Quote the Speechless: "Whoops, sorry that took so long folks. A lot of stuff has been going on here and I've been preoccupied."
Ghost Wolf: "Yeah. I think they're just glad that you haven't stopped writing the story. But hey, life always gets in the way of living."
Quote the Speechless: "Someone once said, 'No plans survive fully with an encounter with Life.'"
Ghost Wolf: "Anyway... We shouldn't keep the readers from what they came here for."
Quote the Speechless: "Behold my scripture, bow in worship!"
Ghose Wolf: Throws a really old book at his head. "There's your Scripture."
Legal: I do not own any fraction of Naruto, though I wished I did. I'd be making a fortune.
Chapter 14 - Preliminaries
"What are you doing here?" Naruto asked as he relaxed, kneeling down to pat Kasei.
"Well, I was allowed to meet you and congratulate you on passing the Second Test. I wanted to make sure that you made it out ok and ready to move on to the Third Test." He looked at Sasuke and Sakura, not even giving Naruto a glance. "I am also here to explain the quote here on the wall. This is the motto of the Chuunin. 'If you lack Heaven, seek wisdom, be prepared.' Means that if you lack intelligence, study, and be ready." When he said that, he waved his hand and indicated Naruto who only glared at him. "'If you lack Earth, run in the fields, seek advantages.' Means if you lack strength train hard and watch for opportunities." He pointed to Sakura as he spoke, and then he turned to Sasuke. "If you have both Heaven and Earth you can prevail under any circumstances."
"But what about the last line," Sakura asked?
"The word 'person' is what goes in the blank. 'These Rules will guide a person's extremes.'" He explained. "And that is the Motto of the Chuunin. It is something that you must always remember if you are to take the next step to being a ninja."
"You're wrong," they all turned to look at Naruto. "There is no next step to being a ninja, we are already there." Naruto walked over, closer to the poster on the wall, looking up at it. "I don't see this as a motto. I see this as a warning and a promise. The greater we become the greater obstacles we will face, both intellectually and physically. To overcome those problems we will have to grow, and change, becoming comfortable with ourselves and our environment." He turned towards them, looking at his teammates, former teacher, and new friend, all of them watched him as well. "And we will do it, and we will become greater than ever before."
Maybe he does understand, Iruka thought to himself. If he understands that, maybe I've misjudged him. "Naruto," They all looked at Iruka. "Do you think you are ready for the next challenge?" He waited for Naruto's replay as the boy looked at his teammates, and his fox friend.
"We're all ready," He said. "I am confidant that we will overcome all challenges."
"Maybe you are ready," Iruka said as he headed for the steps to the door indicating for them to follow. "There are a few other teams that have already gotten here. You will all be meeting to talk about the final test in the main room. I suggest that you take this time to rest up." They followed him through the door and into the next room where the other teams had gathered. Naruto hung back for a moment with Kasei and kneeled down by the small fox.
"Stay close to me, do what I tell you, and above all, don't cause any trouble." Kasei nodded. Naruto smiled and walked into the next room followed by the fox. He stepped inside and looked around at the other teams that were there. "Hmm, Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji, that's team Ten. Kiba, Hinata, Shino are team Eight. So, all the rookies passed along with two other Leaf teams."
"That Sound team made it somehow," Sakura said as she walked over to him. But Naruto wasn't listening. His eyes had locked with those of another boy across the room.
"The Sand team," Sasuke said when he noticed where Naruto was looking. But again, Naruto wasn't even listening. Sasuke noticed Naruto's intense look focused on the red haired Sand Nin. "What is it Naruto?" Naruto shook his head a bit.
"I don't know," he said. "But something about him isn't right, it doesn't feel right…" Next to him Kasei yipped something. If it meant anything Naruto didn't show any more than reaching down to scratch the fox between the ears, an action he appreciated greatly. Sasuke looked at the fox in distaste but didn't say anything or move away as Sakura did.
The other teams from their grade noticed them and headed over. Team Ten was the first to make it. Or more accurately Ino was the first to make it, throwing herself at Sasuke, as Choji and Shikamaru followed after her. Sakura immediately forgot about Naruto and the fox as she rushed to 'defend her Sasuke from Ino Pig.'
"So," Shikamaru said. "Another team made it here intact. This is going to make the next test troublesome." Choji nodded, eating from a bag of chips that he got from somewhere.
Team Eight made it over next, Kiba and his dog in front with Shino just behind him, and shy Hinata hiding behind them a little. Dog and fox eyed each other slowly, but neither made any form of aggression.
