The Finals
Naruto and his team had been waiting within the tower for the test to end. The initial excitement at having passed quickly wore off to be replaced by boredom. They had been allowed to search around quite a few rooms and had even been given a training room to pass the time. However, there were areas within the tower that they had been forbidden from entering; leaving them to wonder what, or who, was being hidden.
It was due to these restrictions that they didn't even know who else had passed. It might have been that no one passed, or that many teams had passed. Both options were possible and with absolutely no contact with the outside world, they had no idea what was happening
Atsushi had been restless, constantly moving around or training within the provided room. He seemed utterly incapable of staying still and relaxing. Itachi was the exact opposite, keeping rather calm, occupying himself with meditation and reading whatever books were available.
Naruto was staying a little bit away from his teammates, preferring the company of his thoughts. There wasn't much to do within the portion of the tower they had access to, so he filled his spare time with planning. If they were truly to fight for the final part of the exam, then he would have to plan his training when he got out. He'd love to train within the tower, but he didn't have access to the things he really needed to make it worthwhile.
In the end, it was a relief for everyone when they received a visitor. The time limit was finally reached and whoever had made it into the tower with them were going to be their next challenge. A jounin had been sent to deliver a message pertaining to the next test.
"Congratulations to you all on being the first to pass the test, you do our village proud."
"First? So other teams did manage to pass. Can you tell us how many?" Naruto was sorely disappointed when the jounin shook his head.
"I cannot reveal how many have passed; you are to be kept in the dark about your future opponents as much as possible. What I can tell you is that you will be fighting, although any specifics on that are also secret."
"What's with all these secrets? It's getting annoying, what with us being kept in the dark about every test."
"We want to test your combat adaptability, how easily you can adjust to unknown enemy combatants. It's not actually an enforceable rule, the other teams might be cheating, but Hokage-sama wishes that those of Konoha showcase both their strength and ingenuity." Naruto couldn't help think that that sounded exactly like his father. Of course, it was also his father's honour that helped make the decision.
"The final test will begin in half a month giving you precious little time to prepare. On that day the test will begin at 0800 hours so I suggest you arrive early; show up late and you will be disqualified. That's all the basic information that you really need to know about this test, so you can leave. Just be warned that an Anbu squad will be following you as you exit, to ensure that you don't look or wait for any other teams. Doing so will result in an ass-kicking that will put you in the hospital for the fifteen days."
Mildly annoyed by the threat, which prevented them from doing what they had secretly been planning, the three genin began to leave the tower. As they walked through the exit, they noticed that there were in fact a couple of Anbu standing around. Walking past the silent guardians, the three genin continued out, intending on leaving the forest and beginning their training as soon as possible.
"So guys, how do you think we should train? We're obviously gonna have to focus on just one or two things since we don't have that much time to do anything that serious." Naruto was about to respond to Atsushi's question before he realized something rather important. The jounin had never said they wouldn't be fighting each other.
"I'm not sure that's such a good idea. You guys do realize that he didn't say anything about fighting each other. In fact the test will most likely be a tournament style battle system, where we keep fighting against until an ultimate victor is crowned." The statement brought all three genin to a halt as they stared at each other rather intently. Before another word could be spoken between the trio, they each burst off into a separate direction, intent on secluding themselves from the other two.
"Good news Fugaku-san, our sons have made it to the final test."
"Ha, there was never any doubt Hokage-sama. I expect that our sons shall meet each other in the finals." His statement was met with a grin. It was most likely true, Naruto and Itachi were easily the strongest from Konoha and Minato doubted that any village had genin at their level.
"Yes, I believe they will. When that occurs an opportunity to aid our cause shall present itself. Of course, if this doesn't work some of our work will be undone, so we must be successful." To say that Fugaku was interested would be an understatement. Already the voices of dissent within the Uchiha clan were fading. In addition, the villagers seemed much more accepting of his clan. If the Hokage had another plan then it would be foolish to not implement it.
"You've piqued my interest Hokage-sama. Please don't leave me in the dark."
