Chapter 13: Preliminary Rounds
When team 7 was almost at the tower, Sakura suddenly stop and threw a kunai at the giant centipede pinning it on the tree.
"That's one huge centipede" Sakura said in disgust.
"You're afraid of centipede?" Sasuke ask cocking an eye brow.
"Heck no more like disgusted" Sakura said looking at her boyfriend.
"Hihihi... So Sakura-chan is afraid of centipede hehehe" Naruto thought grinning evilly not hearing his teammates conversation.
"You know cen-" Sakura was started to say something but a puff of smoke appear.
"What the...?" Sasuke said looking at the ground trying really hard not to laugh.
"What... Are... You doing?" Sakura said raising an eye brow amuse while also trying not to laugh out loud.
"I'm a giant centipede roar" naruto said in a squeaky voice "matte! What the... Oh come on" he said.
Naruto tried to key word tried to transform into a giant centipede to 'scare' Sakura but since he still suck at it, he ended up transforming into a small centipede with his head instead of centipede head.
"Really now" Sakura said amuse while giggling a little.
"Hmp" Naruto said transforming back to his old self "we'll at least I made you giggle next time I swear I will make you laugh, you and the teme Dattebayo."
"Yeah you do that" Sakura said before closing her eyes "Hn genjutsu."
"Nani?" Sasuke ask raising an eye brow before realizing what she meant "Kai."
"Come out now!" Sakura yelled.
A bunch of water clones emerge from the ground and from the trees surrounding team 7.
"Rain nins" Sasuke said glaring at them "are these clones?."
"Hai... Haze clones" Sakura said crossing her arms.
"Haze?" Sasuke ask raising an eye brow.
"It's like a regular clone except haze clone are not physically real, the attack will just pass through them" Sakura explain before smirking "Right? Oboro, Mubi, and Kagari..."
Her teammates look at her shock.
"You know them?" Naruto ask staring at her with wide eyes.
"Hai... My adopted parents are the leaders of Ame making me the princess of Ame... So I'm bound to know all the Ame ninjas and citizen" Sakura shrugging like it was the most normal thing to say.
Naruto and Sasuke stare at her with wide eyes.
"P-Princess?" Naruto ask seriously shock.
"Hai... I'll explain everything later" Sakura said.
The Ame nins weren't sure what they were suppose to do.
"Are you guys planning on taking our scroll?" Sakura ask crossing her arms on her chest.
"We were..." Oboro said looking down.
"What scroll do you three have?" Sakura ask raising an eye brow.
"The 'heaven' scroll" Kagari said showing them their scroll.
"There's a guy name Kabuto who has the 'earth' scroll go after him" Sakura said more like ordered.
"Hai... We're sorry for the inconvenient" Oboro said bowing with his teammates.
"No prob" Sakura said before walking away with her teams.
All the clones disperse allowing team 7 to walk away without a problem.
No one said anything on their way to the tower not even Naruto, team 7 have different thoughts occupying their head, Sakura was thinking about a way she could lie at the same time not lie to her teammates about her life, Sasuke was thinking about the fact that his girlfriend is a princess and how she bacame a princess, Naruto was thinking about the fact that his best friend is a princess.
Time skip (I'm way too lazy and the details are boring... Team Oboro didn't pass since Kabuto and his team defeated them.)
"Congratulations on passing" Anko said smirking "hehe... Among the 78 participants for 21 to get this far... I said I'd cut them in half but I was expecting single digits."
"So hungry" Chōji thought hungrily.
"Still this many left? This sucks..." Shikamaru thought.
"Sasuke-kun's team passed too" Ino thought happily.
"You're team isn't too bad maybe they were lucky... But as long as my team is around getting any farther is impossible... Since from now it's all about real ability... Well with youth there are sweet times and sour times eh kakashi" guy said smirking at kakashi.
Kakashi turn his head to look at him "eh? You say something?" He ask bored.
"Heh not bad my rival kakashi... You're cool in that way and it really gets on my nerves..." Guy thought fire burning in his eyes.
"Ahh so that's guy-sensei's eternal rival... Guy-sensei totally loses in terms of looks though..." Ten-ten thought smirking.
"I knew it among all the teacher Guy-sensei is the coolest... He's sparkling! Alright... Watch me guy-sensei I'll sparkle too" lee thought excitedly.
"So the uchiha's team passed too" Neji thought.
"I'll get you back for what you did to my arm Sakura" Zaku thought glaring at Sakura.
Orochimaru who was disguise as team Dosu's sensei smirk.
Sakura narrow her eyes "his here."
"So only 7 teams out of 27 teams passed" Temari thought.
