Chapter 22: Departure
Tenten jumped from tree to tree hoping to catch up with her group. She had been running for quite a while now but there still was no sign of them whatsoever. Sensing a large group of people traveling a few meters to her right, she began to follow suit.
A few more minutes of running, she was finally able to spot the group. Cursing, Tenten turned around and focused her chakra onto her feet. All she needed to see was the signature spiked hair of the Uchiha avenger to know that the surrounding area would not be safe for any living creature.
After a few more minutes of running, Tenten was pissed. She paused on a branch for a moment to consider her options. Sensing that she was alone, Tenten held her arm out and closed her eyes. Not soon after, a falcon landed on her forearm eying her with interest.
"You understand my predicament don't you?" Tenten smiled. "Help me out a bit?"
Grinning at the images she saw through the falcon's eyes, Tenten bent down to give it a peck on the head. "Thank you! You guys are always so reliable!" Jumping off her arm, Tenten watched as the falcon flew away majestically.
Speeding off, Tenten was glad she finally knew where to head to. As for why the battle arena was moved to such a distant area was lost to her.
Sasuke had his back to a tree. His arms were folded on top of his chest and his eyes were closed. It was taking every ounce of his self-control not to kill the every single idiot in sight. He was surrounded by morons who hadn't the slightest idea what the word 'rules' meant.
"That way would be better!" One of the contestants yelled as he laughed sadistically.
"Yeah! Let's have some fun!" Another agreed.
Soon, almost all the contestants of group J were agreeing with the idea. The exam proctors were struggling to discipline the contestants and keep things in order.
Sasuke opened his eyes to see the rowdy scene unfolding before him. His eyes couldn't help but drift towards the imbecile who was the root of all this mess.
(Flashback)
"Here are the rules of the elimination round…" One of the proctors began as he glanced hesitantly at Kakashi who was supposedly in charge. All he got was an approving nod from the man reading his favorite green book.
"This empty clearing is where all your battles will be held until only one of you is left. It's been explained that the matches will be done using one on one combat. Only the first fighters will be standing in the clearing while the others will be moved over to that area over there." The proctor paused to point towards a medium-sized hut built with four thick wooden posts and flat but sturdy looking wooden roof.
"That will serve as your waiting area." The proctor paused again to look at Kakashi, in hopes of having him continue the explaining himself. Kakashi remained engrossed in his literature.
Sighing in exasperation, the proctor moved to continue only to be cut off by one of the contestants.
"Screw the one-on-one fights! Let's just have an all-out brawl! Last man standing wins!"
Not soon after, other contestants started expressing their agreement as well.
"That way, we'd save time and effort."
"Now that's what I'm talking about!"
"Why have a couple of one-on-one battles if you can wipe 'em all out in one go?"
(End of Flashback)
Sasuke sighed in annoyance for what seemed like the hundredth time. He couldn't believe this. He was in a group filled with morons, headed by an even bigger moron who seemed oblivious to anything other than his book.
"Aren't you going to do something about this?"
"Hm?" Kakashi asked innocently as he looked at Sasuke. This got him a knowing but irritated look.
Kakashi sighed as he placed his book back into his weapons holster.
"Alright then." Kakashi said as he smiled.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed a bit as he watched Kakashi walk over to the scene. That smile gave him a bad feeling.
"Can I have your attention please?" Kakashi began as the crowd slowly quieted down. The proctors of the group sighed to themselves in relief. Finally, Kakashi was doing something.
Kakashi looked around glancing at the proctors and contestants with that smile still plastered on his face. "If a brawl is what you want, then a brawl is what you'll get."
Cheers were heard from the participants while the proctors headed towards Kakashi hurriedly in shock.
Sasuke simply scoffed. He wasn't surprised even in the slighted.
"K-Kakashi-sempai, not to disrespect or anything but a-are you sure you can do this? The Kages themselves made the rules for the Jounin exams and they specifically said that it is to be done using one on one fights." One proctor insisted.
"That way, we'd at least be able to find worthy people who deserve to become Jounins even though they don't make it till the end of the exams." Another examiner added.
"Head proctors are allowed to change the rules whenever they see it fit. This situation, in particular, calls for a change in rules." Kakashi said as he headed back to his initial position – a tree at one end of the clearing.
Kakashi wasn't stupid. It was obvious that majority of the people in his group were well acquainted with each other. They were the type who liked to talk big and act big because of the comfort in numbers. They would have caused a scene had their intention not been acknowledged. It would have been fine normally but he didn't want to risk having the entire group disqualified just because of a few delinquents. Sasuke was in his group after all. He couldn't allow him to fail just because of a measly disqualification now, could he?
The proctors followed him to the edge of the clearing still throwing doubts and questions at him for his reckless judgment; but all other objections were ignored.
Kakashi leaned on the tree yet again and pulled out his beloved green book once again. Sensing a pair of eyes on him, Kakashi paused to look back.
"What?" He asked innocently, donning a seemingly oblivious look on his face.
Sasuke spared him no words in response. Pushing himself off the tree he was leaning on, Sasuke began to head towards the middle of the clearing.
"Why the long face? Afraid you won't make it to the next round?" Kakashi teased as he watched the Uchiha avenger stop in his tracks to give him a look that practically screamed 'get real'.
