A/N: And now we have the conclusion to the preliminaries…and the continuation of the race to decide Tsunade's place in the harem. I apologize, as art school takes a lot out of you. All the same, do read and review would you kindly? Before I have to get Frank Fontaine to help me out.
BlazingDervish: I haven't considered making Naruto a Male Fighter mainly because I thought the Slayer classes seemed to fit him more (also because the Slayer is my favorite class). But you do have something there; it makes me wonder what'll happen if Naruto does in fact become a Male Fighter instead of a Slayer. It also makes me wonder as to how the story would change, as well as Gai and Lee's expression when they get their asses handed to them by Naruto…perhaps you can take that idea up, seeing as you're likely a fan of the Male Fighter, but as a gift to you I may consider making an omake in the future based on your idea (or at least an experimental first chapter).
…
[Up in the stands]
As Naruto listened in on the fights, the frustration in his mind boiled continuously to about half-way. So far, this was the third match in a row to be finished off fairly quickly—a bad thing in Naruto's mind, as he needed a distraction from thinking about Neji's infuriating actions. Although, he supposed that thinking of all the horrible ways for the asshole to die was a good use for his pent-up rage and frustration. But still, he needed something to really take a break from the anger that was threatening to erupt from the surface, but that was impossible given how short the matches were.
First was the fate of one Tsurugi Misumi. The Genin had had the right idea to separate his opponent, Kankuro, from the bandaged parcel on his back. He then used a weird jutsu to wrap his limbs around his target's own and started squeezing. However, Kankuro simply grinned as a crack had formed on his cheek. Then the face fell off, revealing Kankuro to be a sharp-toothed wooden automaton with black hair. The bandaged parcel then revealed itself to be the real Kankuro, who was controlling his puppet Karasu. The Konoha-nin surrendered immediately.
The next thing to really set him off was the fact that Shino didn't even need to attack for his opponent to flee. No, all he had to do was let out a large Kikaichū swarm from his coat, and the pathetic Kumogakure Genin surrendered. Not that Naruto minded bugs; in fact he thought the beetles were cool…not to mention that he liked the relaxing buzzing from Shino's coat.
Finally, the match with that other elf, François, was the longest of the three short matches, but still short; she toyed with her opponent for a while before the other Kumo-nin found himself crossing into Hell. The bronze-skinned elf had an arm around his neck, ready to slit his throat with one knife while the other was pressed harshly against his nether-regions in such a manner that total castration was possible (which was fitting, given the sexist and racist comments he'd been throwing at the elf). As a matter of fact, the idiot just had to open his mouth and call her a 'prick-eared slut' once more in his position. It was an unfortunate mistake that cost him both his life and his manhood.
Seriously though, if he did not get a diversion from Neji soon…he was startled from his thoughts when he felt a pair arms wrap around his head. His nose was assaulted with the scent of blood, burning incense from a temple and foxes while his face experienced the warmth of a pair of large, firm breasts. "Don't worry about it Naru-kun," said Kurama mirthfully, enjoying the looks of envy on both Meilan and Kikyo's faces while she stroked his hair, "You'll get your chance to avenge the adorable Hyūga soon. In fact, I have a surprise for you if you calm down."
"Sorry to interrupt your personal time with Naruto-kun, Kurama-san," Meilan began, trying to hold back her outright envy at the older woman, "But don't you think your shirt feels wet right now?"
Kikyo looked down at Kurama's shirt and saw a fresh trail of red originating from Naruto's head that was spreading across her chest before extending down…if the red-skinned Amazon noticed this, she did not show it. Her glare was playful, but with a hint of 'I'm serious' in her eyes. "You two are just jealous that I got to him before either of you did! Besides, I'm his future wife…and as the alpha female of this pack, I'm supposed to give him a bloody nose this way!"
Oh no she didn't! What grated on Kikyo's nerves was not the vixen's unspoken challenge. It was the way she said it, as if it were an established fact. She immediately thought to herself that she'd get hers one day. Meilan on the other hand was silent, as there was an unspoken agreement between her and the vulpine Amazon, back when she'd met her for the first time. However, on that same day, she had also made it a personal goal of hers to dethrone the red queen as alpha female.
As if she were reading their thoughts, Kurama silently giggled to herself with Naruto's face still in her cleavage, his mind still fried from the overload of sensual information. Unfortunately for the two of them, their respective answers to her claim died in their throats as the proctor called out the next match. "The next match will be *cough, cough* Higurashi Tenten and Temari! Will the two of you please come down?"
…
[Tenten vs. Temari]
As she stood her ground, glaring daggers at her opponent, Tenten knew that Naruto was listening in. Truth be told, on the way down, she was inwardly outraged when she overheard that red-skinned woman's claim of being his future wife and alpha female of a 'pack.' What was that skank doing with Naruto-kun, anyway? What right did she have to call herself an alpha female, when she was an equally possible candidate? But now was not the time for such thoughts… Tenten ran her hands on the two scrolls in her pouch, knowing that she'd get her answers later—but for now, she had a ponytailed bitch she had to take care of.
Hayate raised his hand, and looked between the two girls. When the tension was high enough, the hand came down. "Higurashi Tenten and Temari: Hajime!" The two Kunoichi immediately leaped backwards as the fight began. Tenten opened up the fight with a barrage of kunai, which were immediately swatted away by Temari's closed fan. Perfect! With a quick draw, she pulled a scroll out of her pouch before running a bloodied finger over a line. Instantly, with a puff of smoke a broadsword appeared and was promptly thrown at her target, followed by several spears. However, Temari was not idle either, and she jabbed the tip of her fan into the ground to block the sword. Then, as the spears advanced, she twirled and yanked the fan out again, deflecting them. With a burst of chakra, plus the momentum of the spin, she leaped forward to cross the distance between her and Tenten, fan poised to crush her skull.
Tenten quickly sidestepped the impromptu bludgeon and brought out a katana, before going into a sweeping kick to try and trip her opponent. Temari, left vulnerable from her failed melee attack, stumbled over Tenten's foot, before a second kick to her solar plexus knocked her into the air. Tenten followed up with a upward slash, which connected solidly with (and through) the blond girl's neck. However, even as she relaxed, sure of her victory, Temari's body vanished in a blast of smoke, leaving a decapitated straw doll in her place. "Hah~," whined a voice behind the bun-haired girl, "I liked that doll." Even as Tenten jumped away and whirled around to face Temari, she smirked and said, "I guess I'll just have to make you pay by breaking all those cheap toys of yours!"
