The Legend of Naruto
Chunin Exam arc
Kurama no Kyubi: Welcome back guys. Note that this here will be the last chapter I'll upload before going on summer vacation, so there might not be any new chapters for a while. Don't worry though, for I won't stop writing, whether or not I'll be able upload or not will, however, be dependent on whether or not we'll stay somewhere with wireless internet connection. Also, in this chapter there'll be a quote from Fairy Tail, see if you can find it.
Guest: what's with the quarter section for the heart containers and could you give us a ranking system for the chara levels oh and when jiraiya goes about train and decides to throw him into that canyon he'll end up in a dungeon at the bottom after he manages to survive the fall because of a magical force which surrounds the dungeon and this dungeon will present our young hero with a unique chance to become stronger and learn more about the conflict of the triforce in the process and in order for him to escape this canyon he'll have use the magister wand in order to get him out of the canyon.
Kurama no Kyubi: The quarter section for the Heart Containers are the Heart Pieces they currently have, also note that most Heart Pieces, they'll receive off-screen. And what do you mean, "give us a ranking system for the Chakra Levels"? I'm already ranking them as: Genin, Chunin, Jonin, Kage, and Divine. Or do you mean numbers? As for your idea at the end there, while it is a nice idea, I'm afraid that I'll have to discard it for reason which you'll see in the next few chapters.
"Triforce." Normal speech
'Triforce.' Normal thought
"Triforce." Biju and God speech
'Triforce.' Biju and God thought
Hayate: Ummm… Kurama no Kyubi… cough… doesn't own anyone but… cough, cough… his OCs.
Chapter 11: Exam 2.5: Preliminaries
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura walked into a wide room within the tower with several long tables in it. They also noted that they weren't the only ones there, team 8 and team Gaara were also currently in the room. Behind the three came Dimitri walking with Tatl and Tael riding him as Navi was content with sitting on Naruto's shoulder.
"Hey, look who finally made it." Kiba said as he spotted team 7.
'Ah! N-Naruto-kun made it!' Hinata thought.
"Hey, how come you guys made it here before us?" Naruto asked as he pointed at them.
"What? Can't you understand the fact that we're just stronger than you are?" Kiba asked.
"You guys stronger? Heh. Give me a break." Sasuke said.
"Heh. You'll see that we're not the same as we we're back at the academy." Kiba said.
"Neither are we. In fact I bet that even Naruto could now beat all three of you with one hand tied behind his back." Sasuke said.
"Heh. Yeah, right. Did you hit your head or something?" Kiba asked.
Then they suddenly heard some barking and growling sounds, and they looked down to see Akamaru and Dimitri barking/growling at each other.
"What the…? What the hell is that thing?" Kiba asked before Naruto picked the Dodongo up as Tatl and Tael flew off of him.
"His name's Dimitri. I found him out in the forest." Naruto said.
"So you've gotten yourself a pet, have you? But he's no match for Akamaru, I'll bet you that." Kiba said.
"Oh, yeah? Wanna bet?" Naruto asked.
"You better not, Dimitri'll probably just end up eating Akamaru." Sakura said.
Later more teams started coming. In order of their arrival, it was; team Kabuto, team Guy, team Dosu, and finally team 10. Every other team had either fallen victim to the hazards of the forest, another team, the Gohmas, or had attempted to sneak a peek on the contents of the scrolls.
Once the 5 day time-limit had finally been reached, a proctor came and instructed everyone to follow him. They were the lead high up the tower until they reached a wide rectangular-shaped room in which several of the proctors, Hiruzen, and the various teams' Jonin senseis.
"Congratulations to you all on passing the second exam." Hiruzen said as he looked at the nine teams that were in front of him.
'Heh… we started with 84 applicants… it's amazing that 27 of them actually made it. I said I would pare their numbers down to less than half, but really I was only expecting a single digit figure…' Anko thought.
The teams were standing there with who could be called "team-leader" at the front, from right to left, they were; Dosu, Gaara, Kabuto, Neji, Terra, Ventus, Sasuke, Kiba, and finally Ino.
'I'm famished.' Choji thought.
'Still so many competitors… what a drag.' Shikamaru thought.
"Sasuke-kun's team made it!" Ino whispered.
"Your students made an impressive showing. I wonder how much of it was dumb luck… not that it matters. My team is bound to knock them out in the next round. At the next level, it will be all about their abilities… or lack thereof. Ah, well… sometimes being young is all about learning to deal with heart-break, eh, Kakashi?" Guy said.
"Huh? I'm sorry… did you say something?" Kakashi asked as he looked at him.
'Heh… good one… as annoying as ever, Kakashi… you always did try to get under my skin with your aloof act.' Guy thought.
'Wow, so that's Guy-sensei's archrival… man, he beats Guy-sensei hands down in the looks department…' Tenten thought.
'None of the other senseis are as cool as Guy-sensei. Not even close! He's the man! Just wait, Guy-sensei! I'll make you proud!' Lee thought.
'So now only the real players are left.' Neji thought.
'Hmph. I've got a score to settle with you, water girl.' Zaku thought as he stared towards Aqua out of the corner of his eyes while Dosu stared towards Orochimaru who was standing among the Jonin senseis in a disguise.
'Amazing… there were 28 three-man teams at the start, and only nine teams finished.' Temari thought.
'So you came through without a scratch after all, Gaara…' Baki thought.
'Akamaru's acting strange…' Kurenai thought.
'Those guys from Sunagakure…' Kiba thought as he glared towards them out of the corner of his eyes.
'Seems Terra's already started weighing out the competition. Good, with his ability to see a person's physical strength and speed, he can tell exactly where everyone lies compared to one-another.' Agahnim thought as he stared towards Terra.
'People to look out for… Sasuke of Konoha, Naruto of Konoha, Neji of Konoha, Rock Lee of Konoha, Kiba of Konoha, Kabuto of Konoha, and Gaara of Suna.' Terra thought.
'Hmmm… Are we gonna be doing the third exam in here? I hope I don't have to face someone too strong, I won't be able to bring out my full power here.' Ray thought.
'Heh. So the Triforce wielders made it as well. Good, it wouldn't have been any fun if they hadn't made it.' Chilly thought.
'Vaati-sensei… Ganondorf-sama… I won't disappoint you.' Ventus thought.
'I'll take anyone, just don't make me fight Ray-san.' Aqua thought as she glanced towards Ray out of the corner of her eyes.
'Heh. First I'll put that baka, Chilly in her place, then I'll kill the Courage Boy.' Flare thought.
'What the…? All of the applicants from Konoha – that we know – are here.' Sakura thought.
'That fire guy from Tani… I'll show him.' Naruto thought as Dimitri was sitting on his head.
"Hmm… I got a bad feeling about this…" Sasuke said quietly.
'It's astonishing that so many of them survived… and even more astounding that the majority of the survivors were culled from the ranks of the most raw recruits.' Hiruzen thought before he started explaining the Chunin exams. (Kurama no Kyubi: I'm not gonna bother with this explanation since it's more or less canon, if you want to read it, go read the Manga.)
When Hiruzen was done explaining the exams, a Jonin proctor suddenly appeared, kneeling before him.
"… Forgive my interruption, Hokage-sama, but… if you don't mind handing the rest of the proceedings over to me, Gekko Hayate, proctor of the third exam." The Jonin, now identified as Hayate said.
"Go ahead." Hiruzen said and Hayate stood up before turning around.