"Where did the fox come from," Kiba asked? "Has the Dead Last started picking up strays?" Kiba laughed loudly at his own joke. The others took a little time to look at the fox, noting its differences from normal foxes. Naruto smiled and reached down to rub the neck of the fox. The others weren't so put off by the fox as Naruto's teammates, but then, they didn't know what had happened.
"I'll make you eat those words," Naruto said with a little laugh. Arguments like this had happened while they were in school together, though nothing ever came of it.
"Whenever you're ready," Kiba said and kneeled down to pat Akamaru's back. Kasei's ears pricked up and he turned his head swiftly. Naruto and a few others turned to look as well. They found Gaara of the sand team glaring at them from across the room.
Kiba shivered when he saw Gaara watching them. Shino remained silent though agitated and Hinata hid behind as many people as she could to get away from the scary red haired boy.
"They were the first ones here. Just a warning," Kiba said. "That guy is a freak, I saw him crush a man with sand without a moment's hesitation, and then the man's teammates." He shook his head, shuddering as Akamaru whimpered a little. "I've never seen anything like it before."
"Wait," Naruto interrupted. "You said 'sand', he killed a man with sand?" Kiba just nodded.
"Yea, he covered them, there was blood everywhere. It was a mess." Naruto nodded, they had seen the remains of the three in the forest. But Naruto started to smile, even laugh a little. The others looked at him unbelievingly.
"That guy is one of the strongest people in this room if I am right about who he is. And I can tell you right now that if I am right, then there are only one or MAYBE two people here who have a chance against him."
"He doesn't look that tough," Ino said, though she didn't quite believe it herself. Then she turned on Naruto. "Besides, who do you think he is and how would you know how powerful he is?" Everyone turned their attention to Naruto waiting for an answer.
"The First of Nine, and I believe he is my Missing Brother," Naruto reached the middle of his shirt and rubbed the spot of the missing symbol of his First Brother. His comment made his teammates remember what had happened in Wave.
Kakashi said he would rather face Zabuza than one of Naruto's 'siblings,' Sasuke remembered. He looked back at Gaara who was no longer looking at them. Could he truly be one of Naruto's 'siblings'?
"How do you know Naruto," Sakura asked. "If you've never seen him before how can you know he is one of them?"
"The sand, and a few other things now that I look at him carefully," Naruto was indeed watching Gaara, with a wide grin on his face. "One of his skills was control over sand. I'll need to speak with him some time soon." He turned back to everyone else. "I am going to give you a very, very serious warning. If you face him, for whatever reason, just back off. He is far stronger than you right now, and might even go so far as killing you."
"Question," Shikamaru spoke up. "What the hell are you talking about? You think he's your brother? Since when do you have any relatives? And how do you know so much about him? And besides, why are you, of all people, so sure we can't beat him?" The members of his team nodded in agreement, and Sakura and Sasuke looked at Naruto for answers, but it was not Naruto that answered them.
"I don't care how Naruto knows about him, but he's right." Kiba said. "We've seen his power, or at least a little of it. Without thinking, he blocked an attack that would kill any of us, and with ease he killed three people, crushing them with the sheer force of his sand. If you don't trust Naruto, then trust me, and get away from him if something happens. And if you have to fight him, just give up, that's what I will do if it happens to me."
It was at this point that there was a large explosion of smoke from the head of the room, under a large set of stone hands carved into the sign of the Tiger. When the smoke cleared it could be seen that all the Jounin teachers, examiners, and others had appeared. Among them was the Hokage, dressed in the robes of his office.
"ALRIGHT YOU BRATS," Ibiki barked. "Form up into your teams Right here!" He pointed to the area in front of the assembled Jounin. The teams all hurried to follow the black clad Jounin's instructions. When they were assembled he stepped back and let the Hokage step forward.
"Congratulations, to all of you, for making it this far. For many of you this is your first time taking the Chuunin exam. So among other things, I will explain to you what the reason is behind the exam and the competitive tests." The Hokage took a puff from his long pipe before he continued.
"The first test was to measure your capacity to bend the rules without breaking them." He smiled at the looks of confusion on a few of their faces. "A Ninja must be able to know when and where to bend the rules to get a mission done. The second test was to see your team work in under real mission parameters especially when you might encounter other ninjas." He took another puff on his pipe as the genin digested what he had told them.