Crap! Looks like I'll have to take things up a notch! Tenten's hands flew through a few hand-signs and slapped the ground, summoning a pair of scrolls. "Excuse me? Those 'toys' were all hand-made by me!" Tenten said lightly, though with some heat in her voice, "My dad has a strict 'Break it and buy it' policy…so excuse me if I don't let you slide for calling my work cheap! Soshōryu!"
Both scrolls exploded with smoke, which trailed up into the air in the shape of two swirling dragons, before fading to show the unrolled scrolls. Tenten leaped high into the air, instantly unsealing a weapon in each hand, which she then hurled at Temari with great force, more weapons instantly appearing to be thrown. Within seconds, the bun-haired brunette was hurling a storm of metal at the Suna Kunoichi, who only smirked. With a flick, she opened her fan and swung, unleashing a blast of wind which turned the raining blades. A second, stronger swing sent them flying back at Tenten, cutting her body all over. A final swing caused a tornado to roar up, tossing Tenten around and sucking the air out of her lungs.
Dizzy and weakened as the tornado died down, she started to fall, already unconscious. Sniffing in contempt, Temari snapped her fan closed and propped it on the ground; if Tenten kept falling, she would land on the end of the metal weapon and break her back. However, there was a confused, sudden flurry of movement. Something landed on the fan alright, but it wasn't Tenten. It was Naruto, holding Tenten's unconscious body in a bridal carry and crouching on the end of the fan. He looked down at her, frowning seriously. "That wasn't necessary," he said firmly, "You'd already won; to continue like you were would only humiliate and cripple her."
Temari blushed and stuttered, "S-shut up, dumbass! The victor can do what they like with the loser! Besides, what's she to you?"
She instantly knew that he was not amused as his frown deepened and he craned forward. "That's my business," he snapped, making her step back, "I care about her. End of story."
"Uzumaki Naruto," called out Hayate, "While I *cough-cough* while I commend you on the save, you will be disqualified if you get involved in another fight. This is *cough* your only warning."
Sensing her victory, Temari smirked defiantly at her fellow blonde. Unfortunately, the frown on his face sent an embarrassing heat between her legs. Jeez, what's wrong with me? "Aa," Naruto acknowledged, startling the girl from Sunagakure, "I hear you, proctor-san. Now, can you call the medics and the match in favor of Temari? Tenten's unconscious, but fine for now, though that may change if she doesn't get medical attention soon."
Hayate smiled. The way it looked to him, it was like the boy had matured without his help. It filled him with regret that he and Yūgao were unable to adopt him, but it also made him proud that Naruto had the potential to be a great man one day, even without them. So long as those limiters stayed on his arms, anyway. With a hand up in the air, he made the call. "Temari wins this match by knockout and default!"
Temari left the arena, but Naruto stayed to carry Tenten to the stretcher. Unfortunately, the medics that arrived were not the kind that he looked forward to meeting. "What do you want, demon?" barked one of the medics.
"Just for you to do your job," Naruto answered calmly, though coldly, placing Tenten on the canvas. He was not surprised at the man's behavior. Aside from Hazama-sensei, along with a few others, Naruto did not exactly trust medical practitioners by and large. Given the numerous violations of the Hippocratic Oath he'd been subjected to in Konoha General Hospital, nobody could blame him.
The medic scowled, let out a 'hmph!' and left. When he was sure he was out of earshot of the demon-brat, he started mumbling, "Great! Just great! First my lunch is disturbed, then I have to watch that horror show of an Inuzuka, no thanks to the demon brat!"
"I know, Kenji! Now we're gonna look bad, all because we have to carry this demon-loving sl-" The medic never finished his sentence as a blur had appeared before him. When things settled down, he saw a short sword ready to slice into his stomach, while his colleague was being threatened with the tip of a katana blade pointed at his throat. Both medics trembled in fear, seeing that the one threatening them was none other than the 'demon brat.' Two of them, in fact.
"I can take insults just fine, it's not like I haven't heard them before, but if either of you even thinks of finishing that sentence, your reputations will be the last thing you have worry about. Got me?" With a bit of effort, the two medics answered him with a whimpered 'yes.' "Okay then. Here's how this'll work: I'm going to let the both of you go. If I hear that she is mistreated in any way, I will end you and everyone else that had a hand in her suffering before any of you can scream for the Hokage to save your hypocritical asses! And don't think for a second that you can lie to me—if there is so much as a millimeter-wide bend in that Hippocratic Oath of yours, you can forget about me killing you: I'll make you all suffer so much that it'll make a trip to T&I (which the Hokage would most definitely send you to) look like a bright and sunny day at the fucking massage parlor in the Hyūga complex. Now get the fuck out of my face before I change my mind!"
Once the clone dispelled, the two medics scampered away with their charge still on the stretcher. Satisfied, the Naruto that remained also vanished in a puff of smoke, relaying information back to the original.
…
"Let's get this show on the road," said Hayate, looking up at the board. The names flew through the machine so quickly that they were impossible to see, increasing tensions between the remaining competitors. Even Gaia trembled with excitement, wondering who her next victim would be. Finally it stopped on two names. "Will Nī Yugito and Shimura Kikyo please come on down?"
…
[Kikyo vs. Yugito]
"Watch yourself down there," said Naruto, as Kikyo started to leave for the stairway, "I've had a good feel of Yugito-san's chakra levels. They're like mine—not enough for as large an amount of chakra, but still way above a normal human's and about as concentrated as mine."
"Thanks for the tip," she said simply. The young Shimura continued down the stairs, analyzing her opponent for herself. Naruto was quite right, though she already knew of Yugito's status as a Jinchūriki. Her grandfather had sent her out once or twice to spy on the other nations. As such, she was aware of the identities of each village's Jinchūriki, having ascertained that information herself for Danzo.
During the previous matches, she had forgone watching for the most part in order to see how ready she could be. Her inspection revealed that she had six entirely full ammunition drums for her crossbow, including the drum for 'special' ammo, which was for if she had to fight up close. Her normal bows were still unused, since she'd been unable to properly fight long-range in the forest. She also still had a few grenades, plus other explosive ordinances and a few…surprises she had saved up. If all else failed, she still carried her trusty, standard-issue Tantō.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Yugito too studied her opponent. As the Shimura girl summoned a composite bow and a quiver of arrows, the Jinchūriki had a feeling of unease. Something about the smaller girl was setting off the 'worry' part of her brain. She shook her head to clear it. No…she was just imagining things. All the same, something told her she avoid the egg-shaped things hanging from Kikyo's bandolier. As they both came to a stop, Yugito had to look down to be able to meet the Shimura's eyes.
