentle-Fist...is almost useless against this technique...even if I block his attacks, his scalpel will still hurt me.' she thought as she felt her confidence began to wane.
'Little one..don't give in this one may have an advantage, however you have certain abilities that can change the direction of this fight. Don't be afraid to use my power, I'm here for you' the Demoness said as she flicked her tails.
'I-I don't know...Kabuto-san has the advantage and is older and more experienced...I don't know if I can win.' she thought.
'Her will to fight is already faltering...perhaps I should just finish this.' Kabuto mused a frown forming on his lips.
"OI go get him Hinata-chan ! You can win this I believe in you! " Naruto cheered loudly from above bringing the young girl back to reality.
As she took a deep breath before her previous uncertainty was replaced by a fierce determination.
'Thankyou Naruto-kun...I almost gave up before even trying...but I won't back down...after all it's our Nindo.' she thought to herself as she crouched before she darted forward like a lioness.
Kabuto's eyes widened as he began to evade her incoming strikes with only a little difficulty.
'Interesting...her hesitation from before is gone...If I'm not mistaken her confidence is bolstered by Naruto, holder of the Kyuubi. It seems their closeness seems to have an impact on her will...valuable information to remember' he thought as he lost his footing for a moment only to take a strike to the stomach before flipping backwards and coughing up some blood.
'I got him...with that strike his core should be sporadic and with it his chakra control' Hinata thought though her reverie soon passed as she watched the spot she had struck quickly heal from the inside.
Kabuto offered another fake smile. "Unfortunately I am the worst opponent for you to fight Hinata-san...in addition to my chakra scalpel...I can heal parts of my body internally and externally with little difficulty...this includes reopening Tenketsu" He stated.
Hinata blanched at this. 'No...my Juken is completely useless then' she thought.
'That's not entirely true Little One...while it's true he can heal himself...watch his network...he has to expend a great deal of chakra in order to heal parts of his body. The more damage you inflict the more he will be forced to spend...you have to use that technique you've been working on...if you can score a direct hit with that...even if he is able to heal ...he won't have the energy to stand.'
'B-but I can't use that move...I can't maintain the chakra yet for it...it's too chaotic' Hinata thought as she watched as Kabuto closely before he finally darted forward.
'Hinata there's no choice...it's now or never' the Vixen urged.
Hinata temporarily pushed away the Vixen's presence from her mind as she prepared to evade Kabuto's strike. However the boy disappeared, before her eyes only to reappear a moment later and slam his knee into her stomach. As she began to double over she felt a scream escape her lips as Kabuto swept past her and with accurate precision severed both of her calf muscles with two quick strikes.
The Hyuuga Heiress collapsed onto the ground her legs begging her to remain there.
"I do apologize Hinata-san...but it does seem...this match is over' Kabuto stated as he readjusted his glasses.
'It seems you are a waste after all' Kabuto mused to himself.
'No...not like this not in front of the one I love... I have to get back up...I have to fight' Hinata thought as she tried to force herself to her feet only to have pain surge through her legs.
Hinata could swear she heard Naruto's screams from above though it seemed to be covered by the beating in her ear.
'Little One...I'll lend you my strength...we can win this...but you have to trust me.' The Vixeni whispered.
Hinata closed her eyes deciding mentally on her choice.
Hayate prepared to cross over and call the match...however before he could do so...Hinata began to stagger to her feet ever so slowly. Her himecut blue hair slightly obscured her eyes as she finally rose completely to her feet.
Kabuto quirked a brow in surprise as he looked at the Heiress.
"That's impossible...you shouldn't be able to stand after that attack." he said aloud.
Hinata took a deep breath as she held out her right arm before pulling it backwards.
Kabuto and the rest of those who watched the Heiress watched in wonder as blue chakra began to pour out and surround her right arm. After a few moments the chakra began to take shape forming the mouth of a Lion that extended past her right fist.
She began to pant as the shape began to waver as the chakra began to grow sporadic.
'I-I can't maintain this...I need your help' Hinata said to her tenant.
'You will have my strength little one' The Demoness purred as a purple chakra began to emerge from the petite hyuuga. The new Chakra began to swirl around her right arm and seemed to stabilize the Hinata's chaotic blue chakra, after a few seconds the two chakra's began to blend together to form a violet chakra that seemed to be much more stable. The Violet Lion that could now be seen emerging from her fist and arm seemed to radiate an intense amount of chakra.
Hinata tightened her fist as she pulled her arm back a bit further as she crouched leaving her left arm that seemed to be still damaged to hang by her side.
'Incredible...what a concentration of chakra...I need to disable her other arm immediately.' Kabuto thought to himself.
Hinata darted forward with her right arm cocked back preparing to strike...as she closed distance with Kabuto and prepared to make contact, his left arm struck out attempting to hit her right shoulder to disable her arm...however before he could make contact..Hinata intercepted his hand as she grabbed it with her own left hand...wincing slightly as his scalpel began damaging her left hand...though she never relinquished her grasp as she brought her right arm around to hit the boy with all the strength she could muster.
"Gentle Step : Violet Lion Fist" She cried as she buried her right fist deep into Kabuto's stomach. The boy in question's eyes widened as he felt nothing but a sensory overload of pain sweep through his entire body before a blast as the violet chakra scorched his stomach and he was launched back in a blur against the far wall. He smashed into the wall violently leaving a large crack at the point of impact.
