The group of fighters stood in acknowledgment of the roster.
"So." Said Neji softly as he looked over at Kankuro." I'll have him in the first round." Kankuro turned over and saw Neji starring him down.
Tenten stood between the two and looked at both of them. Neji went to make a move at Kankuro but then Tenten jumped in his way and grabbed his arm pulling him off in the other direction.
"Now Neji if I didn't know any better." She said as she did so." I'd say you are jealous."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Said Neji trying to keep his cool, but Tenten could see in his eyes how he really felt.
"Oh okay." Said Tenten. Then she turned and walked away from him.
"What are you doing?" asked Neji to her. Tenten turned and walked over to Kankuro.
"Good luck." Said Tenten with a smile at him. Neji's eyes burst open from shock.
He didn't know it but Choji came up next to him at that point.
"Will the first two competitors please set up?" asked Shizune who had just moved off to the side for a moments.
"Go get him champ." Said Choji as he patted Neji on the back.
Then Neji stepped up and simultaneously Kankuro did the same. The two walked up to the center of the room eyeing each other down the whole way.
"Behind me." Said Shizune pointing to the hallways behind her." Is the arena where you two will enter and begin your battle. You fight until one of you gives up or is killed. Do you understand?" The two boys nodded." Very well be on your way." Then she walked away from them as the two competitors began to walk down the hallway." As for the rest of the fighters." Said Shizune addressing the rest of the crowd." We've set up a small lounge area on the floor above, you'll all wait they're until your fight."
Then the rest of the fighters began to make their way to the lounge area.
At that time Shikamru tried to move away but Kiba was quickly on him and wrapped his arm around his friend and held him tightly.
"What was that before?" asked Kiba as he smiled at Shikamaur." About becoming tamed." Shikamaru gave a sheepish chuckle in reply.
"Well what I meant to say was." Shikamaru said as Kiba continued to look down on him, but then began to stutter under his friends menacing stare so Shikamaru just said the first thing that came to his mind." You have beautiful eyes." He finished by adding a smile.
"Hey let's go." Said Choji as he pushed the two along suddenly breaking them up." You two lovebird will have the whole ring to yourselves soon enough." Then the three continued on with Gaara close behind.
Meanwhile Neji and Kankuro had come out at the end of the hall and into the arena. The sun was so blinding at first that they had to shield their eyes. But once they ventured out more they put their arms down and looked around them. The crowd roared and cheered. Tsunade sat in the center of the crowd in her own section.
The two fighters walked out into the middle of the stadium. Then Tsunade stood up.
"Here." She said." In round one is Neji Hyugga of the Leaf village." She paused and let the crowd cheer." Versus Kankuro of the sand village." She stopped again to let the crowd cheer." Let the tournament begin." Then she sat down and the crowd cheered out once more. Just above the arena there was a small lounge area where the other fighters stayed.
Once up there Kiba, Shikamaru, and Choji made their way over to the edge to watch the fight.
As the crowd cheered Kankuro and Neji turned to each other.
"Are you ready?" asked Neji.
"Ready as I'll ever be." Said Kankuro as he placed his hand on his backpack. Then he flung it forward and there was his crow puppet.
Neji assumed his fighting stance as all became quiet while the two eyed each other down.
"This is gonna be good." Said Kiba to Choji.
"Now we'll really see how he feels." Said Tenten.
Then Kankuro started off the battle sending his crow puppet flying forward. Neji saw him coming and braced himself by activating his byakugan.
Crow came up and with a knife that came out of his arm swung at Neji but Neji dodged. Crow turned swiftly and struck at Neji again only for Neji to jumped back dodging once more.
Then Crow stood and with a wiggle of his fingers from Kankuro Crow's arm grew longer and shot out with his dagger at Neji.
But Neji did a back flip and dodged the knife just as it passed over his face.
Then when the arm had extended over his head and Neji had put his feet he reached out his arm and struck the puppet's limb, crushing it into pieces.
A gasp of surprise came over Kankuro as he saw his puppet's arm get cracked in half.
"He's good." Said Gaara as he watched on.
Kankuro had little time to react as Neji quickly flung himself forward and at him.
Neji flew forward and swung his arm at Kankuro, but Kankuro quickly jumped out of the way. But Neji was quick and with a sudden turn his feet he sprang forward and kicked Kankuro in the head sending him down to the ground below.
"Game, set, match." Said Kiba.
"Don't be so sure." Said Shikamaru." I never knew the sand ninja to be beaten so easily."
"But Neji's ten times as stubborn as twenty of them put together." Said Tenten." He'll keep fighting this battle no matter what. This battle was over before it began."
Neji stood over Kankuro as he lay on the ground motionless. He waited several moments for any response and soon he got one.
Kankuro began picking himself up it was then that Neji noticed something strange. His skin appeared to be crumbling off his face.
Then before he could deter any more Kankuro sprouted four arms and suddenly came at Neji.
Neji put his arms up and blocked, as Kankuro turned into another puppet with knives around his arms and lashed out at Neji.
Little did Neji know that the real Kankuro was hiding in the trees amongst the arena.
Neji jumped back as the black ant came at him and he ducked when it swung it's razor arms at him, but then Neji noticed something else.
Coming up from behind him was the crow puppet. The head was aiming down at him with a large needle from it's mouth.
Neji quickly ducked down as the crow shot at him and when he did the crow struck the black ant dead in his chest.