Clearing his throat nervously, Hayate raised his hand as he glanced between the two Kunoichi. "Nī Yugito and Shimura Kikyo!" he chopped downward and barked, "Hajime!" (setting off another fit of coughing) Kikyo instantly leaped away from Yugito, loading an arrow as she did so. Her first shot was aimed at the head, but her opponent ducked before giving pursuit, her nails lengthening. Unfortunately for the blond, her opponent stubbornly kept distance between them, occasionally pausing to take potshots at her with her bow. Impatiently, Yugito leaped and slashed the arrows with her claws, landing on one foot and throwing herself forward to try and eviscerate the girl. Of course, Kikyo only had to backstep out of the way before responding with yet another barrage of arrows, which the Jinchūriki dodged, retracting her claws as she rolled to the side.
Yugito could only look on with fury in her eyes as she stood back up, unconsciously re-extending her claws for her next attack. The Kumo-Kunoichi was highly frustrated at her opponent's game of keep-away. Grudgingly, she could only tip her hat to the archer; her aim was pretty much dead on (pun not intended) and she was pretty fast. Unfortunately for her, she was going to have to die for being such a pain in the ass. This alley-cat wants to play long-range? Fine! Two can play at that game! Yugito retracted her claws, before flipping through some hand seals and picking up a piece of rubble from the ground, which ignited with blue flames. She grinned evilly and wound up, using her foot as a crosshair, before throwing the burning rock at her target.
Not showing any surprise, Kikyo leaped away from the shot. She expected the throw to be normal; a straight but arcing trajectory, presumably aimed at her head. However, to her surprise, the rock did not fly straight, but instead veered to the side in her direction; it still missed her head, though. Yet the Kumo Jinchūriki was still grinning. Kikyo figured out a moment later why when she noticed her quiver was on fire. "Shit!" she ditched it immediately, throwing it to the side to burn itself out, before glaring daggers at her opponent. Then she too grinned and reached for the bandolier at her waist, pulling out a grenade. "So, you wanna play with fire?" she asked, "Alright then, have some more!" She pulled the pin.
Yugito was suddenly nervous. The way her opponent was gripping the lever of the object seemed to indicate that it was a complicated device. She had no idea what it was, but she had a suspicion that it wouldn't be good. Kikyo tossed the black thing and jumped backwards, the object bouncing three along the floor. To her credit, Yugito figured out what would happen and leaped away on the second bounce. On the fourth bounce, the ovoid object exploded, spitting shrapnel everywhere. Grenades! Yugito realized, That's what those are! The Kumo-nin had heard of the dangerous hand-sized explosives, but had never actually seen them before. Now, though, a feral smile grew on her face. True flame versus Explosives…this will be a good challenge.
The two Kunoichi circled each other slowly, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Yugito picked up another rock, instantly igniting it, while Kikyo pulled the pins of two more grenades, one black, one green. They stared each other down intensely. Who would move first? The answer to that turned out to be Kikyo, who suddenly darted to the side and threw the black grenade. Yugito countered with her flaming rock, causing the hand-held bomb to burst into flames. She then leapt away as well to avoid the green grenade, which exploded into more omnidirectional shrapnel. It took only an instant for the Jinchūriki to regain her bearings before she started running after opponent. She sprang into the air, extending her claws to full disemboweling length. Kikyo, however, rolled out of the way and summoned her hand-crossbows, rapidly firing her special bolts. Some were laced with Hyōton chakra, others with Raiton or Katon, but all of them kept the Kumo Kunoichi busy. She danced and slashed her way through the elemental ammo, eventually drawing close enough to Kikyo to swipe at her. The dark-green-haired girl only barely got away with a cut across her abdomen.
This was getting ridiculous! At this rate, the Shimura was going to wear her out, while she still had plenty of ammo to use. Then Yugito remembered that she had ammo too. Reaching into her pouch, she remembered that she still had plenty of shuriken and kunai left, but compared to her opponent, she was harder pressed to make every shot count. She waited and watched. Her opportunity to strike would come…now! With a quick draw, she pulled out two shuriken, quickly charged them with Katon chakra and flung them at Kikyo. Her target, Kikyo's next two ammo drums, went up in a blaze and had to be dropped as the moss-haired girl was forced to jump out of the way of a burning kunai.
…
[In the stands…]
With uncharacteristic quietness, Anko walked along the back of the stands, watching her quarry, who was overlooking the arena pensively. She paused to say hi to 'Nai-chan on the way, but even then she could hear this…voice in the back of her head, hissing 'serve.' It only happened when she drew near to Naruto or either of the Uchiha twins, but she was compelled to obey. The strange thing was that the order seemed to strengthen when Naruto had transformed into that red-skinned monster. What was happening to her? Why was she feeling such things towards Naruto?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a silky, seductive voice from behind her, startling her. "Oh, so you came after all. You smell as nice as I remember…Hebi-hime."
Before Anko could react, a pair of strong, feminine arms suddenly caught hold of her. One hand came up from under her armpit, up between her breasts and pushed her chin up, while the other wrapped itself around her middle and pulled her back into a pair of firm breasts. She struggled futilely, but could not move in the slightest. Who was this woman? Why did she call her 'Hebi-hime,' when the last person to call her that had been…Kushina-sama?
"You'll be wanting to talk with Naruto-kun." It was a statement, not a question, Anko knew. This woman scared her, scared her and inspired envy. It did not help that, to her embarrassment, the gentle voice was starting to turn her on with the way it brushed against her ear. Now her instincts were whispering for her to 'worship the goddess.' "Well, I suppose it's only fair. I'll let you take Naruto-kun wherever you like; but I'll be there too. Kushi-chan might have treated you like a daughter when Orochi-teme left, but Mina-kun treated Kakashi as a son." What was left unsaid was what had happened to him. That was fine; Anko could guess for herself.
Anko nodded mutely and was let go, allowing her to get a look at the woman who'd caught her unawares. She had red skin and eyes, pointed ears, clawed fingers and toes, and a sleek, muscular build that spoke of both savagery and regality. Who is she? Anko wondered, How can she refer to Kushina-sama and Minato-sama so familiarly? Then it clicked, and she got it. She opened her mouth, already having a question in mind, but a finger to her lips stilled her tongue.