"It may not be the greatest, but every little bit helps. Not only will it reinforce the teammate image, it will also, in and of itself, be another step towards our mutual goal. All I need is for you to talk to your son. This partnership was built to improve the way the village looks upon the Uchiha and this could be an unfortunate step backwards." Fugaku didn't like the implications of that statement. Things were looking a lot better than they had in decades and it would be unwise to allow anything to hurt that progress.
"We have to convince our son's that, in the very likely scenario that they end up in the final fight against each other, to end the match in a draw between each other." Fugaku frowned at that, his son wouldn't like that idea at all. In fact, he himself wasn't that comfortable with the idea, wanting his son to show off his full capabilities. Noticing this, Minato hurriedly continued.
"I know that you don't like this, but it's vital. Both of our children have to be convinced to do this. Think about what would happen if one triumphed over the other. If my son won, the Uchiha might feel inferior and villagers would see them as such. It might not be that bad, but it would still harm relations, something we don't need. If your son won, those who are ignorant would be angry at my son's loss to an Uchiha. Through a tie however, neither group comes out as angry, if at all, and our sons are seen as equals, further cementing the idea of camaraderie." After the brief explanation, Fugaku felt much better about the plan, although he was still of the opinion that his son wouldn't be as excepting of the idea. In fact, Naruto probably wouldn't like the idea very much either, making it difficult to actually implement the plan.
"I can see your point, but do you really think that either of our sons will agree to this idea. I know I speak for my own in saying that he will not like the idea of fighting to tie. He would see it as not only constrictive, but as a great dishonour to his opponent." Minato realized that what Fugaku said was true. His son would also feel the same way as Itachi.
"I know, my son has the same inclinations as yours. I also doubt that my son will want to agree with this plan and quite frankly we shouldn't force them. If word ever got out that we tried to rig the finals in any way, the other villages would be outraged. It's best if we simply ask our sons and not push the issue beyond that. If they end up not accepting, it isn't that great a loss to our cause. We will certainly be able to work around it, it would just be convenient for us should they accept."
"Very well, I shall talk to my son. However, I will not put much faith in him actually going through with plan." Getting up from his seat, Fugaku bowed to Minato and left the office.
Reaching his home, Naruto began to look around for any of his family. Finding nobody around, he was slightly disappointed that he wasn't able to share his success right away. Nevertheless, he had to begin training or creating new strategies. If his teammates actually ended up as his opponents, then he would need every advantage possible.
New jutsu could help out against Atsushi as he was more a melee fighter. However, they'd be pretty useless against Itachi, who could simply copy the technique and use it for himself. Training his body harder would certainly help against Itachi, if he couldn't keep up or match his strength then the advantage would be Naruto's. Again though, his other teammate would most likely still trounce him, he was a lot stronger and a superior taijutsu user. The only thing that would give him an advantage over both his teammates would be new tactics, surprising them both and giving him the advantage. He'd have to make them unorthodox or too fast to counter to beat Itachi's Sharingan though.
There had to be something that neither had any experience in that would give him a substantial edge in his planning. If they weren't familiar with whatever he used, they would be less likely to predict anything he tried. Deciding to head outside to the training grounds, he ended up running into his sister and mother, who had apparently been shopping. The moment his sister's eyes landed on him, she lit up and ran over to him, holding something.
"Tou-san told us that you passed the test; you're so awesome oni-chan! Me and Kaa-san went shopping to get you something Here you go oni-chan, I got you a sword because it's cool. Kaa-san helped me buy it for you! You'll be so awesome swinging it around and shouting 'hyaaaa'!" Naruto was amused at his sister's actions. She was always a loud and exuberant; it seemed as if she never ran out of energy.
Naruto took a look at what his sister had given him. He wasn't really knowledgeable in swords, but it seemed to be of pretty good quality. Doubtlessly his mother had paid for it, but it was a sweet gift nonetheless. While he didn't think he'd be running around playing samurai, he did see an advantage it would give him. He wouldn't actually have the time to really train in using any form of weaponry, but that didn't stop him from using them in a limited manner.