"But there are other reasons as well. This competition is to further improve the friendship between the countries each of you represent. You have also heard that it is to raise the level of the shinobi involved. But there is another reason, and this final reason is probably the most important. This contest is a replacement for the great wars that were once waged between the Shinobi Nations. Instead of wasteful wars we now hold these competitions where the lords can watch and see the strength of the countries that entered. Nations with strong ninja will get more clients, and nations that show weakness will lose clients."
"Then why put us through those other tests?" Kiba complained. "No one was watching them!"
"The strength of a country is the strength of the shinobi of that country. And since the true strength of a shinobi only comes out in life or death battles the final test for the Lords will be…" But he was cut off by another ninja appearing a little in front of him. The ninja was kneeling but from his vest they could tell that he was a Jounin.
"Sorry to interrupt…" The Jounin coughed deeply. "But as the referee for the third test I ask that you allow me to continue this."
"Of course," the Hokage nodded slightly to him, though his expression was still serious. The new Jounin turned to the Genin teams. He looked very sick, pale and shaking slightly, he had bags under his eyes, and coughed quite often.
"I am Gekkou Hayate," he coughed into his hand making the genin wonder if he should be on active duty or a ninja at all. "I will be the referee for the preliminaries of the Third test."
"Preliminaries," Sakura wondered out loud? "Why would there be preliminaries to an exam?"
"It seems that the First and second tests were too easy this year. There are too many people for the Third test to take place in an orderly amount of time. So we have to trim down the numbers by having preliminaries." He had a long bout of coughs and not a few of the genin wondered if he was having a seizure.
"Uh… How are we supposed to trim down the numbers?" The girl on the Sand Team asked.
"From here on out each person will be competing individually in one on one fights." Hayate coughed. "This means that if you want to withdraw from competition this is your chance, but you will no longer have the chance to become a Chuunin in this exam. Dropping out will not panelize your team in any way." Everyone looked around, wondering who, if anyone would withdraw. One hand rose up.
"I want to withdraw," it was Kabuto, the one that had shown them the information cards before the first test. Naruto and a few others frowned, other than being a little beat up he didn't look like anything was wrong with him. "I've exhausted my chakra and wouldn't be able to fight anyone effectively."
That excuse didn't seem right at all to Naruto, he silently activated his Demon Eyes to the first level and looked at Kabuto. Sure enough, the colors showed that he was lying. There were a few other colors that Naruto didn't have associations with, and wished that he could ask Kyuubi about them.
As the referee checked him off the list of contenders, Naruto noticed that Hinata was looking at him oddly from the row next to him. As he looked at her he saw her confidence instantly vanish and a deep pink instantly surface. Quickly he realized that his demon eyes were still active. He cursed himself, without Kyuubi's help he must not be able to hide the demon eyes in first level. He didn't have time to wonder as to what the deep pink meant because his team mates hard started a silent argument.
"You should withdraw," Sakura was urging Sasuke. "That thing on your neck, it's bad, it needs to be taken care of." Sasuke was rubbing the mark with his fingers trying to ease away the pain that it caused him, but he quickly pulled his hand away when he saw his teammates looking. "It's hurting you. Please, I want you to pull out of this fight. I'm afraid…" Sakura looked like she was on the verge of tears. "If you don't withdraw then I'll tell them about the mark." She started to raise her hand but Sasuke grabbed her wrist and stopped her.
"Be quiet," he muttered to her. "I am alright. We've had our rest, I will be fine. And just stay out of my business." Even Naruto was shocked by such an open dismissal of Sakura's feelings. She had a right to be worried, and not just as a friend but as a teammate.
Naruto looked up at the Jounin teachers standing behind the Hokage and saw that they were talking amongst themselves in hushed tones. He saw a few glances at Sasuke and took a guess as to what they were talking about.
"Sakura," Naruto whispered. "I think it will be alright." Sakura glanced at him and then back at Sasuke still worried. "Kakashi won't let anything happen to us." I hope, he thought to himself, though not voicing it.
Sakura looked past them up to Kakashi on the stage. She bit her lip, thinking it over, she may not trust Naruto, but she still trusted Kakashi, and Naruto was right. She nodded and when Sasuke let go of her hand she didn't try to raise it. After she had taken a deep breath she turned to look at Naruto, Sasuke looked as well.
"What," Naruto asked, confused for a moment? "Oh hell no, there is no way I'm backing out of this thing." He glanced around at a few of the other teams. "I have unfinished business," he said as he looked at Gaara.