"Not right now," said the Kyūbi no Yoko with a flirty smile, "First you should talk to Naruto-kun, ne? After that, I'll answer any questions you have."
Anko was surprised at being blown off, even if so politely. Hadn't Kushina-sama referred to her as a 'horny bitch?' This royal beauty did not quite match what her previous container described about her. The choice of clothing (was that a bikini under that shirt?) might have been considered a little slutty, but then, Anko wasn't exactly one to talk. However, she was startled out of her thoughts by Naruto clearing his throat. "Sorry to keep you waiting," he said politely as she turned to him, "I had some stuff to do. I heard you wanted to see me. Is that true?"
"Yeah," said Anko, calming down, "But I think we're going to have to go somewhere private for this."
…
[Kikyo vs. Yugito]
With a hiss of irritation, Kikyo threw down her crossbows. I need to end this match quickly, she thought, That last attack got me in the middle of reloading. Not only that, but now she has an opportunity to get my grenades away from me! Then again, she had been setting up for this exact moment. Among the members of the Five Elements, Kikyo knew that she was the weakest, but was no slouch when it came to close-quarters combat. She gripped her Tantō, calming her nerves a little; but she hoped it would not come down to Taijutsu. It was clear to her that Yugito was the better of the two at that range. She still had one satchel left, but she had to use it properly, otherwise she'd run the risk of getting separated from it like the others.
Yugito charged in, nails extended. At the last moment, Kikyo leaped into the air, reached into her satchel and hurled ten dinner-plate sized objects to the ground. They were all gray disks with a blinking red light. Naruto knew from his chakra scan, the muffled sound of their impact, and the high-pitched whine they gave off that these were more of Kikyo's plastic explosives. Now he was concerned, because from what he was able to tell, there were enough explosives spread around to level the entire tower, if not the stadium, in one go. What was she planning?
Kikyo landed, her hand gripping the remote detonator, with easy access to the trigger. She sneered at her opponent as her thumb hovered dangerously over the red button. "You know, in ROOT, we're taught to either go all in or not at all. There's no room for defeat," she said matter-of-factly, "You've forced my hand here. I didn't want to do this, not now that I've got something to live for; but this is the only tactic left that can work for me. You see, there's enough C4 here to kill the both of us in an instant. There's nowhere you can run to; it's spread out over the whole battlefield. You make a move and I'll press the button, so what'll it be?"
Yugito stared at Kikyo with a mixture of both horror and incredulousness. She had heard an explosion out in the Forest of Death earlier on and had wondered where it'd come from; well that was that question answered. Part of her wanted to call her opponent's bluff, but her instincts stopped her. The look in Kikyo's eyes was totally serious; she fully intended to kill the both of them if necessary. And that scared Yugito. Finally she sighed angrily. "Tch, fine. Proctor, she wins! I'm surrendering," she said loudly, retracting her nails, "But next time I'll get even with you, Marimo!"
Kikyo only smirked and closed the cover for the detonator, storing it back in her satchel. "Yeah yeah, keep telling yourself that, kitty-cat."
It was with a sense of relief that Hayate raised his right hand. "Winner by forfeit, *hack* -Shimura Kikyo! We'll take a five minute break so that- *cough cough* -so that the staff can clean up the battleground."
The moss-haired girl returned to the stands with a self-satisfied grin at her win. That grin faded as she noticed that her favorite blond was gone. "He and Kurama left with that proctor woman from the second test," Meilan explained, answering the Shimura's unasked question, "Something about wanting to talk to him. I think the two of them were close at some point a long time ago."
Kikyo's eyes narrowed as she thought back to the rumors she'd heard in ROOT. There had been talk that Orochimaru's former apprentice had been placed on Naruto's guard detail. She had no idea what Mitarashi Anko would want to speak with Naruto about, but that did not help the feeling of jealousy she had, which Balloon-girl seemed to share.
…
[Elsewhere in the Tower…]
As Naruto was being lead down the hall by Kurama, he could not help but feel apprehensive. Whatever Anko wanted to say must be rather important, if she wanted to drag him away from the matches for it. That plus the fact that she'd wanted to see him when he got to the tower... Naruto's thoughts were cut off by Kurama, who put an arm across his chest to stop him. He heard a door being opened.
Kurama took his hand again to make him move forward. As she did so, he sent out a 24 kHz chakra pulse to scan the room. The scan revealed a bookshelf against the wall, a table and some chairs in the middle, and writings on all of the surfaces. Kurama winced and rubbed at her temples. "Oi, quit it," she said, annoyed, "I can hear that."
"Ah yeah, right," Naruto replied apologetically. To Anko he said, "After what happened on my birthday, I've learned to be more careful."
Anko understood what he meant, and was hurt that he didn't trust her. She did not blame him, though. Though they'd never met face-to-face, Anko knew what had happened; in fact, she'd been the one to torture the guilty party. Naruto and Meilan had gone out for his birthday to the Ichiraku's for dinner. Since Naruto was still the most hated person in the village, they'd locked up the apartment tighter than a virgin's ass. However, it seemed that it hadn't been enough; one of the Civilian Council members had apparently paid off a few Naruto-hating Jōnin and Chūnin to kill Naruto and kidnap Meilan. The couple had returned to their apartment to find an ambush from the corrupt Shinobi, only for most of the Chūnin to be killed off when the two teamed up. By the time the ANBU had arrived, all of the Jōnin were dead, and only four of the Chūnin lived to tell the tale. And tell they did, by the time Anko was done with them. Afterward, the councilman who'd hired them was executed in his home, using one of her most poisonous snakes. The man had been using the toilet at the time, much to the snake's disgust and general irritation.
"Don't worry," Anko assured him, getting over her momentary depression, "This chamber's meant for Fūinjutsu, which I've never been too good with. No one comes here unless they want to do some experimenting, or to remove a seal. Plus, it's full of privacy seals, so it's good for interrogation...which I'm not going to be doing today."
"You can trust her, Naruto-kun," said Kurama, cutting off Naruto, "I can tell that she has no ill will towards you. If she did...I'd have killed her already."