Taking his silence as unhappiness, Masuyo tried to explain herself. "Umm, I know it's not a really nice sword, but I thought you could practice with it." His sister seemed really disheartened. His opinion meant the world to her and she never wanted to disappoint him. Catching on to this, Naruto made sure to reassure her.
"Thanks a lot imouto-chan, it's a wonderful gift. You've given me a great idea for the test that'll help out a lot. Besides, you should know that any gift I get from you is a great one!" Overjoyed at his words, Masuyo flung herself at her brother, embracing him. Returning the hug, Naruto couldn't help but chuckle at her exuberance. She was certainly a lot more excitable then he had ever been as a child.
After finally disengaging himself from his sister, he turned to greet his mother.
"Congratulations Naruto-kun, I knew you could do it." His mother gave him a smile and hugged him as well although she didn't seem as interested in breaking his back as his sister had. As he hugged his mother back, he couldn't help but be inspired. Both her and Naruto's father were really good at something that most shinobi barely had rudimentary knowledge in. It seemed that both his sister and mother had just aided him quite heavily.
Naruto had spent his fifteen days doing what he felt represented the best possible chance for him to win against every opponent he might have. He had changed his clothes, not so much for a fashion statement, but to aid him in hiding his abilities. He now wore a mesh shirt underneath a red haori that purposefully hid his arms. He wore black plants that had been tapped down under the knee and had put on black finger-less gloves.
He couldn't hide his excitement, walking towards the arena full of energy. He could hear the roar of the crowd and could only imagine what it would be like in the arena itself. Fighting in such an atmosphere would be intense.
With that thought, some of Naruto's excitement wore off. His father had come to him while he had been training and asked something of him. His father wanted him to fight for a tie should he ever come up against Itachi. Apparently his father thought it would help the Uchiha clan, but Naruto was of the opinion that his father was over-thinking things.
He had already decided what he was going to do though; he was going to give it his all. It would feel far to wrong to purposefully cheat to gain a certain result, which was something he doubted other villages would appreciate. Besides, he respected Itachi too much to not fight with the intent to win.
As he entered into the area where the genin were meant to wait, he and Itachi shared a look. It seemed as if Itachi had been asked the same thing Naruto himself had and had chosen the same. A nod was exchanged between the two but nothing more. The team was staying away from each other a bit, still worried about giving away something to one another.
A jounin soon appeared in the small room the three genin were in.
"You guys are up first. It's going to be a team battle and there are three other teams who passed. Once your battle is done, the next two teams will fight. After that the six remaining fighters will be pitted in a one-on-one fight. Finally a battle royale between the three winner will commence to decide the winner of the entire tournament. Now hurry up and get the hell out there and don't embarrass our village!"
When they reached the battleground, they found themselves pitted against some Kiri shinobi. As the proctor for the test began a speech, the three genin decided it was okay to talk to each other about this match.
"Alright, we're going to have to work to end this quickly. Don't wanna be tired for when we end up fighting each other. You two should focus on one person; I'll create a few clones to distract the other two. Once you've easily overpowered your target, move in and take on another single fighter. Then we'll focus all of our efforts against the last one." The other two nodded, excepting Naruto's plan.
As the match began, Naruto quickly got an explosive kunai ready and launched it at his opponents. As they split up to avoid the blast, Naruto created three clones and attacked the two who had grouped together. Itachi and Atsushi quickly went after the loner, intent on decimating him quickly and aiding Naruto.
Facing his opponent, while the clones distracted the other one, Naruto smirked. "This is going to be fun." Charging forwards, he began to trade blows with his opponent, being sure to take a hit every now and again. Taking out a kunai, he began to slash at his opponent, forcing him to jump back. The moment he did so, one of Naruto's clone dispelled itself and Naruto turned to throw the kunai without even looking. His weapon cut through the smoke a a pained cry could be heard. Feeling good, he turned his attention back to his opponent.
Itachi and Atsushi were dominating their opponent. The poor genin couldn't keep up with either one alone; never mind that both were attacking simultaneously. Itachi was taking his attention, while Atsushi would land devestating blows that would sometimes break bones. The poor guy was soon left on the ground, moaning in pain, incapable or moving with all the broken bones.
