Of Trees and Frost
By
Ragnorokrising
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Chapter Eleven: The Prelims, Part Three
"Seventh Match," yelled Hayate as the second name appeared. "Gaara VS…" Hayate stopped as Sasuke started to snore, really, REALLY loud up in the balcony. Naruto was drawing on his face with a permanent marker, and Gai was crying because he lost so much money in Neji's fight. "Ah screw it, match seven, Gaara Sabaku VS Tenten, start the killing." he walked away looking depressed with his arms dangling at his side. Gaara looked confused so Tenten took her opportunity and rushed at him with a nodachi. She swung it down and it was snapped in the sand shield.
"Nice try but those swords aren't going to work for you." gloated Gaara as he kicked part of one of the twenty eight swords Tenten had broken. She smiled crazily and pulled out a black scroll and unsealed a huge zanbato. She swung it down as hard and fast as she could and let it impact against the shield. It made the shield explode into a large sand cloud. She tried to pull the weapon back but a strong tug pulled her into the smoke. Gaara held onto the zanbato with one hand and tugged Tenten to him.
"How did you…" he smiled at her as he held his arm around her waist. She realized the position they were in and blushed. His smile grew a little wider as he pushed her and she was shot all the way across the arena into a wall.
"Winner, Gaara Sabaku." called Hayate. Gaara simply walked back up the stairs to his brother and sister.
"Wait to go little bro!" congratulated Kankuro.
"I said don't call me little!" he screamed.
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In another universe, a blonde kid in a red jacket was sneaking away from a woman in a black dress when he suddenly sneezed. "Aha, I got you ya little twerp!" her finger nails launched out at him.
"DON'T CALL ME LITTLE YOU BITCH!" he yelled while pounding his fists on the arm of the suit of armor holding him and running away. "LET ME GO ED, I'LL KICK HER ASS! LET ME GO!"
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In a far off country side a village about three fourth's as large as Konoha was nestled away quietly. Missing-nin filled the main defense force of the village whiel samurai and such were the civilians. At the moment, all of them were watching the Chuunin Exams on a huge jumbotran in the center of the village. A huge party with sake, food and hot girls was being hosted by Orochimaru. No this was not the Sound village, it was something completely different. "Long live Akatsukigakure!" yelled Orochimaru from the giant fortress in the center of the town.
"Long live Akatsukigakure and Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze!" they screamed back. Orochimaru smiled and dropped back down into the fortress. A young boy with pale white hair bowed to him.
"Lord Orochimaru, we have found what you asked. This is the village Gato was forming but it seems young Naruto came in here and won all their loyalty. They will serve only him."
"Thank you Kimimaru. Now come enjoy the party. If you're lucky you may get laid." Orochimaru blinked as the sudden Kimimaru shaped dust cloud that ran all the way from where he was a moment ago, down the stairs, out the door, over a lake and in front of a beautiful young woman settled down. He laughed and went down himself.
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"YES, I WIN OUT AGAIN!" yelled Choji while pumping his fist in the air.
"Eighth Match, Yugito Nii VS Tobirama, Begin!" yelled Hayate. The Jinchuuriki for the cat Bijuu, Nibi the two tailed cat, simply crossed her arms. The boy across form her had a black blind fold over his eyes and several hundred weapons and storage scrolls. Yugito just sat down and let her demon chakra form a dome around her as the weapons hurled themselves at her. They bounced off harmlessly at the boy who caught them in a blur of hand movement.
"Not bad, but can you deflect this." he placed eight scrolls around him with a letter on each one that corresponded with the way it was facing and rolled them out. A purple gas shot up around him as he unfolded the blind to cover his entire face. "Poison Gas Attack." the smog floated over to Yugito. She expected her chakra to stop the gas but instead they went through. The kid crossed his fingers and she pulled the dome in around her as the gas sparked and exploded. "Katsu."
'He almost had me. I better be on my toes.'
"And get some more yarn."
'It's not yarn time yet Nibi.'
"It's always yarn time." Yugito started to make hand seals as Tobirama searched for her. He threw a purple pill at her direction but she finished her jutsu first.
"Lightning Style: Thunder Wall!" a wall of crackling blue electricity formed in front of her. The pill exploded into poison as a stray bolt hit it. "Wind Style: Blades of Wind!" twenty crescents of air spun through the electric wall and through the poison. The purple gas attached to the blades and carried into Tobirama, shocking him, cutting him and drench ing the wounds in poison gases. He simply stood there and panted as she dashed straight at him. She drew her fist back and let it fly. A crack resounded around the room as he dropped Yugito's broken hand. She grabbed his shoulder and pulled his head into her knee. He moved at the last minute and head butted her.
"Poison Style: Dripping Fang Cave!" the area around Yugito shifted to a large cave. The inside was purple and the large stalactites and stalagmites dripped a purple liquid. The ground fizzled where the liquid hit and disappeared a moment later.
"The liquid is acid."