Walking off once again towards the clearing, Sasuke casually leaned his palm on Kusanagi's hilt. This would be over in a minute at most.
"May all fighters please get ready…" The exam proctor gave Kakashi one more look of hesitation only to be met with a smile and a thumbs up. With an anxious sigh, he signaled the start of the all-out brawl.
Tenten almost did cartwheels at the sight of the white flag with the letter 'G' written boldly across it. She was relieved to have found them at last.
Catching sight of the man holding the banner, Tenten couldn't help but feel the awkward anxiety build on her chest. The universe just loved to mess with her life. Maybe there really was such a thing as fate after all? Tenten shook her head. She'd be damned if she'd agree with anything Hyuga Neji had to say.
Before Tenten realized it, they arrived in a huge clearing beside a waterfall.
"This is where all your battles will be held until only one of you is left."
Tenten turned her head to the direction of the voice. She knew it all too well. It was deeper than she remembered though. But the same condescending tone was still there.
"Only the first fighters will be standing in clearing. Others will be moved over to that area." All participants followed the direction of Neji's gaze and saw a large wooden platform.
"Participants who are not yet due to fight are not allowed to engage in battle and are not allowed to leave the waiting area. If you do, you will be disqualification should be expected. Involvement of any person in a fight which he/she is not due for is also a ground for disqualification as well."
"They didn't say no nothin' 'bout not bein' able ta fight others while some other idiot's fight's going on!" One unbelievably large muscular man began walking towards Neji. He was dark skinned, bald and had a huge metal helmet on his head. A giant axe hung on both his shoulders held loosely by one hand. His body sported a number of scars and his grin seemed to be wider than what was normally allowed, showing a great deal of rotting teeth and gums.
Tenten couldn't help but close her eyes in both irritation and incredulity. The man was obviously drunk. But she didn't think his state of intoxication would render him unable to fathom the differences of their level.
Neji narrowed his eyes slightly at the idiot who was stupid enough to even try to intimidate him. He reeked of alcohol, decay and piss. If not for the exam protocols, he would have beaten the crap out of the guy for simply offending his sense of smell.
"Proctors are allowed to vary the rules to certain extents whenever we see it necessary." Neji face remained impassive.
"So ya think ya can just be the boss 'round here and go on changin' stuff on yer whim, huh, little girl?" The huge man yelled mocking as he bent a bit to stare Neji straight in the face.
The other proctors were outraged. "How dare you disrespect-".
Neji raised a hand to silence them effectively. He remained indifferent despite the underhanded insult. After all, rules were rules. He couldn't hurt the idiot unless he broke a concrete rule.
Tenten was thankful one of the ninjas shouted in protest. She was shocked to find herself almost screaming at the idiot. Why did she care if anyone insulted Neji?
"You're delaying the exams. The first fight will begin soon. I'm gonna have to ask you to head to the platform to your right." Neji stated with a tone of finality, before he turned around to leave.
With a yell of frustration, the huge man raised his axe and brought it down swiftly on Neji's retreating form. A loud crash resounded at the impact and the clearing was enveloped in dust.
"You aren't so tough!" The huge man laughed. "Let's see you act all high and mighty, little girl!"
All other proctors were poised to charge when a sudden change in air pressure was felt. The cloud of dust was blown swiftly out of the clearing.
Tenten blinked as she looked at Neji's form, a very thin layer of blue chakra enveloped him from head to toe. She could only look on in surprise. The change in pressure felt strangely similar to Lee and Gai's open gates. But upon closer inspection, Tenten realized it was simply the side effect of Neji enveloping himself with chakra. Tenten swallowed. Just how much did he improve over the years?
Neji looked at the broken axe with disinterest. Turning his attention to the flabbergasted man, one of his eyebrows rose in a mocking glare.
The huge man narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth at the insult. Grabbing what remained of his axe, he moved to pull it up only to realize he couldn't. He looked on in disbelieve at the single foot that lay on top of it.
Neji allowed himself a slight smirk. The man continued to pull the axe to no avail.
Tenten wasn't all that surprised. Neji had always been perfect at chakra control. Maneuvering his chakra to change the weight of an object was something he'd been doing back in their genin days. He used to mess with Lee's head and his ability to judge an object's weight through vision.
Tenten sighed again at the sight of the huge man desperately trying to lift the boulder. The man really was, in every sense of the word, an idiot.
"LET GO!"
Neji looked on with boredom.
"I said let go, little girl!" The huge man paused to try and pull with all his might.
Smirking, Neji suddenly released his hold on the axe.
The man wasn't even allowed a moment to realize what was happening when the axe came rushing towards him in a swift motion.
BHAM!
The axe hit his head. His thick metal helmet crumbled into pieces at the blow. Taking slowly wobbly steps backwards, the man finally fell unconscious.
"Who is the opponent of this idiot?" Neji asked impassively.
One man in the group nervously raised his hand.
"Sir, he's one of the first two fighters in this group." One of the proctors replied.
"Well then, since he is no longer eligible to fight," Neji paused as he tilted his head towards the huge man lying unconscious on the floor to emphasize his point. "His opponent wins the first round."
"Yes sir…" The other proctor accepted the decision without question.
"Let's proceed to the next fight then." Neji ordered as he headed towards one end of the clearing.
The proctor scanned the paper for the names of the next two fighters.
"Tenten vs. Ino Yamanaka."