Anko shivered at the dangerous grin on the other woman's face. Well, it wasn't like she could get away with pissing off the Queen of the Bijū, not that she was thinking of doing any such thing. She closed the door behind her, once Naruto and the Kyūbi had entered. The Snake Mistress was dreading this moment, mostly because the red-skinned lady could skin her alive, with no one around to hear her scream. Not that anyone would care about her, anyway. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself. "I...well, I don't really know where to start. Naruto-kun, what do you remember from before that old man took you away; back when you had ANBU guarding you?"
This was not what he'd expected. Where was she going with this? "...I remember a lot," he began, "I remember that after Hokage-jiji gave me my apartment, I started seeing these people in black with white animal masks out of the corner of my mind. Since you've all but said it, I guess those ANBU were sent to keep an eye on me. I remember that some of them hurt me as well, but one of them in particular was nice to me. It's been a long time since I heard from her, but I remember that she did a lot for me. Once or twice she dropped the ball, majorly, but I just...knew that she sincerely tried her best to do what she could to help me. She comforted me when I...when I lost my pride. She would always make sure I got home safely every night. I always saw her from a distance and thought I felt, I dunno, maybe some kind of love? Even when I went to the hospital, she was there, making sure it would be Hazama-sensei treating me and not one of the...worse ones."
"When GSD-sensei took me away for training, I made myself a promise. I vowed to use the power I gained to protect everyone who mattered to me; Hinata-chan, Ayame-chan and Teuchi-jiji, Hokage-jiji, Meilan and so on. And I promised that I'd find the ANBU named Hebi and pay her back for everything she did for me. I'd make it up to her for showing me love when so few people did back then. But when I came back to the village, Hokage-jiji only told me that she'd left the force and got promoted to Tokubetsu Jōnin. He said he wasn't allowed to say who she was after promotion. I know it makes sense, but I want to find her and thank, and congratulate her on the promotion, I guess."
Anko was stunned. Stunned and deeply touched. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out; instead she felt tears at the corners of her eyes. Finally, she only croaked out, "You're welcome."
Naruto's eyebrows shot up. It took him a moment to realize what she'd said, then to connect the dots. His surprised look became an unreadable expression. "Anko-san...you're Hebi?"
"Y-yeah," she said quietly, "Naruto...I know I failed at the times when it mattered most, when you were...defiled, and," she took a breath, "And I'm sorry about that. I tried, I really did-"
"It's okay, Hebi-nee-chan," he interrupted gently, "The fact that you cared, really cared is more than enough. I just wish I could really see your face, rather than just a rough outline."
In an instant Anko embraced the blond passionately and tightly, ignoring the sudden increase in her body heat. Finally breaking down, she cried into his shoulder, overjoyed that he'd forgiven her, when she had not given herself that chance. "As touching as this little scene is," Kurama suddenly said, breaking up the hug, "Could you please wait outside, Naruto-kun? It's time for Anko-chan and I to talk." Naruto frowned at her words, but could detect no malice behind them, so he did as he was told. When the door had shut behind him, Kurama faced Anko. "So, you have questions. Ask away."
Anko asked the first thing that she'd been wondering. "Why? Kushina-sama said that you loved her. Why did you kill her and Minato-sama?"
Kurama smiled sadly. "Well, if we're going to be pointing fingers, let's look to the ones who started the whole mess: the Uchiha clan, and their stupid Sharingan. Two times in my life, they took control over me when my mental defenses were down. The first time was with that stupid closet pervert, Uchiha Madara- I swear, he is! -he used his eyes to take control of me the first time I had sex with a man. There I am, just about to cum, then bam! Blackness. Next thing I know, I'm hogtied on the ground and this redhead in a dominatrix suit is questioning me. Over time, I would come to learn that she was an even bigger pervert than Madara, and I would love her. Her name...was Uzumaki Mito."
Anko could only blush, though she grinned at the thought that the Shodaime's wife was more of a pervert than Uchiha Madara (and an apparently open one). She filed the juicy tidbit away and went back to the task at hand. "So what was the second time?"
Kurama grimaced angrily at the memory. "The second time...was immediately after Kushi-chan gave birth to little Naru-kun. He used the moment the Kit left the womb to pull me out. That Uchiha, like Madara before him, didn't hesitate to use his Sharingan to take me over. But even after the mind-control was broken, my animal instincts took over and I went berserk over the feedback from the severed link. Yes, I feel bad that I killed a man who I'd been friends with and a woman who I loved deeply; but I know enough to realize that Uchiha was the one responsible for it. If I find him, I'll definitely kill him slowly. But I won't chase after him; Naruto-kun has more of a claim to revenge than I do."
Anko nodded in understanding. She was no stranger to wanting revenge, when the person who wronged you got away with their crime. "I...yeah, if you put it that way, I understand. It seems we're plenty alike, my Goddess." She clapped her hands to her mouth, flushing darkly.
Kurama looked over at Anko amusedly. She chuckled. "So, I'm a Goddess? Tell me, Hebi-chan," her expression suddenly sharpened, "Do you feel hot whenever you get close to Naruto; do you get particularly horny for him, especially when he goes berserk?"
The purple-haired woman's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "How'd you know about that?"
"Oh," Kurama shrugged, "I remember from Kushi-chan's memories that Orochimaru gave you a Curse Mark. He really screwed himself in doing that, along with Meilan and Shimura-chan, now. Quite ironic, really."
"But…"
Once more she was easily silenced by a finger to her lips, much to Anko's frustration. Damn it, again!
"Now now, I'll tell you later. For now, though, I'd rather have all concerned listening in. I must get Naruto-kun back to the matches."
Anko seethed quietly as she watched the Kyūbi open the door and lead Naruto away. Yeah, we'll definitely talk. What the hell did she mean, 'he screwed himself?'
…
[In the stands…]
Meilan and Kikyo watched as Sasuke battled it out with Choji. The Uchiha heir jumped to the side as the Akimichi boy steamrolled past with his Nikudan Sensha. "What'd I miss?" asked Naruto, startling them.
"Ino and Sakura tied in their fight," Kikyo reported, looking back at the arena, "If you could call it that. Honestly though, they were both pathetic. Sakura has gotten a bit stronger, and Ino put up a fight but...well, they ended up knocking each other out with one punch. Very anti-climactic. Right now Sasuke and Choji are fighting, and it looks like Choji's winning."
Naruto frowned calculatingly. He knew that Choji was tough, even without his clan jutsu, but there was something...off about that statement. He focused his ultrasonic hearing on the battle. "How long has it been since they started?"
This time Meilan answered, "A little over five minutes, why?"
The blond grinned at that. "I see...if that's the case, then it seems that Sasuke's the one who'll win."