"Yea," Sasuke agreed, but he was looking directly at Naruto. "I want to fight you." Naruto was surprised by this proclamation, but grinned none the less.
"I can't wait." It was then that their attention was called back to the referee.
"If that is going to be everyone?" He coughed lightly. "Then we have a total of twenty people. The ten matches will be randomly selected by computer and displayed up on that screen." He pointed up behind him to a screen imbedded in the wall. "We will start the first matched immediately." He looked up at the screen. "Uchiha Sasuke and Akado Yoroi remain here. Everyone else will please go to the upper levels and wait until your fight is called." He pointed to the stairs and everyone headed in that direction. Naruto reached up and patted Sasuke on the shoulder.
"Don't loose too early," he grinned. "I'll be waiting for you up there." Sakura nodded and followed after Naruto. The Hokage disappeared from the stage and so did most of the Jounin, leaving behind the instructors of the teams that had made it. Everyone went up to the upper level. Naruto didn't see it but he heard Kakashi whisper with Sasuke.
"Don't use your Sharingan," Kakashi's voice was not quite his usual calm, but he was still relaxed. "If that Curse on your neck becomes active, you might die. If that happens I'm going to stop the fight." He then continued up the stairs, taking Sasuke's grunt as one of acceptance to his terms.
Naruto was relieved. He hadn't been sure that Kakashi would stop the fight, but Kakashi's words had confirmed what he had already suspected. Without worried he walked up the steps and onto the upper balcony. He stood, leaning against the balcony railing and watches as the fight begins. Kasei wrapped his tail around Naruto's Ankles and watches the fight though the bars of the railing by Naruto's feet.
Sakura stood a little way away from Naruto, keeping Kakashi between them when he came up. The other teams kept together, usually with their teacher standing right behind them. Everyone was watching intently as the ref started the fight. Akado Yoroi, Sasuke's opponent, started by performing a hand seal and focused chakra into his right hand. With chakra burning around his right hand he launched several shuriken at Sasuke with his other hand.
Sasuke took out a kunai and blocked the shuriken, hitting them with such force that they flew back at Yoroi. But something was wrong, Naruto could see that, Sasuke flinched in pain and almost fell to the ground. Staying upright he just barely managed to dodge his opponent's next attack. Yoroi had dodged his shuriken and managed to get behind Sasuke, trying for a hard punch with his glowing right hand. Sasuke managed to jump out of the way, and tried to grapple with Yoroi, forcing him down with a complex hold against his left arm.
Naruto itched to try the first level of his Demonic Eyes, but he couldn't, without Kyuubi's help he couldn't hide the effects of the First Level. So he contented himself to watch, he sat down cross-legged and watched though the gaps in the bars, Kasei moving and laying down, putting his head in Naruto's lap, both watched the fight, curious to see how strong Sasuke was against an unknown opponent.
The answer appeared to be not very strong at all. Yoroi had managed to grab Sasuke with his right hand, stopping him from completing the hold that could have ended the fight. Naruto frowned as he watched, something was wrong with this fight. Sasuke shouldn't be having this much trouble, he thought to himself. Naruto glanced up at Kakashi to see what he was doing, and saw that he was watching the fight. Naruto turned back and watched the fight as well.
Yoroi had managed to break the hold that Sasuke had on him and had grabbed Sasuke by the head.
"What is going on," Naruto questioned to no one in particular. "He's rested, there wasn't any trouble. He should have much more energy…" He watched as Sasuke managed to get away from his opponent once, and stood a ways apart from him.
"I see how it is," Sasuke said as he tried to reclaim his breath. "Somehow you're drawing out my chakra." He wobbled into a ready positing, and tried to think of a way to defeat the stamina draining effects of the technique. But his opponent didn't give him a chance to think, attacking quickly with his glowing hand, keeping Sasuke on a retreating defensive. He could only withstand a few more sustained grabs before he would be completely out of energy.
Even as Sasuke was fighting Naruto noticed a few things. Yoroi attacked more with his right hand than he did with his other hand or feet. And while it seems like a good idea with a draining skill, there were drawbacks as well. If Sasuke could get past Yoroi's hand he might be able to get in one attack before he could react. With Sasuke he only needed one good attack. Naruto saw the look on Sasuke's face change for an instant and then he became more determined.
"He's got it," Naruto said. "Sasuke's going to win." Sakura looked at Naruto wondering what he meant before quickly looking back at the fight. Though he didn't notice, a few other people looked at him as well, mostly teachers, but it didn't last long as they looked at the fight wondering if Naruto saw the same thing they did.