As Naruto was engaged with his opponent, his two teammates arrived to help. Against the three of them, their opponent barely lasted a third of the time his teammate did. He simply hadn't been ready for the massive rush that the other team had performed, none of his teammates were. They had expected a slower paced one-on-one style battle and had been blindsided by this lighting fast attack.
The three genin turned to see their last opponent facing off against a single clone. The kunai that Naruto had thrown was still lodged in his body and he could barely keep fighting with the injuries he had gained. Noticing his creator's victory, the clone pointed behind his opponent and dispelled.
Turning to look at the battlefield, the Kiri shinobi paled. His entire team had been taken out while he was being kicked around by some clones. Looking at the three shinobi arrayed against him, the he raised his hand above his head. "I give up."
With the crowd roaring and the adrenaline still pumping through their veins, the victorious team basked in their win. Returning to their room felt a bit anti-climactic but they welcomed the chance to rest and get back to 100%.
Returning to the room they had previously been in, they turned to watch the other match. It actually had the Taki team that Naruto had noticed earlier against a Suna team. It was a rather boring fight, as it was clear that the green haired girl was the only one who was good on her team. She must have carried them through the second test.
It wasn't long before her two teammates were taken down, leaving her to fight against three opponents. She put up an excellent fight, she seemed to have a lot of stamina, but it was ultimately useless. She simply wasn't at the level required to defeat three rather strong Suna shinobi. Still, her battle proved to be rather useful for Naruto.
The first Suna shinobi was a sword user, far more talented than Naruto. She'd be a dangerous opponent, although he doubted she'd actually have a chance to beat him. The next wielded Fūton jutsu at a level Naruto was slightly jealous of, although the Suna shinobi had the help of a fan. The last one was a melee fighter, similar to Atsushi, but far more arrogant. He would be the easiest of the three to beat.
Atsushi was next to go up. He was pit against the swordswoman. The battle started out rather predictably, with Atsushi running to close the distance right away. His usual strategy of physically overpowering his opponent was thwarted. That sword made it dangerous for him to attack and he wasn't really used to fighting someone who wielded it.
He did manage to adapt to it though, learning to lead his opponent into overextending certain strikes to give him the time to land a hit. This went on for a while until Atsushi went to finish the fight with an super powered kick. He might have landed the strike, but his opponent landed two debilitating strikes of her own, rendering him incapable of fighting any longer. Of course, she wasn't even conscious anymore so the match ended in a tie.
Itachi went out to face his opponent, the fan wielding shinobi. It was an incredibly one-sided match, as Itachi was able to easily counter every single jutsu his opponent tried. Being an Uchiha and having a Fūton using teammate gave him a massive advantage. That and the fact that Itachi was far superior in every other regard made the match rather quick.
Finally, it was time for Naruto's fight. It was good luck that he had gotten who he did as an opponent. He was incredibly excited about the inevitable fight that would occur between him and Itachi. He just hoped his father wouldn't be too disappointed when he won.
"You're a Namikaze huh? My name's Moloch and it'll be a pleasure to kick your ass!" Staring at his opponent amused, Naruto decided to stay quiet. It wasn't long before the fight started.
The two fighters stood still, scrutinizing their opponent and waiting for the other to make the first. As the standoff began to drag on, Naruto, in a fit of impatience, went on the offensive. He quickly reached his opponent and let loose a series of punches, all of which were blocked. Catching on to a pattern, Moloch struck during an opening, launching Naruto backwards.
Pressing his advantage, he quickly put Naruto on the defensive. It seemed as if Moloch was too fast, strong, and skilled for Naruto to mount an effective counter attack. Desperate to separate himself from his opponent, Naruto grabbed a kunai from his pouch to throw. His lapse in concentration cost him however as his face was treated to a palm strike.