…
[Sasuke vs. Choji]
Choji stared warily at his opponent, temporarily releasing his Baika no Jutsu to catch his breath. Likewise, Sasuke stopped moving as well, holding his katana at the ready. If I keep this up, he's gonna tired out eventually, thought the Akimichi heir. However, the Uchiha only grinned deviously, suggesting he thought otherwise. "I guess I should thank you for that mistake, Choji," he said, Sharingan flared in his eyes, "It's a shame, but I can already see through your technique. Otherwise, you would've been a good opponent."
Choji was surprised. The Sasuke that he knew from the academy would indeed have said he'd made a mistake, but the other parts? What was this? He supposed that prolonged exposure to Naruto would have changed the boy (though they sometimes got a bit too close for his comfort). But either way, there was no way he could have made a mistake; this match was his! "I don't know where I messed up, but I'll just have to make up for it by ending things here. Baika no Jutsu! Nikudan Sensha!"
Instantly, Choji's torso swelled into a sphere, then he tucked in his limbs and began to roll. The Choji-ball charged at Sasuke with the intention to flatten. The Uchiha in return made several hand seals quickly. "Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!" He exhaled a barrage of small fireballs at the ground. As the attack had come at the last second, Choji rolled over them. Panicked at the sudden heat, the chubby boy dispelled his jutsu to put out the fires before expanding again. "I'm not like my sister," Sasuke explained solidly, "I don't usually fight dirty, but I will do it if I have to. And with your attack patterns, sticking my hands in the mud will be easiest way to end this fight."
Choji blinked at his opponent in surprise, before his confidence returned. "Well now that you've told me, I won't make that mistake again! Nikudan Sensha!"
Sasuke only grinned once more and made more hand seals. He breathed in deeply and yelled, "Katon: Gōkakyu no Jutsu!" exhaling an enormous fireball. This time Choji had to slow down and roll to the side to avoid it. When the green and white Akimichi boulder charged in again, Sasuke leaped out of the way at the last second.
Choji smashed into the wall and, to his horror, got stuck. Instantly Sasuke let loose another Hōsenka, spraying Choji with fireballs until he finally deflated himself and yelled, "I SURRENDER!"
Immediately Hayate raised a hand. "Winner by forfeit: Uhiha Sasuke!" Sasuke obligingly stopped breathing fire and walked back to the stands. Behind him, Choji collapsed from both chakra and heat exhaustion. Waiting a moment for the medics to cart the boy away, the sickly Jōnin turned his attention to the spectators once more. "And now, *cough* it's time for our final battle of the preliminaries. Will Rock Lee and *hack* Sabaku no Gaia please enter the battlefield?"
…
[Lee vs. Gaia]
In a swirl of sand, Gaia appeared on the arena floor, her arms crossed and her face set in its usual apathetic scowl. Hayate could not look her in the eye—to him, she looked uncomfortably like him if he didn't get enough sleep.
Lee on the other hand set a foot on the railing to leap into the arena, but Gai put a hand on his shoulder. "Lee! Take care of yourself in there," he said seriously, "I don't know what it is, but that girl is giving me a bad feeling. She's very dangerous, so proceed with caution!"
The bowl-cut boy grinned and gave his mentor a thumbs-up confidently. "Yosh! I'll definitely make you proud, Gai-sensei!" With that, he jumped clear out of the stands, landing gracefully before taking a one-handed half-bow stance. Hayate could only stare in befuddlement at the close-up of the Genin. Gai insisted that the two of them weren't related, but damn! It was almost creepy how much the boy resembled his old teammate. The two fighters stared tensely at each other as he raised his hand.
Hayate took a deep breath (trying desperately not to cough) and proclaimed, "Rock Lee vs. Gaia: Hajime!" Gaia popped the cork off her gourd, firing it at Lee, who caught it easily and charged. He threw a punch at her, only for his bandaged fist to hit a wall of sand that shot up to block it. Another punch got the same result, as did some kicks. Try as he might, the sand kept blocking his attacks with ease, as the redhead merely stared at him, bored.
…
[In the Stands…]
Naruto easily picked up the sound Lee's attacks as soon as the match had begun. With his ultrasonic hearing, he could even tell the punches from the kicks, both cushioned by sand, as well as the whisperings of small tendrils that tried to snag his limbs. Trying to shed some more light on the subject, the blond sent out a light chakra pulse; what he 'saw' interested him a great deal. Lee in particular fascinated him. It was not because of his weight, which was too much for his body type (and so his speed), nor that his chakra coils were stunted. Indeed, he could not even mold the amount of chakra necessary for even a Bunshin. As Naruto examined the weird boy's pathways, he noticed that while he had very little chakra, Lee had an overabundance of Nen! He calculated the reserved amount; they were such that if the boy had been trained in how to use it, he would've been an even match for Meilan by now.
Then there was Gaia…however, before he could continue that train of thought, his nose picked up the scent of desert sand, wood and…well, well. "If it isn't the cross-dressing woman-hater," he greeted mockingly without turning around, "What's wrong, you didn't get enough make-up from your sisters?"
"O-oi, shut up-!" Before Kankuro could finish, the blond blurred out and seized Kankuro by the neck, choking off his shout. Even with the Hitai-ate blindfold, the puppeteer could tell that Naruto was decidedly un-amused.
"No, you shut up," he said testily, "Shouting without need irritates me. So either lower your volume if you've got something to say, or keep your trap closed. Got me?"
Kankuro gulped and new there was only one prudent answer here. "Y-yeah…"
"Good." Naruto released him and turned back to the fight.
Panting, the puppeteer took a place by the blond, watching the fight as well. "Pointless," he said.
"What is?"
"That weird guy's trying to get through Gaia's Suna no Tate," he explained, "It won't work; the sand automatically reacts to any attack that comes at Gaia from any direction. It's her Absolute Defense."
Naruto didn't look at Kankuro; no need to show his thoughts. But he frowned to himself, wondering why this guy was so casually talking about his sister's strengths.
…
[Lee vs. Gaia…]
Lee had been on the defensive for a while now. This was not good—he'd barely been able to get close before. Now the un-youthful redhead was having him dodge her sand, even as he tried to attack another angle. It was obvious that her chakra control was unnaturally high if she could manipulate this much sand without so much as a hand sign. He needed to get into a position where he could think of a way to counterattack…but at the rate things were going, he wouldn't have any time to think. No matter how much distance he put between himself and her, the Tanuki girl's sand seemed to have unlimited range. Dodging was not too good either, since the sand was faster… Wait, that's it! If I am too slow now, then I must become even faster than this sand!