"Good to meet you, everyone… I'm Hayate. Uhhh… before we start the exam… cough… I must ask you to do something for me… cough." Hayate said.
'What the…?' Zaku thought.
'This guy seems kind of sickly… I wonder if he's all right…' Ino thought.
"Ummm… You see… there are some preliminaries to the exam proper, and whether you proceed to the main exam is contingent on how well you manage those." Hayate said.
"Preliminaries?" Aqua asked.
"Preliminaries…? Like what?" Shikamaru yelled.
"Heh heh. I like where this is going… I hope we're allowed to kill." Chilly said.
"Hayate-sensei… I don't understand what you mean by preliminaries. Why can't all of the remaining applicants just proceed directly to the next exam?" Sakura said.
"Well… I don't want to say that the first two exams weren't demanding enough… but the truth is… cough… we still have too many applicants. Under the traditional rules of the exam, we have to have a preliminary test… to reduce the number of applicants who'll proceed to the third exam." Hayate said.
"B-but…" Sakura started, but Hayate cut her off.
"As Hokage-sama mentioned, a number of honored guests will be observing you during the third exam… so we must make the exam intense, tight, and fast-moving. Hmmm… So anyway… now that you know something of what it's really all about… anyone who doesn't feel up to the challenge, either physically or mentally, can walk away. Just take one step forward… cough, cough, because the preliminaries start… right now." Hayate said.
"NOW?" Kiba yelled.
'In that case, it'll be an easy road for us to the third exam. Most of the people in here are still worn-out from the forest, especially those who made it this morning or yesterday.' Ventus thought.
"Well… I'm outta here." Kabuto said as he raised his hand.
"Ummm… cough, cough, Aren't you… Yakushi Kabuto of Konoha? Okay, you can go." Hayate said as he looked at a dossier list he was holding before saying "Uhhh… In case I forgot to mention it, from here on in, you fight as individuals… cough, cough… not as members of teams. So you can make the decision that's right for you without worrying about anyone else. So… anyone else want out? Show of hands..?"
"… Well there's a familiar face, eh? If memory serves me, this is about the same point at which he dropped out last time… I wonder… what on earth could he be thinking? Yakushi Kabuto… according to his dossier… he's tried and failed six times now." Anko said as she looked at the dossier list.
"What sort of record has he got?" Hiruzen asked.
"Ordinary… unremarkable. In his academy days, he was an average student, earning mediocre grades… it took him three attempts to pass his finals and graduate. Since then, he's completed 2 C-ranked and 14 D-ranked missions. There's nothing noteworthy in the records of any of his battles… except…" Anko said.
"Except…?" Hiruzen asked.
"… Except for something that happened before he even entered the academy. Do you remember the tale… of a boy who was brought back from that battle at Kikyo Pass?" Anko asked.
"I do… yes… if I remember correctly, the story was that a Jonin of the medical corps took in an enemy youth who had survived on the battlefield. And he's that child…?" Hiruzen said.
'You seem very dedicated. I wish I could tell you, "just leave everything to me"…' Kabuto thought as he looked towards Orochimaru before he looked towards Sasuke '… Sasuke-kun… I would have liked to hang out with you a while longer… but if I keep going… my old blood might start bubbling up… fun's fun, but technically I'm a spy here… and now is hardly the time to blow my cover. Besides, this is perfect… if YOU'RE going to be a member of the audience… then I can hand off the intelligence-gathering work to you… Orochimaru-sama.'
'As my undercover agent, you've had to wear the mask of a false life since you were a mere child. The strain of always holding in your true self…' Orochimaru thought.
"… Has it become too much for you? Are you ready to snap? Is your roiling blood aching to flow free? Get a hold of yourself. Have you forgotten Orochimaru-sama's orders?" One of Kabuto's teammates asked quietly.
"You guys can take it from here. Especially you, Yoroi… with your abilities, this next bit should be a piece of cake. It's the perfect opportunity for a real show of sheer brute strength. Considering how you resent my recent promotion, I would have thought you'd jump at the chance." Kabuto said.
"Hmph… you may think you're Orochimaru-sama's favorite… but don't push it, gaki." Yoroi said.
"I got it… loud and clear, coach." Kabuto said before leaving as he thought 'I look forward with pleasure to day of our next meeting, Sasuke-kun.'
'I'll ensure there'll be nothing for you to take pleasure in later… sure as my name is Yoroi.' Yoroi thought.
"So, uhhh… cough, looks like no one else is bailing out." Hayate said.
"Ahhh… Well then… we'll begin the preliminaries… which consist of individual combat matches, as though this were part of a tournament. As there are a total of 26 combatants remaining. We will hold a total of 13 bouts. Ummm… and the victors of those bouts will advance to the third exam. This is no-holds-barred combat. Each pair of combatants will fight until one of them is dead or unconscious… or admits defeat. Cough. As soon as you sense that your opponent is overpowering you, immediately concede your loss… if you value your life. Uhhh… Since we don't want a total blood-bath on our hands, there may be cases… cough, where we ascertain that there is an undisputed winner and step in to end the match. But don't count on that. From here on out, the key to your fate is held in…" Hayate said.
"Open it." Anko spoke into a mic and a wooden board that was on the wall opened up to reveal an electronic score-board.
"Ummmm… This electronic score-board. At the start of every round, we will display the names of the two combatants competing in that match… cough, so, ummm… not to hurry you all to the slaughter… but let's begin. We'll now announce the first two names." Hayate said and everyone waited for the names to come up.
Uchiha Sasuke
Vs
Akado Yoroi
'Hmm… right off the bat, eh?' Sasuke thought.
'Heh… I couldn't have planned it better.' Yoroi thought.
"Will the individuals whose names are listed on the board come forward now…?" Hayate asked and Sasuke and Yoroi stepped forward and turned to face each other as Hayate continued "Akado Yoroi, Uchiha Sasuke… you two have been selected to compete in the first bout. Any objections?"
"None…" Yoroi said.
"I'm good…" Sasuke said.
"Uhhhhh… It's time for the first round to commence… all right? Cough. Everyone other than the two combatants should move up to the upper gallery now." Hayate said and everyone walked towards the stairs to the upper gallery.
"Sasuke… don't use the Sharingan." Kakashi said as he passed the Uchiha.
"… How did you know?" Sasuke asked.
"If the curse mark on your neck is allowed to run rampant… the consequences will change your life." Kakashi said.
"Hmph. No need to worry. The mark hasn't given me any trouble yet." Sasuke said, surprising Kakashi a little as the mask Jonin continued walking.
'Of course. The Triforce of Power must somehow be interfering with the curse mark, holding its powers at bay. And if that's true, we might find a way to get rid of those marks once and for all.' He thought.
'Heh heh… what a pity that Yoroi's talents… are the very worst you could face, Sasuke-kun.' Orochimaru thought.
"All right… please begin." Hayate said and Yoroi made the tora hand sign.
"Shall I start?" He asked.
"Go for it." Sasuke said and Yoroi's right hand was covered in blue chakra he pulled three shuriken out of his weapons pouch and threw them towards the Uchiha.
Sasuke pulled out a kunai and used it to deflect the shuriken back towards Yoroi, but the Oto spy dodged the shuriken. He then appeared in the air over the Uchiha and attempted to punch him, but Sasuke leapt out of the way and Yoroi hit the floor instead.
Sasuke then smirked as he weaved a series of hand signs, surprising almost everyone in the room who knew about the curse mark, especially when the hand sign sequence ended at the tora sign.