Then suddenly it came. Sasuke performed an unexpected attack, it was an attack that a few people recognized as not Sasuke's. Sasuke had attacked with a back slide towards Yoroi, at the last instant, he kicked straight up into Yoroi's jaw, sending him flying into the air. Sasuke lowered himself and then pushed off following after the stunned Yoroi. He appeared just behind the Nin and grinned at the knowledge that he was about to win.
Unfortunately it was at that moment that the cursed seal activated on his neck and started to spread. Black curling tear drops started growing along his skin, spreading out from the central spot on his neck. Those that saw were shocked to see it. Those that knew what it was readied themselves to stop the fight. The ones who didn't know what it was just watched in amazement. Naruto watched, he could sense the tainted chakra that Sasuke was giving off and was repulsed by it. Kasei crouched and growled, recognizing the feeling as evil and wanting nothing to do with it. Kakashi took an instant to look at the small fox, he decided to find out what happened in the forest as soon as he could, he looked back as Sasuke and was about to jump in when the marks stopped moving across Sasuke's skin.
A look of pain, and possibly anger appeared on Sasuke's face. He did not like the idea of this mark on his body controlling him. He gritted his teeth and concentrated, after a second his eyes shot open and the mark stopped moving. It reversed its track and returned the original spot. With his mind free once again he attacked his opponent, his mental struggle had drained him of his precious reserves, and he only had the chance for one final attack. He spun himself and tried to kick Yoroi in the side but he was blocked. In an instant he had reversed direction and landed a hard back hand hit to Yoroi's face. As they started to fall Sasuke kept attacking, punching Yoroi in the gut before one final spin. As they landed Sasuke increased the damage one last time by kicking his opponent in the gut just as he hit the ground.
The final impact had also hurt Sasuke and knocked him away from Yoroi. As Sasuke tried to get up the examiner stepped up to the other and knelt down next to him. He stood up and smiled a little as Sasuke wiped blood off his cheek.
"Winner, Uchiha Sasuke," and the first match was over. As Sasuke relaxed, he found himself dizzy for a moment and started to fall back, only to be caught by Kakashi.
Medic ninja came into the room to check the two contestants and determine if medical care was needed for either and to remove them from the battle area if it was. Naruto didn't hear what Kakashi said but he saw him wave off the medic and leave with Sasuke. Sasuke didn't seem pleased with this, but Kakashi didn't give him any choice in the matter.
Naruto turned away from the edge of the balcony and walked over to the wall. He sat down and settled back. The fox walked over and lay down next to him, setting his head down in Naruto's lap. Naruto scratched his head and closed his eyes.
"Kasei," the fox's ears perked up a little but other than that it didn't move at all. "Wake me when it's my turn, or when it is Gaara's battle." Kasei gave a little yip that indicated he would. Naruto settled down and relaxed, sinking into his mind.
The difference was immediately apparent to Naruto. Kyuubi was gone, or so it appeared. It took Naruto a few moments to figure out exactly what he was looking at. There was no cage, instead there was a massive wall made of stone. Naruto walked up to the wall and put his hand against it. It felt different, wrong, not natural at all.
"So," he thought. "That is what that freak did. He completely blocked off my connection to Kyuubi… But how did he do it?" Naruto contemplated the wall and walked back and forth in front of it. "Well, this is my mind. I can do what I want here." Having said that he closed his eyes and opened his mind, trying to will the wall away. He opened his eyes but the wall was still there. "Okay, different tactic." Weapons appeared in the air, willed into existence by the power of his mind, the launched themselves at the barrier. Every single last one of them bounced off the wall, leaving not even a scratch. He continued for a while, trying various methods and ideas trying to remove the seal.
"Crap, it looks like I can't break through it from here. I'll have to do it from out there… But I don't even know how he did it. How the hell am I supposed to undo it?" His musings were interrupted as he felt something start gnawing on his hand back in the real world.
Ghost Wolf: "So you're going to end it with gnawing and licking?"
Quote the Speechless: "I think you missed the point there."
Ghost Wolf: "No I just think it's funny."
Quote the Speechless: "Well the most exciting fights arn't coming up until the next chapter."
Ghost Wolf: "Any chance we get to see Naruto kick some BUTT with these new powers?"
Quote the Speechless: "You'll just have to wait and see."
Ghost Wolf: "Asshole."