Falling backwards, Naruto threw the kunai to force his opponent to dodge. With the momentary reprieve, Naruto planted his other hand on the ground and flipped back onto his feet. Knowing that his opponent would be closing in already, he grabbed some shuriken and sent them towards Moloch the instant he could properly aim them. They were easily dodged, though they forced Moloch back.
With some distance finally established between the two fighters, Naruto took the chance to catch his breath. Noticing his opponent's winded state, Moloch began to laugh.
"This is the son of the great Yondaime Hokage? I expected you to actually be strong, but instead it's like I'm fighting an academy student. Perhaps the reputation you father holds is misplaced, or perhaps you are simply a failure." It took a some effort to not rise to the bait, as Naruto was pissed off. Nevertheless, Naruto knew that rushing in blindly was simply a waste. Perhaps a distraction was in order.
Forming several clones, Naruto joined them in a head on attack. Although they had the superiority in numbers, Moloch easily wove through them, casually destroying them until he reached the real Naruto. Knocking Naruto across the arena with a powerful punch, he decided to do a bit more posturing instead of actually continuing to push Naruto.
"Seriously, if this is the best that Konoha has to offer than I pity your pathetic village. I'm not even sure if I can continue this match. I've never felt good about hurting a civilian and that feels like what I'm fighting against right now." Getting up, Naruto smirked. His opponent was such an arrogant fool, it was going to be so much more rewarding when he beat him.
Fighter's box
"What the hell is Naruto doing? I don't know how strong he is after the month of training, but I know for sure that he was much better than this guy before he even joined our team." Atsushi couldn't believe his eyes; Naruto was getting pounded into the ground. The same Naruto who had just waltzed onto their team, already as good as Itachi. He'd never admit it, but he was jealous of Naruto and his talent. Atsushi never missed a chance to boast his skills, being on the team that he was on he felt overshadowed.
"I'm not sure what exactly he's going to do, although it's clear that he's hiding his strength. He wants to remain a mystery as it gives him a massive advantage over the other fighters who've been showing off each fight." Atsushi ignored Itachi's rather pointed stare. "He needs to be careful though, his tactics are costing him more chakra than what he needs to end this match. His reserves are finite and the overuse of kage bunshin will begin to catch up with him if he doesn't end this fight soon."
Atsushi took another look down at the fight and realized that what Itachi had said was true. He had fought alongside Naruto long enough to know his movements were quicker and more precise than what was on display. Now that his eyes had been opened, he could easily tell that Naruto was trying to lead his opponent into a trap, although Atsushi was as much in the dark as Itachi on what it could be.
The Fight
"Kage bunshin no jutsu." Out of the smoke appeared four Narutos, all looking ready to fight. This was going to be his final attack, his opponent was far too confident in his abilities at this point to evade the trap Naruto had set. If only the arrogant fool could see past the front that Naruto was putting up.
"You're becoming repetitive and boring. Is this all you can do?" Seemingly falling for the taunts, the Narutos all charged at once. "So many openings, I don't even have to try!"
The first Naruto threw a punch that was dodged and earned a kunai to the stomach for his trouble, dispelling the now revealed clone. Throwing the kunai in his hand, Moloch hit another Naruto dead in the forehead, creating another puff of smoke. "Two down, three to go." The three remaining Narutos decided to hang back, wary of their opponent.
Unfortunately for them, he wasn't willing to give them a chance to plan. Speeding towards the three Narutos, he threw a hard punch that caught the rightmost one of guard, sending the clone sprawling. Using the momentum from his punch, he delivered a roundhouse to the Naruto who had been in the middle. As the clone went up in smoke Moloch smirked. What he couldn't have known was that the fight's outcome had already been decided.
"Looks like I found the real you. So, what are you going to do? Hide behind another group of weaklings?" With a laugh he shot forwards and slammed his fist into Naruto, sending him flying. To Moloch's surprise, when Naruto landed he went up in a cloud of smoke.
"Tch, must've used the smoke to hide himself in the trees, coward." Turning towards the trees, he was about to call Naruto out when he felt multiple slices along his legs. Before he could even react, Naruto had spun around to his front and jammed a kunai into each of his arms. He legs began to shake, before he fell to the ground, unable to support his own weight.