"Katon: Goukakyo no Jutsu!" A large fire ball was then fired off towards Yoroi, but he just held out his arms as he started draining the chakra from the attack until there was nothing left.
'Impressive. For him to be able to perfume a Jutsu like that without even a sign of the curse mark acting up should be impossible. Could it be that it's already been sealed? No, that's not it, I would've been able to sense it if it was.' Orochimaru thought.
"Hey, what happened to Sasuke-kun's attack?" Sakura asked.
"It almost looked like it was sucked into that Yoroi guy." Tatl said.
"Hmm… It seems that Yoroi has some kind of absorption ability." Navi said.
"Hmph. I see, so that's your ability, is it? You can absorb chakra." Sasuke said.
"Yes. But I must say that I certainly didn't expect a mere rookie to have a Jutsu like that." Yoroi said.
"Heh. Well, there's more where that came from." Sasuke said before weaving another series of hand signs.
"Katon: Housenka no Jutsu!" He then fired off several balls of fire, but Yoroi simply just held out his arms, ready to absorb the chakra.
"Heh. I thought you knew that that wouldn't work on me." He said as he started to drain the chakra from the fire ball, but his eyes widened when shuriken came out of the fires 'NANI?'
It was already too late to dodge, so Yoroi rather crossed his arms in front of himself to try and block as many of them as he could. But just after the throwing-stars hit, Sasuke appeared in Yoroi's face before delivering a punch to said face, creating a small crater as the Oto spy's head then collided with the floor.
"Uchiha Sasuke is the champion of the first battle and advances past the preliminaries to the next level." Hayate said as Sasuke rose to his feet.
"Hey. Well done." Kakashi said as he appeared next to Sasuke before looking down at said Uchiha's neck where the curse mark was to see the Triforce symbol surrounding said mark 'As I thought. It seems that the Triforce managed to seal the mark on its own.'
"Way to go, Sasuke!" Naruto yelled.
'Sasuke-kun… I'm so glad…' Sakura thought.
'There's last year's top rookie, Hyuga Neji… and it looks like this year's will be Uchiha Sasuke… if they fought each other, who would win?' Tenten thought.
'Not this again…' Kankuro thought as he noticed the way Gaara was looking at Sasuke.
"Ooooooh! Sasuke-kun! You're the best!" Ino said.
"I'm starving. My stomach could not be more empty." Choji said.
'… That's it. We're done for.' Shikamaru thought.
"W-wow…" Hinata said.
"Come on. It wasn't that great." Kiba said.
However, during the whole battle, the mark on Sasuke's right hand had been glowing, and when the Uchiha punched Yoroi's face in, Orochimaru had caught a glimpse of it.
'That mark. There's no mistaking it, that was the mark of the Triforce of Power. To think that it would be in Sasuke-kun's possession. This only makes me want him that much more.' Orochimaru thought.
"Well then… right. Let's get the next match going." Hayate said as Kakashi and Sasuke walked up to where the others were.
Aburame Shino
Vs
Mizu Aqua
As those two names came up, Aqua froze in place. She'd heard of the Aburame clan and what their Jutsus entailed.
"Aqua, are you gonna be all right? You're up against an Aburame." Ventus said as he had noticed her trembling.
"Don't worry, Ventus... I... I'll be just fine." Aqua said nervously before she moved towards the stairs at a rather slow pace.
Shortly afterwards were both competitors standing in front of the proctor, facing each other.
"Uhhh… All right, everyone. It's time for the second match of the prelims to begin." Hayate said.
"Look, it's Aqua-san's turn." Sakura said before thinking 'Why does she seem so nervous?'
"I hope Shino-kun's up to this…" Hinata said.
"He's pretty tough. Out of all the people here, he's the only one I wouldn't want to go up against…"
"Okay… You may begin." Hayate said.
"Before we start, I think I should warn you. When an Aburame fights, he always gives it his all." Shino said before Aqua got into a fighting stance.
"Wait. She's actually going to fight? She do know what that guy's got inside his body, doesn't she?" Flare said.
"You're right. She's certainly gone through a change, before she would've fainted at the mere idea of fighting an Aburame." Ventus said.
'Come on. Get it together, girl. You faced Queen Gohma, didn't you? Compared to that, this is nothing. So why am I shaking so much?' Aqua thought.
Shino then charged forward as he aimed a punch for Aqua's head, however, she tilted her head slightly to the left, so that Shino only hit her cheek. What caught almost everyone off-guard however was that Shino's arm went straight through the side of her head as her cheek splattered into water.
'That's…!' Lee thought.
Aqua then fell backwards down onto the floor where her whole body splattered into water. Then – sensing danger – Shino crossed his arms in front of himself just before several spears of water shot out of the puddle, going straight through Shino in several places while simultaneously avoiding any vital spots.
The spears then hit each other in mid-air where they formed into Aqua's upper body as she was cupping her hands at her side before thrusting her arms forward.
"Water Vortex!" A vortex of water was then shot towards Shino at high speeds before crashing into him as Aqua landed on the floor after her legs had reformed.
Her eyes widened, however, when she saw that all that remained where Shino had been standing was a bunch of drowned insects.
"Gross." She said before turning around to see Shino standing there 'And that guy's entire body's full of those things?'
Shino then suddenly raised his hand and said "I give up." This surprised almost all of the on-lookers.
"What the hell Shino?" Kiba yelled.
"Huh? What did you just say?" Aqua asked.
"I said, "I give up", why? Because fighting you would only prolong the inevitable. Due to the nature of your techniques, my insects will just end up drowning, in other words; it's a fight I can't win." Shino said before turning around and walking back to the stairs.
"Aburame Shino forfeits the match, the winner is Mizu Aqua." Hayate said.
"Yeah! Way to go, Aqua-chan!" Flare yelled.
"Aqua-san won." Sakura said.
"So… uhhh… we're moving on to the next match. Cough." Hayate said, and everyone's attention was brought to the score-board.
Kaminari Ray
Vs
Kankuro
"So it's my turn." Ray said before vanishing in a silver flash and reappearing on the floor below before Kankuro came down.
'Kankuro… isn't taking this seriously at all.' Baki thought.
'Fool.' Gaara thought.
'Him again.' Naruto thought.
"All right… then… you may begin." Hayate said.
"Heh. Don't worry, I'll make sure that this won't take long." Kankuro said as he put the bandaged object he had on his back on the floor.
"You're not taking me seriously. That is your mistake." Ray said while having his eyes closed before he opened them as he suddenly vanished and reappeared only to deliver a palm-strike with his left hand to the bandaged object.
"Electrical Discharge!" The bandaged object was then covered by electricity as the bandages were torn away to reveal the real Kankuro within the bandages.
"Nani? There's two of him?" Naruto asked.
"I have the greatest sensory skills out of all of the Tani-nins, a trick like this could never fool me." Ray said.
'Heh. But now you're in-between me and the Crow, you're finished.' Kankuro thought before he attempted to move his puppet that now looked like how it usually did. However, the puppet didn't move an inch, and that's when Kankuro noticed the metal pole which Ray was holding in his right hand, and was touching the Crow with.
"Puppet Masters always uses their puppets to fight, so their greatest weakness is that if anyone gets past the puppet, the Puppet Master will be defenseless. So while attacking you, I also took the liberty of short-circuiting your puppet, thereby rendering you unable to continue fighting." Ray said.