Now they were both puppet's and Neji knew that their poisons wouldn't completely stop the other. So he had to be quick and discover the master behind it.
Using his byakuygan he could see the puppet strings from the puppets, it went from the puppets and off into the trees.
Neji quickly shifted his body and swung his arms forward. Then he shot out a gust of air from his hand.
The air ball flew and struck the tree he aimed at knocking it to the ground.
The leaves dashed in all directions and amongst them Neji could see Kankuro falling amongst them. Then Neji flew into action.
Kankuro who had been struck by the gust of air felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him and was falling hard.
Then in the blink of an eye he saw Neji before him. Neji raised up his arm and struck down on Kankuro's chest.
"Eight trigrams 64 palms." He yelled as he began striking Kankuro again and again. Even when they hit the ground he continued to strike. Then with one last mighty strike Neji hit Kankuro in the chest. The impact of the hit was so great it caused Kankuro to sink into the ground.
Once over Neji stood over his fallen opponent who groaned and moaned on the ground before. Then he looked up at the lounge area where he saw his friends waiting, specifically at Tenten.
After a moment to look over the situation Tsunade rose from her chair and announced the outcome out the match." The winner is Neji Hyugga of the leaf village." In response the crowd let out a cheer.
At that moment in the arena the medical team arrived led by Sakura.
"Neji." She said approaching him as he still stood in the arena." You'll want to move, they're starting the next fight soon." Neji gave a nod of acknowledgment and made his exit as the medical team looked over Kankuro.
"Well that's done and done." Said Shikamaru as he sank his head down." That means-"
"That means you and me are up next buddy boy." Said Kiba as he laid a nice slap on Shikamaru's back. Then he leaned in close to Shikamaru." And I can't wait to get started." Then with a smile he turned and quickly made his way down to the arena. At that point Choji approached Shikamaru.
"I'm going to die." Said Shikamaru.
"NO." said Ino suddenly flinging herself to his side before Temari had the chance to." You'll do just fine, Kiba's just a big ape you can outsmart him." She grabbed Shikamaru's face and then turned him to face her." This is for good luck." She said. Then she leaned over and kissed him in the right side of his face.
Shikamaru's face went bright red as he looked down at Ino and she smiled at him. Shikamaru gave a smile back and then with a spring in his step turned and made his way down to the battle arena.
"Well that got him in high spirits." Said Choji as he leaned over the railing.
Neji at that time was coming up the stairs and gave a nod to Kiba who slapped him on the back and said 'Good fight'. Several moments later Shikamaru walked by swinging his arms left and right and kicking out his legs with a grin on his face. Neji studied him over with a strange look as Shikamaru disappeared down the stairwell.
Up in the stands Hinata had seen the first fight and was now waiting on the next one. She would wait patiently to see if all her hard work done with Kiba would have any effect.
"Hinata." Said a voice getting her attention. Looking up Hinata saw Kurenai walking over to her." May Is it?" Hinata gave a nod and her teacher sat down next to her." So how did your training with Kiba go?" she asked immediately.
"G-Good." Replied Hinata." He's much calmer than h w-was and doesn't get angry as often."
"Yet he's still in this tournament?" asked Kurenai." Wouldn't it have been easier to have him not fight here."
"I-If it wasn't here it would have been some-somewhere else." Told Hinata.
"True true." Said Kurenai looking down at the arena where she saw Kiba walking in." Doesn't get anry as often you said?" she asked turning back to Hinata.
"Y-Yes." She replied with a nod of her head.
"We'll see about that." Said Kurenai.
At that time Kiba made his way out on the battlefield where Sakura on her team were taking Kankuro out on a stretcher.
"Oh great." Groaned Sakura as Kiba approached with his hound at his side." This one's not too bad." Said Sakura pointing to Kankuro." But do try not to make too much of a mess."
"If you'd like." Said Kiba." But my opponents Shikamaru and I've got a score with him. But I'll do my best." He added with a chuckle.
"You haven't changed." Said Sakura as she shook her head." No matter how much time you've spent with Hinata you'll never change." Kiba's eyes opened suddenly." Yea, I know all about it I've seen you two. I've seen the way you look at her too." Kiba clenched his hand into a fist." But you're always going to be like that boy who failed to bring Sasuke back."
Kiba cleared his throat before speaking and he approached Sakura, standing even closer to her." I don't know what your game is." Said Kiba as he did so." But maybe you're the one who needs to change. You don't know what that mission did to me and my boys who were with me on it. But I fought with all my heart then and I haven't given up on becoming better."
"Where'd you pick that up?" asked Sakura who seemed a little flustered. Kiba was truly a fearless warrior, savage perhaps but he was fearless and Sakura couldn't help but tremble in his presence. What he said wasn't wrong, Kiba along with Neji, Choji, and Shikamaru have kept on proving themselves time and time again while others faded into the background as they continued to grow. Sakura was one of those people still clinging on dreams of the past.
"Naruto." Replied Kiba. Sakura shivered slightly. Then with nothing more to say she quickly ran off.
"What was that about?" asked Shikamaru as he came up behind Kiba.
Sakura ran off to a door leading into the stadium. She stood halfway in the door peering out at Kiba with a strange smile on her face.
"Just tying up loose ends." Said Kiba to Shikamaru." And speaking of loose ends." He said turning back to Shikamaru." I believe we have one."
Shikamaru chuckled and took a few steps back." As you say." He said.