"I guess you were too stupid to confirm your kill. Worked out perfectly for me though. I've cut major tendons in your legs, and your arms are now useless. You won't even be able to get up, let alone fight." Seeing the confused yet hateful look, Naruto chuckled. He patted his chest where his shirt was now missing a button. "Henge, sometimes the basics are deadly."
The crowd was absolutely stunned by the unexpected victory. Slowly, people began to clap until the entire stadium was filled with the cheers of the audience. Medic-nins quickly rushed onto the battlefield to tend to the wounds Naruto had inflicted upon his opponent.
Hokage's Box
Watching his son fight brought up mixed feelings within Minato. He was most definitely proud of his son. Naruto had been watching his opponents earlier fight and planned accordingly to play against their strengths. He played a weak fighter who depended on kage bunshin to fight and struck the final blow only after lulling his opponent into a false sense of security. Very few could boast to having such prowess on the battlefield at such a young age.
Yet therein lay his discomfort. His son had grown up far too fast, he hadn't enjoyed his childhood as much as he should have. Sure, the things his son had experienced were rather par for the course when it came to being a shinobi, but he need not have experienced them so early on. Perhaps the system needed to be changed; those so young should stay within the academy until the reached the graduation age. Too many deaths and scarred children resulted from early graduation.
It almost felt like favoritism, but he wouldn't allow Masuyo to go through the same things. Mistakes helped improve things, but this was a mistake that Minato wished he never had to make in the first place. He'd have to think of some way to keep Naruto closer to the village, prevent him from having to face too many difficult situations.
Perhaps his daughter was the answer. The two siblings were obviously very close so having them help each other out would be an excellent solution to both the problems. It probably wouldn't even take that much effort to get his son to agree with his plan. His daughter needed someone who could properly teach her and protect her; his son needed to be kept away from so many dangerous missions. He'd just have to ensure that his son didn't become an Anbu.
Such thoughts were for best saved for later though, as now that Naruto's fight was over, the final fight was set to begin. The fight was important, as it would have an effect on the Uchiha-Konoha situation. Not just that, it was the fight between the greatest genin that had been seen in Konoha for a long time; it was a great way to show off their village's power.
Arena Floor
"The final fighters have been decided. As one of the previous matches ended in a draw, there will only be two fighters. The match to determine the strongest genin will be between Uchiha Itachi and Namikaze Naruto!" Thunderous applause rang throughout the entire arena. This was a fight that everyone had hoped to see; the Uchiha prodigy versus the Hokage's son. Both had shown themselves to be great shinobi and a contest between the two could only be amazing.
Itachi quickly made his way down, Naruto having remained there since the conclusion of his last fight. Both the genin were anxious to test their skills against such a formidable opponent. They each were ready to disregard their fathers' wishes, holding to much respect for their opponent to simply end the match without doing their best to win.
Their focus on each other was so intense, that they barely heard the signal to begin the fight. Itachi instantly activated his Sharingan, ready to place his opponent in an illusion. Naruto had anticipated this and kept his gaze away from Itachi's eyes. Both of them were fairly well acclimated to each other's fighting habits, so it would boil down to who messed up first or had gained the most unanticipated skill.
For his part, Naruto ripped his sleeves off, revealing the mass of seals running along each arm. It was a nod to his Uzumaki heritage and deadly useful in battle. It showed when he ran his left hand across his other arm, unsealing two kunai with explosive tags already on them. No way would it actually hit an on-guard Sharingan user, but it was a great way to start off a match. The resulting explosion was quite spectacular.
Naruto wasted no time in reaching the still recovering Itachi. He went for a chakra enhanced kick, hoping Itachi was still distracted enough to land it, but was disappointed. Itachi smoothly dodged the kick and struck back, his punch hitting Naruto in the kidney. Coughing some blood, Naruto jumped back and unsealed another explosive kunai to distract Itachi so he could recover.