"Since Kankuro's unable to continue fighting, the winner of the match is Kaminari Ray." Hayate announced.
"Two of them against one guy… isn't that against the rules? Isn't it, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked before adding "Even if that other guy won."
"Not in this case, Naruto. The "other guy" is just some kind of golem…" Kakashi said.
"Kugutsu no Jutsu. He manipulates a lifeless doll by projecting the power of his chakra. The golem is a weapon, just like shuriken." Sakura explained.
"In any event… it's time for the fourth match." Hayate said.
"Whoa! Whoa! This is like a never-ending freak show." Naruto said.
"Look who's talking." Kakashi said.
"Good one, sensei." Sakura said as she giggled.
"I don't think you'll be laughing in a minute, Sakura… look." Kakashi said as he pointed up to the score-board and Sakura's eyes widened.
Haruno Sakura
Vs
Yamanaka Ino
Shortly afterwards were the two kunoichi standing in front of each other in the middle of the room.
"So, Sakura… it's you and me… going head-to-head. I never saw it coming." Ino said before Sakura took of her Hitai-ate.
"Wh-what the…?" Naruto said.
'Ino looks pretty fierce… but among the kunoichi rookies, she's far from the top of the pack. So you have to wonder if she can even give Sakura a good work-out.' Asuma thought.
"Of all the people for Ino to go up against, it would have to be Sakura. What a drag." Shikamaru said.
"Do you think Ino will be all right?" Choji asked.
'Yeah, Ino… what's your plan?' Asuma thought.
"Understand this… I'm never letting you anywhere near Sasuke-kun." Sakura said.
"NANI…?" Ino yelled.
"You're not even his type. And I'm not the weak, needy little girl I used to be. You're not even on my radar now." Sakura said.
"Sakura… I think you've forgotten who you're talking to. Don't cop an attitude with me, you little crybaby." Ino said.
"Aw, man. Sakura-chan just crossed the line. That Ino chick scares me silly." Naruto said.
"Hmm… Sakura's not trying to throw her weight around… and she's not the kind who'd bully someone just to be cruel. She's just making sure Ino is too riled up to think of going easy on her… for old time's sake." Kakashi said.
"What are they getting so intense about?" Naruto asked and Kakashi sighed.
'He just can't see that he's exactly the same way when it comes to Sasuke.' Kakashi thought before saying "Well, Naruto… rivalry is a tricky business… not that I would know." Earning him a glare from Guy.
'I get it… Sakura. Let's do this fair and square.' Ino thought as she took of her Hitai-ate and both she and Sakura wrapped them around their foreheads.
The two of them then charged at each other as Sakura pulled out a shuriken before throwing it at Ino. The blond simply tilted her head to the left to avoid it though, but just then, Sakura drew her sword and swung it at Ino. She leaned back to dodge the blade, but then a wave of energy suddenly shot towards her, knocking her back.
' What was that?' She thought.
'Hmmm… Seems Sakura's gotten herself a new weapon.' Kakashi thought.
Sakura then swung her sword two more times, creating an X-shaped wave of energy which shot towards Ino, and the blond leapt out of the way before rolling over the ground, and coming to a halt in a crouching position.
"I may have been a crybaby back in the day, but who's crying now? Come on, Ino. Stop holding back. I know you can do better than this." Sakura said.
"If that's the way you want it, fine by me. The gloves are off." Ino said as she rose to her feet.
"Look at Sakura-chan go. She's awesome." Naruto said as Dimitri let out a growl in agreement.
"Sakura is a solid contender. Her mastery of the fundamental techniques for the utilization of chakra is definitely the best among the rookies." Kakashi said.
"Even better than me?" Naruto asked.
"Uh… Yeah. The technical art of circulating chakra to every nook and cranny of the body and deploying it with precise timing is an area in which Sakura has surpassed even Sasuke." Kakashi said, slightly catching said Uchiha's attention "From the beginning, her mastery of chakra manipulation has been superb."
'So that's it. I always wondered how she became the top kunoichi.' Sasuke thought.
'Oh, Sakura-san… just watching you move is a pleasure.' Lee thought.
The two kunoichi charged at each other again, but this time Ino blocked Sakura's sword with a kunai before pulling out a second kunai, and aiming for the pinkette's throat. Sakura avoided it by tilting her head to the side before she applied more pressure to her sword, and pushed Ino away.
'But her opponent is also above the norm… It looks like a fair fight… one that could drag on and on.' Lee thought.
Sakura then sheathed her sword before pulling out a kunai and attaching an explosive tag to it before throwing it. Ino saw the tag, however, and leapt out of the blast radius before it could blow up, and she then pulled out three shuriken before throwing them.
Sakura dodged the shuriken before grabbing her bow and an arrow as she brushed her hand over the arrow-head, turning it to ice.
'This should finish her.' She thought as she aimed the arrow at Ino before firing, but the blond saw it coming, and quickly dodged it. She then looked over her shoulder to see the arrow hit the floor, turning a small area of the floor around it to ice which caused Ino to gulp before turning back to Sakura.
"You can't be my equal. It's unthinkable!" Ino yelled.
"Hmph… You're right. The magnitude of your obsession with your long, flowing hair and superficial appearances is peerless… I'm no match for you." Sakura said.
"Making fun of me? You've gone too far!" Ino yelled.
"Ino's an idiot, letting Sakura's words get to her like that. She's falling right into Sakura's trap." Shikamaru said.
"I don't like seeing Ino this way." Choji said.
Ino then pulled out a kunai before surprising everyone by cutting of her ponytail near the base.
"Ha ha… You fool." Sakura said.
'Oh, man… She's completely lost it!' Shikamaru thought.
"Yaaagh! This is nothing!" Ino yelled before throwing her hair out over the floor in-between herself and Sakura.
"Sh-she's scary…" Naruto said.
"This ends now. I'm gonna make your lips say, "I give up"!" Ino yelled as she formed a hand sign.
"Don't tell me… she couldn't mean…" Shikamaru said.
"She's thinking about it…" Choji said before Ino held out her arms in the Shintenshin hand sign.
'I recognize that sign.' Sakura thought.
"Just as I thought… It's her signature Shintenshin move." Shikamaru said.
"That idiot." Asuma said.
"I understand your impatience, but… you're just wasting your time." Sakura said.
"Hmph. We'll see about that." Ino said.
"I see what you're planning… Shintenshin no Jutsu, where all of your psychic and spiritual energy is loosed upon your enemy, and you usurp the psyche of your opponent, reducing your rival to helplessness within her own body while you possess it. But that formidable art has a few inherent flaws. First of all, that bolt of mental energy can only move along a direct path, and it moves very slowly. Secondly, even if that packet of mental energy should miss its target, it is still unable to return to the attacker's body for several minutes. And during that time, your own body remains limp, helpless, vulnerable as a rag-doll." Sakura said.
'The Shintenshin is an unparalleled tool for espionage and infiltration, but using it in a heads-up fight is suicide.' Asuma thought.
'Sakura's in no danger as long as she presents a moving target. And if Ino tries her art and fails, Sakura will be able to punish Ino's defenseless body until her spirit return. If it comes to that, Hayate will have to stop the match.' Kakashi thought.
"What of it? No one knows what will happen here until I give it a try!" Ino yelled.
"You'll only get one chance. If you miss, it's over. You know it as well as I do." Sakura said.
'In a combat situation, Ino's art is only ever supposed to be used in concert with her teammates. She's never supposed to use it until I freeze them with my "Kagemane" technique… this is absurd.' Shikamaru thought.