Lee leaped over a particularly large blast of sand, landing on top of the hand sign statue. He looked meaningfully at Gai, his question shimmering in his oddly wide eyes. The older bowl-cut man responded with a thumbs-up and his signature gleaming smile. Without further ado, Lee pulled down his legwarmers, revealing a set of weights on each ankle, which he removed.
"Pfft, what difference will that make?" Temari scoffed, watching him hold them out to the sides, "A few pounds won't help against Gaia; her sand'll still grind his bones to dust…!" However, her mocking tone withered and died when the weights hit the ground.
*CRASH!* The ground shook as the two deceptively small objects smashed into them, kicking up dust and cratering the ground where they landed.
"A few pounds, you say?" asked Gai, chuckling admonishingly at the stunned blond, "You're mistaken if you'd think I'd stop at such a light amount!"
"YOSH!" cried Lee from atop the statue, "Now I can move about more freely!" With that he vanished with an ominous green blur.
Gaia's eyes widened an instant before something hit her sand. She wheeled around, but he'd already vanished, leaving her shield to fall back to the ground. Again and again her sand shot up to intercept a shot, but no matter how quickly she looked, Lee would already have moved on. Everyone else was equally stunned, watching as Lee moved at almost impossible speeds, literally running circles around the redhead, too fast to properly see, punching through the shield so fast it could barely react in time. In fact, as time went on, it seemed like attacks were slowly overcoming the sand. Finally, as the shield blocked one attack, Lee simultaneously punched at Gaia from the other side. The Tanuki-girl finally saw her opponent as his fist struck her hard in the cheek with a crack, knocking her clear out of the ring of her sand and off her feet. As Lee finally came to a stop, she bounced three times along the ground before sliding to a halt, her sand slithering along after her. Slowly, she stood back up, glaring, cracks spreading across her face where he'd hit her. Pieces broke off and turned to sand as they fell while she panted bestially. The grin she gave Lee did not inspire confidence in him at all.
He calmed himself, shaking off his momentary nervousness. Now he knew that the sand was equally powerful in both defense and offense, but he needed to get even faster to land a meaningful, decisive blow. Even as he dodged the next wave of attacks, more ferocious than before, he knew he had only one option left. There would definitely be a steep price to pay, but if it would bring him closer to becoming a Taijutsu Master…such a thing would be nothing!
[In the stands…]
Kankuro continued with the exposition. "Gaia's secondary defense, the Suna no Yoroi, is even greater than the Suna no Tate," he said, still watching the fight, "It covers her entire body with sand and compacts it, making it denser. The problem is that she can't move as well and it needs a lot of chakra to maintain."
Naruto's blind eyes narrowed behind the blindfold. This was starting to sound fishy; why was the puppeteer deliberately talking about the weaknesses of his siblings? It was like he wanted Naruto to defeat her. "Hmph," he grunted, "I guess I can add 'bad brother' to that list, along with 'wears girls' makeup' and 'misogynist.'"
The face-painted boy flushed with rage as the surrounding girls chuckled, but he quickly calmed down. This was the guy who could potentially take his sister down a peg; getting mad at him would be pointless and stupid. Before he could offer a witty (to his own mind) retort, a shout of "Omote Renge!" interrupted him. He watched silently as Naruto thoughtfully scanned the fighters, before becoming visibly shocked.
"No! That idiot," he hissed worriedly, "He shouldn't have done that. His body won't be able to hold out long enough to win!"
"But he must be desperate to go to such lengths," Meilan pointed out, having sensed the same thing as Naruto, "Don't worry, I'll heal him afterwards, if only to scold him for such recklessness."
…
[Lee vs. Gaia…]
As Lee opened his chakra gates, he felt new chakra surge through his body. He knew that this 'power-up' for his Taijutsu would come at a high cost. But as long as he could beat Gaia before it wore off, then it would be worth it!
Dropping the spinning body of the redhead, he let go just in time to avoid crashing into the ground with her, landing heavily and panting. His arms and legs ached from the extensive use, more than he'd ever felt before, and his heart pounded. He only hoped that the fight was finally over. Nope. Gaia's gourd had disintegrated, cushioning her fall. Finally, standing up, she spoke for the first time in the match. "You begin to annoy me," she said in a drone, her gourd reforming, "It's time to shut you up."
She sent a blast of sand at him, once more forcing him on the defensive. But Lee was beginning to tire; it was getting harder and harder to avoid the tendrils trying to snag his arms and legs. The pain that moving caused him was only adding to his exhaustion. He was beginning to lose hope that he would find an opening now. There was nothing for it; he had to use that Jutsu. The attempt would probably kill him, but better to die trying than not! For only a moment, there was a pause in the attacks; Lee seized on it and crossed his arms. Reaching deep within himself, he reached his limit. "The Fifth Gate! Tomon: KAI!" His chakra exploded, even larger than before, forming a visible aura around him as his veins bulged. The power of the gate numbed the pain and exhaustion he'd felt up till now. The amount of endorphins produced by his body, plus the sheer blood pressure in his body, caused his skin to turn dark red and his eyes to turn white. "Ura Renge!" He vanished. No blur, no hint of movement, he just disappeared.
Gaia experienced a moment of shock, followed by a brief flicker of worry as her prey vanished from her sight. Where did-? The next instant, a sandaled foot smashed into her chin. Lee moved so fast that he'd completely bypassed her Suna no Tate and kicked her into the air. Before she could get her bearings, he reappeared in front of her and struck again, sending her flying through the air, only to reappear behind her and punch her once more. Again and again he attacked, moving so fast he seemed to nearly be in several places enough, continuously striking Gaia from another side or angle. The Suna no Yoroi cracked severely in several places, and Gaia noticed that its recovery rate was slowing down drastically. Worst of all was that she didn't even have the luxury of falling; the force of each hit was keeping her airborne.
Yosh! This is it! thought Lee, rebounding off a corner to punch Gaia once more in the face, The point of no return! As time seemed to slow down, he looked at Neji, who was absolutely gob-smacked at what he was seeing. I hope you can follow this, Neji...this jutsu was meant for you! He hit the ground, leaped off the ceiling, and drew back to kick Gaia in the abdomen. Naruto-kun...if I survive after this, I wish to see which is better: your blades or my fists!