He had to test the Itachi, see what had changed. Creating three clones, he sent out two of them to engage Itachi in taijutsu. Watching Itachi deal with both clones, he could tell that Itachi hadn't really improved in either strength or speed. That meant he most likely devoted his time to learning jutsu or creating new attacks, life Naruto himself had.
Quickly forming handseals, 'Fūton: Daitoppa', a great gust of wind was sent at Itachi. Immediately after his jutsu was completed, the clone beside him throwing a couple of shuriken after it. The jutsu blindsided Itachi and the clones, blowing them away and dispelling the clones. As Itachi hit the arena wall, the shuriken came flying towards him. They hit their mark, but a puff of smoke revealed that they had only hit a log; Itachi managing a last second substitution.
Naruto surveyed the small forested area, trying to find Itachi. Catching sight of him and his clone hiding, he and his own clone began to move forward. A hail of kunai erupted from the tree line, forcing Naruto to dive out of the way, his clone not quick enough to escape. As Naruto landed, Itachi had finished his preparations and a shout of "Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu" could be heard, along with a volley of fireballs that flew out from the trees. The clone then used its own Fūton: Daitoppa, greatly increasing the size and speed of the fireballs.
Naruto had been ready for the original attack, so the combination surprised him. Creating a clone, he had it use another Fūton: Daitoppa, but on him. The gale threw him backwards, far out of the range of Itachi's combination technique. Just as he was blown away, the combination technique slammed into his clone and the spot he used to be in, creating a massive explosion of fire. Shit, it looked like Itachi had decided to train in jutsu.
Both Itachi and his clone jumped out of the trees and onto the arena floor. He allowed his clone to attack Naruto, deciding that it was his turn to gauge the differences in his opponents strength. He noticed the same things Naruto had and worried what might his teammate might have learned. His clone was soon destroyed, giving him another perspective on the fight and confirming his analysis.
Running his right hand along a seal on his left arm, Naruto unsealed a short length of chain that had a weight on either end. Spinning the chain, he threw it towards Itachi, hoping that he would dodge the attempt at snaring his legs. The moment Itachi's feet left the ground, Naruto unsealed two kunai, one regular, the other explosive. Throwing the regular one at Itachi to distract him, Naruto threw the explosive one towards where Itachi would land.
Catching onto Naruto's ploy with his Sharigan, Itachi knocked created a clone that would take the hit from the regular kunai and push him away from the explosion in mid-air. The concussive force of the explosion still hit him, as he was almost on top of it when he performed his escape, knocking him away and forcing him to hit the ground hard. He was pretty sure that he had a broken rib from that. There was no time to worry about that however, as Naruto had jumped above him and had a massive hammer in his hands. Barely rolling out of the way in time, his eyes widened at the small crater that formed from the impact. Getting to his feet, he quickly fired off another cluster of fireballs, hoping to take away Naruto's momentum. He succeeded when Naruto retreated and resealed his hammer.
Staring at his opponent, Naruto decided it was time to take the initiative and end the battle however he could. Obviously holding any strength or tricks back was going to end in disaster. Putting his hands behind his back, Naruto removed his gloves and charged forwards, bringing his right hand out from behind his back to strike Itachi.
Itachi found it odd that Naruto was going for a head-on attack again, until his superior eye sight caught the seal on his hand. In a puff of smoke, Naruto had a katana in his hand. Had it not been for the Sharingan and his extraordinary reflexes Itachi would have received a massive and debilitating cut. As it was, he still felt the sting of the blade cutting his flesh, but it was shallow, presented little risk, and didn't hinder him.
"Had I been anyone else, this fight and my life would have just been ended. However, these eyes render your surprise strikes useless."
Naruto couldn't help but appreciate the truth of that statement as Itachi countered every single one of Naruto's slashes. Granted, Naruto wasn't really that great with a sword, but his speed helped him out immensely. Unfortunately his agility meant little against the predictive abilities of the Sharingan. Dismissing the katana, Naruto thought about his next move before smirking.