'She's not even going to hit her mark.' Asuma thought before Sakura started running.
"Ninpou: Shintenshin no Jutsu!" Ino called out before slumping down as Sakura stopped.
"… Who's who?" Shikamaru asked.
"Heh. You lose… Ino." Sakura said.
"I guess it's all over now…" Shikamaru said.
"I can't believe she actually tried it." Choji said.
"Guess you're done." Sakura said before realizing that she couldn't move "Huh? Th-this is…!"
"Gotcha, Sakura." She then looked towards Ino to see that she was wide awake.
"Heh… I set a trap… and you fell for it." She said.
"… You don't mean…" Sakura said.
"Yep. The hand signs I made earlier were just a distraction to keep you from seeing the real trap. You zigged, you zagged… and you fell right into it. Can't move at all, can you? I made a living rope by running chakra through my own cut hair." Ino said before rising to her feet as she made the hand signs again "And now that I've got you where I want you… I can take up occupancy… and make you surrender. I think the odds are 100% I'm gonna hit my target, don't you think?"
"Looks like it." Kakashi said.
"That nut… making herself look like a loser so she could win." Shikamaru said.
'Unh… I can't move.' Sakura thought.
"And so… Shintenshin no Jutsu!" Ino said before slumping down.
Sakura's mindscape
Ino suddenly appeared in a black void before looking around. She thought it was strange, usually she would appear in some kind of mindscape world. This was the first time it was a black void. In fact, the last time she went into Sakura's mind, she ended up in a field filled with sakura flowers.
Suddenly, however, she noticed a bright light and she looked up to see a large, golden, triangular object before the light from it completely filled her vision.
The outside world
A beam of energy was then shot out of Sakura's body and into Ino's before both girls opened their eyes.
'Incredible! She was actually able to break Ino's hold. No, wait, that's not it. Ino's technique didn't seem to have any effect at all.' Shikamaru thought.
'Maybe Ino expended too much energy before she tried the Shintenshin… and therefor lacked sufficient chakra?' Asuma thought.
"You have a barrier inside your mind? When did you get that?" Ino asked.
"I suppose it must've happened back then in the forest." Sakura said before she looked down at her right hand to see that the Triforce mark was visible 'Nayru-sama must've left it there.'
'Once a victim has been possessed by that technique, it's almost impossible to drive the invader out. But it seems that the Triforce of Wisdom is what drove Ino out.' Kakashi thought.
Ino then rose to her feet before charging at Sakura who had long since dropped her bow. Ino aimed a punch at Sakura, but the pinkette simply stepped out of the way before the blond continued with several more punches, but none of them made any sort of contact until Sakura caught Ino's fist.
"I suggest you just give up. You're out of chakra as it is while I've still got plenty." She said.
"I'm not gonna give up!" Ino yelled as she aimed a punch for Sakura's head, but the pinkette just tilted her head to the right before punching Ino in the gut so hard that she coughed up blood. Sakura then let go of her hand before she fell down to the floor.
"Yamanaka Ino can no longer move, so the victory of the fourth match goes to Haruno Sakura." Hayate said.
"Way to go, Sakura-chan!" Naruto exclaimed as Sakura started walking back towards the stairs while Ino was picked up by Asuma and brought to her teammates seeing as though she wasn't too badly damaged. Afterwards it wasn't long before another two names came up.
Tsurugi Misumi
Vs
Yuki Chilly
"Heh heh heh… It's my turn at last." Chilly said and shortly afterwards were both she and Misumi facing each other in front of Hayate.
"Hey, look… another candidate from Tani. This should be fun." Neji said.
"Even though you're just a little brat… I'm not letting down my guard like Yoroi did. In fact, let me make one thing perfectly clear… you'd be better off forfeiting the match before you get hurt. This won't take long at all." Misumi said.
"Heh heh heh…" The creepy laughter caught Misumi's attention before Chilly looked up "You're gonna be the first person to die today." She said as she licked her lips.
'I can't believe it, but that girl's even creepier than Gaara…' Kankuro thought.
"Good grief. I hate it when she's like this." Terra said.
"Just be glad these preliminaries aren't a battle royale. Or else it would've turned out to be a total blood-bath with her in the middle of it." Ventus said.
"How would it have been a blood-bath?" Aqua asked.
"Hmph. Cocky girl. I'm going to win this with the first strike." Misumi said as he charged forward before he grabbed ahold of Chilly as his limbs wrapped around the girl's body.
"In order to gather intelligence, I've had my body altered so that it can infiltrate even the smallest space. I can dislocate every joint and manipulate my limp body by the power of chakra alone. And with this same power, I can keep squeezing and constricting until your bones crack. The longer you wait to surrender, the tighter I'll squeeze. I don't know what your own ninja art may be, but once your body is helpless in my hands, it doesn't even matter. And if you give the smallest hint of trying anything clever in order to avert defeat… then I'll snap your neck like a twig. You're running out of time…" Misumi said.
"As I said "you're gonna be the first person to die today"." Chilly said, making Misumi wonder how that was possible in the current situation, but just then he suddenly started feeling cold… very cold.
When he looked down, his eyes widened as he saw that his arms and legs were getting covered in ice, and before long, the ice had moved to his torso and chest as well, before even his head was covered. Chilly then broke through the ice like nothing before Misumi fell to the floor and shattered, causing almost everyone in the room to either gasp, gulp, or both.
"Th-the winner is Yuki Chilly." Hayate said as Chilly returned to her teammates, and as she passed by the Suna-nins Kankuro and Temari froze as they were sweating bullets while Gaara on the other hand was trembling, however, it wasn't due to excitement for the fact that Chilly's so strong, but fear, something he hadn't felt in a long time.
"That girl was creepy. I'm glad that I didn't end up facing her." Naruto said.
"Yeah… Me too." Sakura said.
"Me three." Lee said.
"Me four." Sasuke said, catching everyone's attention "Huh? What?"
'She even scared Sasuke… that takes some skill.' Kakashi thought.
Sakura then looked over towards where Chilly was standing to see that she was looking straight at her as if to say "you're next", causing the pinkette to gulp. She really hoped she wouldn't have to face that girl in the finals.
"It's time for the next match to begin." Hayate said, and shortly afterwards came the next two names up.
Tenten
Vs
Temari
"The sixth match of the preliminaries… Tenten against Temari. Please step forward." Hayate said as Tenten and Temari were both standing before him.
"Yeah, Tenten! Go!" Lee cheered.
"Begin." Hayate said and the battle started.
The battle didn't last very long as Temari easily shut down Tenten's weapon attacks, and in the end, she was standing in the middle of a bunch of different weapons while Tenten was lying limp on her folded fan.
"How dull… It's a shame, really…" Temari said.
"Nani…? What's her story?" Naruto asked no one in particular.
"The winner of the sixth round match is Temari." Hayate said before Temari suddenly threw Tenten, but Lee managed to catch her.
"Nice catch." Temari commented.
"What's wrong with you? That's not how you treat a worthy opponent… especially not one you've just defeated." Lee said as he put Tenten down.
"Oh, shut up. Get yourself and that loser out of my way." Temari said, making Lee angry.
"No, Lee…!" Neji yelled but his teammate didn't listen.
"Konoha Senpou!" Lee said as he moved in for a roundhouse kick, but Temari blocked it with her fan "What the…?"