"No, its venom." the voice of Tobirama rang out around her. She growled and crossed her arms in a ram sell, filling them with chakra.
"Demon Genjutsu Release." she whispered. The seven layers of Genjutsu disappeared as Tobirama hit the ground.
"Winner, Yugito Nii." Yugito walked solemnly up the stairs. No one but Naruto and Deidara congratulated her on the win.
"We are going to take a small intermission so the contestants can eat. Feel free to leave some for the others Akimichi." called Anko as the older group left. A large buffet slid out of the balcony wall and tables and chairs were brought in for them. They ate their fill whiel they could. Half way through, Kabuto came over to Naruto.
"Can I talk to you about my sensei Naruto?" it took him a moment to figure out he meant Orochimaru but Naruto followed him outside once he did. "Do you know this place?" he held up a picture of a large village.
"Yeah, that's the village the business man Gato was building. I took over after we defeated him though. Allow me to show you." he made a few hand seals, grabbed Kabuto's arms and whispered "Flashback Jutsu."
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A small forest dashed past them. As they burst from the leaves, a small village came into view. The tunnel vision stopped as they slowed down. They sped through the gate and onto the rooftops where they burst through the doors of the large tower. Several samurai drew their swords. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze. I was chosen to tell all of you Gato has been killed."
"You lie! He used five hundred of us to defeat Zabuza!" yelled the leader.
"I watched him die myself. Maybe this will be enough proof." he pulled out Gato's head and showed it to them. They all attacked him at once but he flashed a few shuriken and tossed at the leader. He took the hit and jumped into the air as Naruto casually said "Detonator Activate." the shuriken exploded into shrapnel as blue fire incased the man. He fell dead on the ground so Naruto threw him out the window.
"What's going on here!?" the door opened up to show a man with two swords with teeth coming down from them wearing a large cloak with a hump on the back. "Who killed that man?"
"I did, Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze. And I know you are Riaga Kurosaki, of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. Zabuza Momochi sent me here."
"What does that eye brow-less freak want here?"
"He sends this." he tossed Gato's head at Riaga. In a flash of light the head was in pieces.
"Who killed Gato?"
"I did. Well, my summons did. I'm here to take over the village."
"No, if Gato is dead I am in charge." argued Riaga. Naruto glared at him.
"Let's do this the honored way in the Mist village." he moved his jacket to show the swords and activated Raijin.
"Fine." they assumed a stance and held out a flat palm. They held a fist up in the air and glared at each other. They slammed the fist down to settle the power struggle for a village that would mean life or death for Naruto in the future, even though he doesn't realize it.
"ROCK!" screamed Riaga.
"PAPER!" yelled Naruto.
"SCISSORS!" they yelled together. Riaga pulled his scissors back as Naruto smiled at his rock.
"I win this time!" he pulled out a sake bottle, gulped it down and grabbed Riaga's shoulder. "I'm putting you in charge of the village." Naruto smiled and Shunshinned away to his friends.
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Naruto released the jutsu to a nodding Kabuto. "It seems they have chosen a new name for the village." at the confused look from Naruto he continued. "They chose to call themselves Akatsukigakure."
"The village hidden in the dawn?" asked Naruto quizzically. Kabuto simply nodded. They went back inside as the tables were being taken away. Naruto stood next to a ninja with a black ANBU mask on and what he could see as tape wrapped around the upper part fo his head.
"Is your name Naruto?" Naruto looked around trying to figure out who asked him that. "It was me, in the mask. Are you Naruto?"
"Oh, yeah, I'm Naruto."
"I'm going to kill you in the Finals." Naruto's eye instantly narrowed and the two started having a battle of killer intent.
"You got some balls to threaten me like that punk! Especially in my own village with my senseis, god father and our Kage here. Not to mention my team mates and friends."
"You killed my brother Jonji for no reason."
"He tried to rape my girl friend!"
"And you threw a sword made of lightning through his head and then cut his body in half with it!" he reached up for his mask. "And this is what's gonna happen to you when I get done in the finals." he pulled the mask off and unraveled the bandages. His mouth was sewn closed by thick ninja wire and his eyes were empty black sockets with metal circles blocking off the view to the pink flesh beneath. The eye lids were a few small pieces of limp flesh hanging from the outside of the socket.
The eyes had been ripped out of his head, literally.
"I am Urusai the Ventriloquist from Iwagakure, and I do not leave a fight with out my opponent suffering." Naruto glared at him for a moment before speaking up.
"Who names their kid 'shut up'?" people started to chuckle slightly until the flesh on Urusai's mouth started to bleed as the wires started to loosen.
"Urusai and Rock Lee, come down to the arena!" demanded Hayate. The two walked down the stairs each opposite the other and faced each other. Lee pulled two sets of weights out and tossed them into the wall, making a huge dent.
"Now I am ready!" he got into a Strong Fist stance as Hayate began the match.
"Ninth Match: Rock Lee VS Urusai of Iwa. BEGIN!"