Speeding towards Itachi, Naruto unsealed a sheathed sword from his left hand. Holding onto it with one hand while the other prepared to it to be drawn, he closed the distance between them nearly instantly. Itachi noticed this and brought out a kunai for another inevitable clash of steel. As Naruto let loose a lighting fast slash from drawing his sword, Itachi easily moved backwards, his prediction abilities aiding him greatly. Unfortunately, what they couldn't have predicted was the powder that accompanied Naruto's slash. It flew into Itachi's eyes, blinding him. Naruto must have had it hidden in the sheath so that it would fly out whenever he performed a quick draw slash.
With Itachi no longer able to see, Naruto quickly pressed his advantage in the form of his katana through Itachi's stomach. What he didn't expect was for Itachi to be retaliate by lodging the kunai into the shoulder of Naruto's sword arm. As Naruto roared in pain, Itachi went through some handseals and breathed out a large ball of flame. Jumping out of the way, Naruto's left leg and arm were caught in the flames, severely burning them.
The two combatants were both injured and barely able to continue standing, let alone fighting. Itachi couldn't see and was bleeding quite heavily from his stomach wound, while Naruto's arms were useless and he couldn't stand up properly. The fight had also left them exhausted and their chakra reserves almost empty. Seeing as neither could even enter a fighting stance, the proctor stepped up.
"Both shinobi are unable to continue and in need of immediate medical attention, I declare this match to be a draw!" The statement was met with mixed reactions. Those who had placed bets were almost universally angry at their loss, the few having bet on a draw ecstatic at their win. The rest of the crowd was on their feet, cheering for the two genin. It had been a fight on a level far beyond what any normal genin could ever aspire to achieve.
"Great job Itachi, it was an honour fighting against you." Naruto smiled at Itachi, though the blinded genin couldn't see it.
"Likewise. You are a skilled fighter and I was lucky to score a draw." A identical smile formed on Itachi's face.
The show of camaraderie brought out another massive cheer from the crowd. They shouted praises of both the Namikaze and the Uchiha. To the crowd, it was easy to see that these two shinobi were great friends who respected each other.
Waiting for the crowd's adulation to cease, Minato inwardly cheered. This was exactly what he and Fugaku had wanted and asked of their sons. A tie between the two so neither would be seen as superior. It wouldn't do for the Uchiha clan to feel inferior or to have stupid villagers angry at the loss of his son. He had been worried that neither child was actually going to allow for a tie, but it seemed they were evenly matched. Naruto had more versatility in his attacks, whereas Itachi had the Sharingan.
Once the noise had begun to die off, Minato stood up and walked to the edge of his booth. His movements caught the attention of most in the arena who instantly fell silent, those who hadn't immediately noticed him soon did.
"These two genin deserve to be applauded. They made it through two tests that hundreds of others were incapable of passing. They proved their loyalty to their village and its people. Then they demonstrated their ability to complete a mission fraught with danger Finally, here before our very eyes, they have proven that they hold not only the strength but the intelligence of those far older. While there will be deliberation for the others, I can, at the very least, present to you two new chunins!"
Fūton: Daitoppa = Great Breakthrough
Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu = Phoenix Sage Fire Technique
I was apprehensive about following the canon for the format of this test, but truthfully it is the best way to demonstrate the strength of the chunin hopefuls to a large crowd. I did mix it up a little bit though, I thought showing off the team dynamics where they could properly be observed was a good idea.
In regards to the actual fights, I was aiming for a more tactics based battle. Due to the way Naruto was trained, he is far more comfortable trapping his opponents. So when he fights he does his best to avoid actually being a part of a fist or jutsu fight, unless it falls into his plan. I should thank Wacko12 who asked me about weapons, which quickly gave me multiple ideas of things for Naruto to use to gain the upperhand.
Considering I'm thanking people, I'd also like to thank everyone who has favourited/followed this story. This especially extends to those who have reviewed my story, all of whom have taken time out of their day to let me know their thoughts. The support from all of you is very much appreciated.
I feel I'm really getting into the grove of writing, so along with this chapter comes the release of my second story, 'The Twins', which you should totally go read. It's been bugging me and I couldn't leave it so I've started writing, but this story is going to remain my main focus.