"Hah! Just as I thought… you're not so fast, after all." Temari said.
"Nani…?" Lee said.
"That's enough, Lee." Guy said as he shunshined down.
"Guy-sensei…" Lee said.
"Temari… get back up here. You've already been declared the winner… how long do you intend to trifle with that homely little prince charming?" Gaara said.
"Nani…?" Lee asked as he looked Gaara in the eyes.
"Had enough now, Lee?" Guy asked before looking up at the Suna-nins "… My dear friends from Suna… if you don't mind, I'd like to offer a word of advice… be prepared. You have no idea… how strong this boy really is."
"He actually picked a fight those freaks from Suna… in his place, I'd have run for cover." Kiba said.
"Th-they really creep me out." Hinata said.
"Don't you lose to them, Naruto!" Sakura said.
"Heh. I won't." Naruto said before looking at the score-board "Okay. My turn. I'm good to go. Who thinks he can take me?"
"Who's next? I have a feeling it's me." Lee said as he appeared next to Naruto.
Nara Shikamaru
Vs
Kin Tsuchi
"Aw, man." Lee said.
"Kuso." Naruto said.
"Me, eh?" Shikamaru said, and shortly afterwards were he and Kin standing in the middle of the room, facing each other.
"This is such a drag. And how embarrassing… being expected to fight a girl…" Shikamaru said.
"If that's the way you feel, I'll put you out of your misery quickly." Kin said.
"Shikamaru, don't you dare lose!" Ino – who had regained consciousness – yelled.
'Well… Ino's suddenly full of energy.' Choji thought.
'Even though I learned about the strengths of the Oto ninja when we saw their fight with Sakura and the others during the second exam… I don't have a clue about what this one's specialty is.' Shikamaru thought.
"Begin. Cough." Hayate said and the battle commenced.
This battle didn't last very long either, Kin threw some senbon with bells attached to them and said senbons went into the wall behind Shikamaru. There were also threads attached to the bells and Shikamaru trailed his shadow under those threads so Kin wouldn't see him coming. When she was trapped by the Kagemane, Shikamaru threw a shuriken towards Kin, forcing her to do the same and just before the shuriken could hit, both of them leaned back and avoided the deadly throwing-stars, but Kin was too close to the wall and her head slammed into it so hard that she got knocked-out.
"A Shinobi uses everything to his advantage… including the terrain… and the architecture as well. You were locked into the same movements as I… but only one of us was close enough to the wall to give herself a concussion. The shuriken were just a distraction… so you wouldn't notice where you were standing." Shikamaru said.
"The winner is Nara Shikamaru." Hayate said.
"Nice one, Shikamaru!" Ino yelled.
"Awesome!" Choji yelled.
"And the guy acts totally humble… man, that was cool." Naruto said.
'The only ones who haven't competed yet are me, Hinata, Naruto, two of the Oto ninja… Choji, Neji, Lee, three of the Tani ninja… and that guy from Suna… please don't let it be the sand guy…' Kiba thought.
'This year's rookies seem to be showing some promise, but…' Neji thought as he stared towards Hinata.
"Next up will be…" Hayate said just before the names came up.
Kaze Ventus
Vs
Inuzuka Kiba
"Yosh. It wasn't the sand guy!" Kiba exclaimed.
"This shouldn't take too long." Ventus said as he started walking towards the stairs.
"You shouldn't underestimate him, Ventus. He is one of the strongest fighters here." Terra said.
"You saying I'm weak, Terra?" Ventus asked as he stopped walking, and powerful winds started blowing around him. The winds then calmed down as Ventus continued walking.
"Geez. No need to be so grumpy." Terra said.
"Hey, Aqua. Do you know why he's like that? Did something happen to him in the forest?" Chilly asked as she looked at Aqua.
"I don't know. We split up to cover more ground." Aqua said.
""Split up"?" Chilly asked.
"That's unusual for Ventus." Terra said.
"Who cares. It was his idea, anyway." Flare said.
"That only makes it more strange." Terra said.
'Ventus-san… What happened during your battle with Orochimaru? What did he tell you?' Ray thought as he watched as Ventus walked out to the middle of the room before glancing over to Orochimaru from the corner of his eyes.
While Ventus was walking he recalled something Orochimaru had told him during the battle.
Flashback
"Kaze Kiri!" Ventus formed a sword out of wind before bringing it down on Orochimaru, but the Sannin simple just blocked it with his arm, causing Ventus' eyes to widen 'Nani?'
"My, my. You've certainly improved, haven't you? I don't you had this move the last time we met." Orochimaru said before kicking Ventus so hard that the green-haired boy was sent flying into a tree "Your parent's would've certainly been proud."
"My parents?" Ventus asked as he rose to his feet.
"That's right, your parents. I know who they are." Orochimaru said.
""Are"? You mean they're still alive?" Ventus asked.
"Exactly. I know everything about them." Orochimaru said.
"Then tell me, who are they?" Ventus asked angrily as strong winds which would make hurricanes jealous started blowing.
"They are…" Orochimaru said, and the following words caused Ventus' eyes to widen.
Flashback end
'I have to get stronger, much stronger if I am to ever be able to face them.' Ventus thought.
'Seems it's finally Ventus-kun's turn. Now go on and show them what you're made of.' Orochimaru thought before he noticed that someone's looking at him, and he saw Ray out of the corners of his eyes 'Seems Ray-kun knows who I am, that really is some powerful sensory ability.'
"The eight round battle between Kaze Ventus and Inuzuka Kiba. Begin." Hayate said as Kiba put Akamaru down on the floor.
"Yosh! We're gonna be the winners of this round!" Kiba exclaimed as if he had learned nothing from watching the other Tani ninjas in action.
"You're way too overconfident for your own good… much like someone else I know." Ventus said, causing Flare to sneeze.
"Catching a cold?" Chilly asked.
"Shut up, baka." Flare said.
"Heh. Oh, yeah? Sure that you're not the one that's overconfident?" Kiba asked before crouching down as Akamaru jumped up on his back. "Let's do this Akamaru! Jujin Bunshin!"
Kiba then became more feral-looking while Akamaru turned into a copy of him.
"Gatsuuga!" The two "Kibas" then shot towards Ventus like drills, but they simply just went straight through him before skidding along the ground. However, when they saw that Ventus just had a couple of holes in him – said holes being in the process of closing themselves – the two "Kibas" shot at him again, but this time they went through multiple times while Ventus just stood there, seeming to be quite bored.
"Is this really all you can do?" Ventus asked before a powerful gust of wind blew out in all directions, causing the "Kibas" to come to a halt as Ventus suddenly floated up into the air as his legs vanished into air, and he formed a one-handed hand sign.
"What the…? He can fly?" Naruto asked.
'That technique…!' Temari thought as she recalled a part from her teams battle with Ventus' team.
Flashback
Vaati was taking care of Baki and Gaara as Ventus took on Temari and Kankuro. However, Kankuro had been stupid enough to try and attack Flare and Aqua, and he got both his puppets destroyed as a result, courtesy of Flare's fire balls.
Temari swung her fan, sending out a gust of wind, but Ventus was completely unaffected by the attack.
'Nani?' Temari thought before Ventus suddenly appeared in her face, and punched her so hard that she was sent flying backwards. However, she managed to regain her balance in mid-air, but as she landed she spotted Ventus' upper body high in the air with no sign of his legs.