Finally, Lee appeared from the front, positioned for an overhead smash. He punched her hard in the abdomen, sending the Tanuki-girl crashing to the ground and causing concrete chips dust to go flying. When he landed next to the crater formed, he staggered and fell to his knee; he was severely weakened. "Please…" he murmured, "Let that be enough." Two tendrils of sand lashed out, catching his arm and leg before he could dodge. "AAAAH!" He screamed as two loud crunches erupted from his limbs. The sand tossed him aside easily, then pounced once more. This…this is it… he thought dimly, closing his eyes, I'm going to die…
Suddenly the wave stopped and scattered. Gai had intervened, landing in front of his student and blowing the sand away. "That's enough!" he shouted, "You've already defeated him. I won't let you go any further!"
Gaia twitched as the older one stood against her, a strange pain in her heart. What was this feeling? No matter, she thought bitterly. She motioned for her sand to advance on both of them, only for a foot to press down on her throat. She blinked, then looked straight up from where she lay. The blood-red eyes, snow-white hair and red skin frightened her, more than she even thought was possible. She could not even move, couldn't direct her sand to crush this woman who was apparently threatening her.
"I know you're in there. I know you can hear me," she growled, her ruby eyes piercing into Gaia's sleep-deprived ones and even deeper, "You're the reason this girl has turned into such a psychopath, aren't you? What, you thought you could prove me wrong just with that? Call her off, or your fat ass won't be safe from what I'll do to her. And don't think the Curse can save you; I can kill you both faster than you can use it!"
As she continued to stare up from the ground, Gaia could hear her 'mother' screaming for her to obey this Amazon. It was her terror, however, that kept her frozen. Slowly, her sand crept back toward her, like a dog with its tail between its legs. Hayate sighed silently. "Winner by knockout: Gaia!" he called. Instantly Gai went and put his student on a stretcher to be carted off. The redhead simply watched, tentatively standing up when Kurama released her. "This concludes the preliminaries of the Third Exam! *cough* Will all the winners please come down?"
They all came, with the exception of Gaia. As they gathered in front of the sickly proctor, a Shinobi Shunshin'd into the ring, carrying a box. "Alright, so what- *cough cough* what I want is for all of you to each take a card from here. Each has a number on *hack!* on it! For those of you who are blind (all one of you), it's written in braille, as well as k- *cough* -kanji. Once all of you have picked one, call out the number."
The man with the box walked past the competitors, holding the box out to each one. Each read their numbers, while Naruto ran his thumb over the braille inscription. Finally, they announced them.
"One!" called out Naruto.
"Six!" said Meilan.
Len frowned at his. "Eleven."
"Four…" started Sasuke.
"And Eight!" finished Tsukiko.
"Hmph, Nine." Neji said simply.
"Five!" said Kikyo.
"Twelve." rasped Gaia.
"Three!" added Temari.
"Ten." called François.
"Seven…" mumbled Shino.
"Two!" finished Kankuro.
"Good," said Hayate, with a slight smile, "Now pay attention to your number, because they will determine who your opponent will be." As if on cue, the screen began running through numbers, then stopping on two. "The first match of the Semi-finals will be Uzumaki Naruto vs. Hyūga Neji!" Before anyone could respond, the board started up again. Naruto frowned angrily. Neji would definitely pay for what he did for Hinata. Neji, on the other hand, smirked. He would prove that nobody, not even himself, was above Fate.
"Second match: Temari vs. Baihe Meilan!" Meilan cracked her knuckles and Temari stretched her neck.
"Third match: Uchiha Sasuke vs. Uchiha Tsukiko!" The Uchiha twins looked to each other with apprehension, before it was replaced with competitiveness—they now had the chance to see each others' progress.
"The Fourth match: Len Ferro vs. François!" The two elves made a silent bet with each other—a bet that Len dreaded losing, given his colleague's obsession with the latest in fashion. However, a glint in his steely eyes hinted that if he did lose, it would not be an easy victory for her.
"Fifth match: Aburame Shino vs. Kankuro!" Shino gave no outward reaction, but those who knew him well enough could feel his excitement. Kankuro on the other hand was already looking ahead to his next fight…and dreading it.
"Sixth, and final, match of the Semi-finals: Shimura Kikyo vs. Gaia." Though her expression remained unchanged, Gaia's eyes gleamed at the thought of more bloodshed. Kikyo made a mental note to stock up on LOTS of ammo and explosives.
"The semi-finals, and the finals will be held a month from now," continued Hayate, "Use this time to train and re-*cough* remember how to fight your enemies, because there is without a doubt that you are all weakened at this point, and they know how you fight. You are also given a month *cough, cough*, because Daimyō from all over are coming to Konoha as we speak, and it will take that long for them to get there. They will be judging you as to whether you are fit to be a Chūnin or not! Use this time well."
With that, Hayate disappeared in a Shunshin and all the competitors left the tower. As they walked, Naruto knew he would have to train harder. Neji was good, but he needed to be even better. But first, he had some apologies to make…
…
A/N: Well now, this looks interesting; the polls for whether or not Tsunade should be added is becoming a rather close vote…I won't say which decision is getting voted the most (you should be able to see it), but I will say that Tsunade being in the harem will not be confirmed until the Tanzaku City arc. So whomever wins out by then will get to celebrate…probably with a red wine and steak party (or whatever you like to eat that is luxurious, but I find red wine and steak to be a rather good combo).
…
Dungeon Fighter Class Introduction:
Brawler—this is a Fighter subclass known to fight dirty, and so their attacks are known to have a tendency to cause the bleeding and poison status effects. Female Brawlers are heavier on poisoning and bleeding the opponent, while the male brawlers have more directly offensive skills. All Brawlers favor using claw-type weapons (especially since Claw Mastery allows a chance to cause bleeding), and are best played using Heavy Armor; they are also the only class that mounts their enemies to pretty much punch them in the face.
…
Character Class Confirmation:
Nī Yugito—Brawler/Elemental Bomber (fire specialist)
…
Dungeon Fighter Techniques Used:
Flying C4 (modified)
…
Songs Used:
"Danger" from "Mark of the Ninja"—Kikyo vs. Yugito in a field of plastic explosives
"Bad Situation" by Toshiro Masuda from "Naruto"—Lee vs. Gaia
"Righteous Blade" by Masaharu Iwata from "Soul Calibur IV"—Kurama threatens Gaia