As he slid down the wall a smile could be seen on his face.
'It seems that I was mistaken...this girl is special after all' he thought before he coughed up blood before he began to heal himself from the inside out.
Hinata stood there panting. 'W-we actually did it' she thought.
Kabuto finally weakly raised his arm from his place against the wall.
"Heh..proctor...I could stand...but after that last attack I'm all out of chakra...I forfeit" Kabuto said.
Hayate nodded before he held his arm out.
"Very well then...Winner Hinata Hyuuga" he announced to a very quiet room before several of the leaf genin including Naruto began to cheer.
"Way to go Hinata!" Naruto cried as he leaned against the railing and pumped up his fist, the blonde lost his balance and nearly fell however Kakashi who was still looking down at Hinata reached out and grabbed the young boy's collar.
Sasuke sighed as he shook his head but smiled as the Heiress began to climb the stairs slowly with a small smile on her face.
Neji's eyes stared at his Cousin in surprise, but still anger coursed through his system.
'She held back against me...but it means little she is still inferior with the gentle-fist and I will make her embrace her fate' Neji thought before he and the remaining Genin turned their attention to the floor below.
"Now that we have concluded the Preliminary Rounds...I need all of the winners to join me down here...Hokage-sama will explain the next portion of the exams" Hayate stated.
"Well done all of you...you should be proud of your prowess...all of you will now be moving on to the next exam which will take place in one month from now." Sarutobi stated as he looked over all the finalists.
"Oi JiJi why are waiting so long ?" Naruto asked before frowning.
Sarutobi shook his head. "To give each and everyone of you time to recover and to do some last minute training...as many of you have revealed abilities during the preliminaries this period of time will give you a chance to grow and prepare for your upcoming matches." he stated.
The Genin gathered seemed to process this a moment as no one said anything, taking this as a cue Sarutobi continued.
"Now these finals will take place in the Chunin Arena here in Konoha...thousands of people, including nobles and feudal lords will be attending to see you all. Unlike the system used here in the preliminaries each of you will draw numbers and fight the number coordinating to yours...in the following rounds the remaining finalists will be shuffled randomly...Keep in mind that going into this final portion of the exams...that you will no longer need to win to possibly receive a promotion to Chunin. The proctors will grade each of your fights and determine who demonstrates the qualities required for a Chunin. Since we do have an odd number entering the finals one of you will receive a pass and will not fight until the second round of the finals." Sarutobi said garnering nothing but silence and an excited Rock Lee that prayed he would not receive the same fate twice.
"Now if each of you would approach Hayate and draw a number we can determine who you will fight in the first round of the finals." Sarutobi stated.
One by one each of the Genin approached Hayate and drew numbers.
"Sweet I'm Number One" Naruto exclaimed with glee as he held up his piece of paper.
"Yosh I'm Number Four" Lee declared with an equal amount of enthusiasm.
"I'm Six" Temari stated simply as she crossed her arms.
"Eight here..." Shino said very quietly
"I have Three" Sasuke stated simply.
"I'm Ten" Neji said coolly.
"What a drag I'm five...and it means I have to fight another troublesome girl and a blonde no less" Shikamaru said murmuring the last part to himself but still receiving a glare from a certain sand Kunoichi that stood only a few feet away.
"I have the second slot" Dosu replied simply as he cast a look at the blonde that stood several feet away.
"Ah look Hinata I have to fight a mummy" Naruto whispered into her ear as he shivered slightly before casting a look at Dosu causing the girl in question to giggle.
"Looks like I have to fight you Shino I have number seven" Sakura said frowning as she looked over at her team mate.
"That is actually a relief Sakura-san either way one our team members will be guaranteed to make it to the second round." he said.
Sakura smiled. "I suppose when you look at it that way...it doesn't sound so bad" she replied.
"Eleven" Gaara said simply before he clenched his fist in annoyance. 'Be patient mother...I will feed you soon' he promised as he closed his eyes momentarily.
"A-ano I have Number Nine" Hinata said quietly who instantly paled as she realized what that meant for her...
The nearby proctors began to scribble down the names on a separate board as slowly but surely the board began to fill up revealing each of the matches that lay ahead for the first round of the Finals...
1. Naruto Uzumaki Vs Dosu Kinuta
2. Sasuke Uchiha Vs Rock Lee
3. Shikamaru Nara Vs Sabaku No Temari
4. Sakura Haruno Vs Shino Aburame
5. Hinata Hyuuga Vs Neji Hyuuga
Sabaku No Gaara receives first round pass.
Each of the remaining genin began to look around at one another as they studied who they would be fighting in one short month...
One thing was for sure...all bets were off regarding who would walk away the winner...
*Author Note* I tried to have a decent balance between original and canonical fights here. As you see with the finals there's only one fight that was originally in Canon.
Even at this point I'm trying to decide how the Chunin Exams will conclude. As some of you have mentioned this story seems familiar because it is a rewrite of a fic I started under a different pen name last year. If anyone has any suggestions or thoughts as to what they'd like to see with the finals please feel free to shoot me a private message anytime.
Again thanks for reading!