"This is the end for you. Kamikaze lvl 1!" He said as he formed a one-handed hand sign before powerful winds started blowing, and Temari was even lifted into the air as countless cuts appeared across her body while she screamed in pain.
Flashback end
"Kamikaze lvl1!" Ventus said and powerful winds started blowing. They were so powerful in fact that both "Kibas" were lifted into the air as they got countless cuts across their bodies while screaming in pain. It also didn't take long before Akamaru changed back.
"Kiba-kun… Akamaru-kun…" Hinata said.
After some time, the winds finally calmed down, and Kiba and Akamaru fell to the floor with a loud thud each, well, maybe not that loud with Akamaru though.
"Since Inuzuka Kiba is unable to move, the winner is Kaze Ventus." Hayate said as Ventus walked up towards where the others were.
"Those Tani-nins sure are powerful. Even I would hate to be paired up against one of them." Neji said as he stared towards Ventus, as Kiba and Akamaru were carried out by the medical corp.
"All right, the next two participants will be…" Hayate sad as everyone looked at the score-board.
Tsuchi Terra
Vs
Rock Lee
"All right! It's finally my turn!" Lee exclaimed.
"So he's my opponent." Terra said as he looked towards Lee before thinking 'I wonder if I can win. His physical prowess are clearly the greatest out of all the Genin here aside from myself.'
Shortly afterwards were the two of them facing each other in the middle of the room in front of Hayate.
"Begin." Hayate said.
"All right, Lee-san. Let's make this a fair fight." Terra asked as he held out his hand, and Lee took it.
"Yes, let's." He said as both of them smiled before they got into their respective battle stances.
Lee was the first to make a move as he moved in for a roundhouse kick.
"Konoha Senpou!" He called out, but Terra blocked the kick, however, it was still able to move him a few feet.
"You've got a good kick there. I had a feeling that you were greatly holding back when you kicked Temari-san's fan earlier." Terra said.
'He was actually able to move Terra? With just one kick too?' Chilly thought in surprise.
Terra then kicked Lee away, sending the boy skidding across the floor before he came to a halt.
"However, you will need to go all out to face me head-on. So I suggest that you remove your weights." Terra said.
"Heh. Seems I have no choice." Lee said before looking up Guy who gave him the okay.
He then jumped atop the statue in the room before removing the weights, and letting them fall down to the floor with a huge bang, catching almost everyone off-guard.
'Aren't you over-doing it, Guy?' Kakashi thought as he face-palmed.
"Go, Lee!" Guy called out.
"Yes, sir!" Lee said before vanishing, and reappearing behind Terra who then looked over his shoulder.
"Nice speed, Lee-san." He complimented before Lee went in to punch him, and the punch came so hard that he was actually sent flying before he regained his balance in mid-air before landing on the floor.
Lee then shot towards him as he aimed for another punch, but this time Terra caught it before bringing the Konoha-nin in towards him, and kneeing him in the stomach. Terra then threw Lee into the air before he extended his right arm towards him with an open palm while he held his left hand on his arm. Just then, however, his right hand dislodged itself from the wrist and shot towards Lee before grabbing said boy's neck.
Lee was then stuck to the ceiling as Terra jumped up and punched the boy straight through it as his hand reattached to his wrist and he threw Lee back down to the floor.
He crashed onto the floor before immediately afterwards jumping to his feet as Terra landed in front of him. Lee then – seeing no other option – crossed his arms in front of himself.
'Hachimon?' Terra thought before Lee suddenly started running at great speeds around him before appearing beneath him and kicked him in the jaw so hard that he was sent a few feet off the ground. But it wasn't enough so Lee kept on kicking him in the jaw until they were a good few meters above the ground. Lee's bandages then unwrapped themselves before wrapping around Terra before the two of them started spiraling down.
"Omote Renge!" Lee called out before they hit the floor with Lee leaping away at the last second.
"Is it over?" Sakura asked.
"No way. Did he actually beat one of the Tani-nins?" Ino asked.
'Hmmm… Strange… none of the Tani-nins seems concerned at all.' Shikamaru thought as he looked towards them, three of them even sporting smiles with Chilly having a full-blown grin.
"Huh?" Lee looked towards were Terra impacted with the floor to see the silhouette of someone rising to his feet within the dust cloud.
"Heh. That's one fearsome technique you've got there." Came Terra's voice, causing nearly everyone's eyes to widen.
"N-no way…!" Naruto said.
The dust cloud then cleared to reveal Terra standing there, but what no one was expecting was that he had cracks going up along his whole body, and his right arm seemed to have been broken off at the shoulder with several brown rocks jutting out from the "wound".
"Wh-what is he?" Lee asked no one in particular.
"To think that someone your age could master even the first stage of the Hachimon. You truly are a genius, aren't you?" Terra said.
'Lee? A genius? Hmph… Don't make me laugh.' Neji thought as Guy looked down at him out of the corner of his eyes.
"What's… the Hachimon?" Naruto asked.
"It's a forbidden Taijutsu move, which is both extremely difficult and extremely dangerous to master." Navi said as she was sitting on the railings along with her fellow Fairies.
"You know of it?" Sakura asked.
"Yes. Great Deku Tree-sama told us of all of the forbidden techniques in the world." Navi said.
"The Hachimon act as limiters that must be released in preparation for performing the Ura Renge." Guy explained.
"Limiters… released?" Sakura asked as Kakashi lifted his Hitai-ate to reveal his Sharingan.
"Yes…" He said
"At eight specific points along the Keirakukei there are places where the chakra nodes converge: The Kaimon, the Kyumon, the Seimon, the Shomon, the Tomon, the Keimon, the Kyomon and the Shimon. Those are called the Hachimon… they constantly maintain limits on the amount of chakra flowing through the body… limits that the Renge uses chakra to forcibly override… enabling the user to draw upon strength that is dozens of times his usual level… even if the user's body is destroyed in the process. Incidentally, the Omote Renge opens only the Kaimon." Guy explained.
"And… the Ura Renge?" Sakura asked.
"Opening the Kaimon frees the user from his own mental inhibitions. The opening of the Kyumon boosts his strength… and with the opening of the Seimon, one can begin the Ura Renge…" Guy said.
"However… this technique is a double-edged sword. The state where all the Hachimon have been opened is called the "Hachimon Tonko no Jin"… and anyone who achieves that state will – however briefly – be granted strength that surpasses even the Hokage's. But in exchange… that person will inevitably die." Kakashi said.
'… Neji… Sasuke… and even…' Lee thought as he thought of the three people that he wanted to fight the most, Neji, Sasuke and Naruto 'I will not be… the only one who fails. Guy-sensei… please… notice me… now, of all times… now, when I finally attain… my shinobi path.' Suddenly, his skin turned red as small rocks started floating around him and his hair stood up "Seimon… KAI!"
'The color of his skin…!' Sakura thought.
'… It's red?' Naruto thought.
'He opened the Seimon… He's going to make his move.' Kakashi thought.
'And, while I'm at it… Shomon… KAI!' Lee thought as all of his muscles tensed and a small trail of blood came out of his nose.
'He's quite something…' Kakashi thought just before Lee vanished, and before anyone knew it, he kicked Terra up into the air 'He's fast.'
"Huh? Hey, Where'd they go?" Aqua asked.
"Look up." Ray said, and Aqua followed his instructions to see that Terra and Lee were above them.
Lee then appeared in front of Terra before punching him, sending him flying. He then appeared behind the Tani-nin and sent him flying again, and this repeated several times until Lee suddenly opened the Tomon, and delivered another punch to Terra. However, this time he had managed to wrap his bandages around Terra's waist before he pulled on the bandages, causing Terra to be pulled towards him.
"Ura Renge!" Lee called out as he delivered both a powerful palm-strike and kick to Terra's stomach, and the Tani-nin was sent crashing into the floor.
Lee then fell down to the floor as well, but his eyes widened when he saw Terra rising to his feet, this time having several craters in his body with a crater which was larger than the rest covering his stomach.
'N-Nani?' Lee thought in surprise before asking "Wh-what in the name of Farore are you?"
"Well, if you absolutely must know. When I was a child, my body was heavily experimented upon by group of scientists, trying to create an "ultimate weapon". And as such, they modified my body to be just like the ground that we stand on. No matter how much punishment I take, or how damaged my body gets, I can't be killed." Terra said.
"Now that he mentions it. I think I remember hearing something about a group of highly skilled scientists who suddenly vanished without a trace some 6 years ago." Kakashi said.
"It's just as you say." Terra said as he looked up at the masked Jonin "If they ever made a mistake in their lives, then that was creating me. They realized that they had made a too dangerous weapon, so they tried to seal me up, but unfortunately for them, I had been a complete success in their goals of creating an "ultimate weapon", and I killed them all." Terra said before he started walking towards Lee.
"LEE-SAN!" Sakura yelled, causing Terra to stop in his tracks before he looked up at her.
"Is he important to you, young lady?" He asked.
"He's my friend, of course he is!" Sakura yelled, causing Terra to smile before he looked at the proctor.
"Hayate-san. I don't think Lee-san will be able to keep going." He said.
"Ummm… right. Since Rock Lee can no longer fight, the winner is…" He was interrupted, however, when Lee rose to his feet.
"W-wait…" He said.
"Hold it, Lee-san. There are many brave people in this world, but the number of people with the bravery to place their "sword" back in its scabbard is very low. Fear is not an evil. It's about knowing your weaknesses. When people know their own weaknesses, they become stronger and gentler human beings." Terra said as he walked past Lee, and towards the stairs "I look forward to the day we meet again, and I hope that by then you'll be gentler and stronger." Lee then fell to his knees as tears welled up in his eyes.
"The winner is Tsuchi Terra!" Hayate announced.
'Lee…' Guy thought as he looked down at his student.
"Bushy-Brows…" Naruto said.
"You got really beaten up there, Terra. You even lost your right arm." Chilly said as Terra approached them.
"It's just a flesh-wound. Besides, it'll grow back." Terra said.
"All right. The next two names will now be announced." Hayate said as Lee was carried out by the medical corp.
Everyone waited for the next two names to come up, and when they did, Naruto's eyes widened before narrowing.
"So it's him." He said.
"Heh heh. This should be fun." Flare said.
Uzumaki Naruto
Vs
Hi Flare
Chapter preview
Flare "Hahahahahahaha! I was hoping that you'd be my opponent, Courage Boy!"
Naruto "This won't go the way it did the last time."
Hinata "N-Naruto-kun…"
Sakura "That guy's pretty strong. I don't think Naruto can win this."
Ventus "There's no way the Courage Boy can win this, for Flare is even stronger than I am."
Naruto "Next time on The Legend of Naruto: A Blazing Battle: Naruto vs Flare!"
Flare "This is the end for you! White Flame Funeral!"
Character status
Naruto: Level: 13
Hearts: 4 3/4
Chakra Level: Divine.
Techniques: Henge, Kawarimi, Oiroke, Harem, Kage Bunshin.
Items: Hakko Chakura To, kunai (max 15), shuriken (max 15), explosive tag (max 10), vine-whip, wallet (max 999).
Race: Hylian.
Triforce: Courage.
Sasuke: Level: 15
Hearts: 5 2/4
Chakra Level: Divine.
Techniques: Bunshin, Henge, Kawarimi, Katon: Goukakyo, Katon: Housenka, Katon: Ryuka, Din's Fire.
Items: kunai (max 15), shuriken (max 15), explosive tag (max 10), Din's Fire, wallet (max 999).
Race: Hylian.
Kekkei Genkai: Sharingan, Mangekyo Sharingan.
Triforce: Power.
Sakura: Level: 10
Hearts: 4 2/4
Chakra Level: Divine.
Techniques: Bunshin, Henge, Kawarimi, Nayru's Love.
Items: Queen's Sword, kunai (max 15), shuriken (max 15), explosive tag (max 10), Hero's Bow (normal, fire, ice) (max 15), Nayru's Love, wallet (max 999), Master Key.
Race: Hylian.
Triforce: Wisdom.
Ino: Level: 8
Hearts: 3 ¼
Chakra Level: Chunin.
Techniques: Bunshin, Henge, Kawarimi, Shintenshin, Ino-Shika-Cho (with Shikamaru and Choji).
Items: kunai (max 15), shuriken (max 15), explosive tag (max 15), wallet (max 999).
Race: Hylian.
Kiba: Level: 14
Hearts: 3 ¼
Chakra Level: Chunin.
Techniques: Bunshin, Henge, Kawarimi, Shikyaku, Jujin Bunshin, Tsuuga, Gatsuuga.
Items: kunai (max 15), shuriken (max 15), explosive tag (max 10), smoke bomb (max 5), wallet (max 999).
Race: Hylian.
Shino: Level: 15
Hearts: 3 ¼
Chakra Level: Chunin.
Techniques: Bunshin, Henge, Kawarimi, Mushi Bunshin.
Items: kunai (max 15), shuriken (max 15), explosive tag (max 10), wallet (max 999).
Race: Hylian.
Rock Lee: Level: 17
Hearts: 6 ¾
Chakra Level: Genin.
Techniques: Konoha Reppu, Konoha Senpou, Omote Renge, Ura Renge.
Weapons: kunai (max 15), shuriken (max 15).
Race: Human.
Ventus: Level: 25
Hearts: 9 2/4
Chakra Level: Divine.
Techniques: Kaze Kiri, Kamikaze.
Items: wallet (max 999).
Race: Hylian?
Aqua: Level: 18
Hearts: 6 0/4
Chakra Level: Divine.
Techniques: Water Shield, Water Spear(s), Water Arrow, Water Pulse, Water Cannon, Water Vortex.
Items: wallet (max 999).
Race: Hylian.
Terra: Level: 25
Hearts: 9 2/4
Chakra Level: Divine.
Techniques: unknown
Items: wallet (max 999).
Race: Hylian.
Chilly: Level: 19
Hearts: 7 ¾
Chakra Level: Divine.
Techniques: Freeze.
Items: wallet (max 999)
Race: Hylian?
Ray: Level: 20
Hearts: 12 ¾
Chakra Level: Divine.
Techniques: Electrical Discharge, Raijin.
Items: wallet (max 999)
Race: Hylian.
Kurama no Kyubi: About what I said in the Author's Note up top, I had no idea when I wrote that that the chapter would get done in just three days. So if you're lucky, I might get the next chappy up before going on summer vacation, and if so, you can treat that chapter as a sort of "Season Finale" of the first season… or something like that. Also, what'll happen now? How's Naruto going to beat someone that completely flattened him, Sasuke, Sakura, and Lee just five days ago? Please leave a review of who you think's gonna win that epic battle. Also the next chapter is gonna contain content from where this one left off and until the start of the one-month training. Oh, and congratulation to those of you who found the Fairy Tail quote.