"Gaara is unscathed.. Of course" baki thought.
"What's wrong with Akamaru" Kurenai thought concern.
Akamaru was shaking inside of Kiba's jacket "that sand guy" Kiba thought.
"I'm glad Naruto-kun pass" Hinata thought smiling while looking at Naruto's back.
"Wow! Wow! The old man hokage, iruka-sensei, kaka-sensei, and even gekimayu-sensei is here... It's like everyone is assembled" Naruto thought excitedly.
"I can't say I'm getting a good feeling" Sasuke thought holding his neck.
"For this many to make it... And most of them are rookies" the hokage thought smirking.
"For the coming third test... But before I explain that... There is something I'd like you to know it concerns the true reason for this exam..." The hokage said, he started explaining about the true reason of the exam yada, yada, yada and all that stuff until Hayate cut him off.
"Hello everyone I'm Hayate" Hayate said "umm... 'Cough' 'cough' before the third test there's 'cough' 'cough' something I'd like you to do."
"Umm... It's a preliminary for the third test... To decide who gets to participate in the main event" Hayate said before coughing.
"Preliminary?" Sakura ask cocking an eye brow.
"Preliminary? What do you mean?" Shikamaru demanded.
"Why aren't all the people allowed to participate in the next test?" Sakura ask confuse.
"Because there are too many teams that passed... As hokage-sama indicated earlier there will be many guests at the third test so the fights could take too long, we are limited in time... Umm so anyway does who don't want to participate please leave now since we're going to start the preliminary rounds immediately" Hayate explain coughing every now and then.
"Nani? Right now?" Kiba said shock.
"Umm I'm going to quit" Kabuto said sheepishly.
"Huh? Kabuto" Naruto said shock.
"What are you playing" Sakura thought narrowing her eyes at Kabuto.
"Umm you're Yakushi Kabuto from the leaf right?" Hayate ask coughing "you may leave now... By the way does anyone else want to leave? This is an individual battling you may raise your hand on your own judgement."
"Kabuto why are you quitting, are you still upset that Sakura-chan took you're scroll?" Naruto ask.
"No I'm not upset or anything she was right anyway this is a test... Although she didn't have to take the scroll in the most cruelest way" Kabuto said slightly glaring at her.
"Cruel? You call that cruel?" Sakura said raising an eye brow.
"Hai... Anyways I'm sorry Naruto but my body is all beat up and I still feel like my blood is going to burst at any seconds especially when I'm near her" Kabuto said frowning.
"Hn" Sakura said rolling her eyes with a smirk on her face.
"I would like to play with you three a little longer but... Sakura is already being suspicious... I am a spy after all... I can't let anyone know that" Kabuto thought while smirking at the sound nins 'sensei' "my gathering of information is done... Orochimaru-sama."
"Good luck you three" Kabuto said before walking out of the room with a smirk on his face "I'll save my fun for some other time..."
Sasuke grunted in pain when his neck throb "ugh... The waves of pain are becoming more frequent."
"Sasuke-kun..." Sakura thought worriedly "I have no choice but to use it... If I ask him to forfeit he won't do it, his way too stubborn."
"So is there anyone else who wants to forfeit?" Hayate ask looking at them.
"You alright?" Sakura ask staring at the curse mark.
"Hai..." Sasuke said ignoring the pain.
Sakura rolled her eyes at him before using her middle and index finger to touch the curse mark on his neck, a flow of silver chakra emits from her finger tips and started to surround the curse mark.
"Shōheki Fūin" Sakura mutter closing her eyes.
A black Star of David with a circle appear on Sasuke's neck with the curse mark in the middle of it, before it disappear along with the curse mark.
"What did you...?" Sasuke ask when he felt the pain disappear.
"How?" Orochimaru, Kakashi, Anko, The hokage thought utterly shock.
Sakura breath heavily using the chakra exhaust her since she haven't master it yet.
"I didn't make it disappear completely its just for today... Tomorrow the seal would appear again and so is the pain" Sakura said a little sad.
"Arigatō" Sasuke said his eyes softening while looking at her in the eyes.
"Only for you" Sakura whisper softly he barely heard her.
"How did she...?" The hokage ask still shock.
"I have no idea" Anko said utterly confuse.
"I should have known she would be specialize in Fūinjutsu" Orochimaru thought gritting his teeth.
"Sakura... How strong are you" kakashi thought looking at his student.
"Um now... Lets begin the preliminary... This preliminary will consist of one on one fighting, you will basically fight as if in a real life confrontation... Since we now have exactly 20 entrants we will conduct 10 matches and... 'Cough' the winners will advance to the third test" Hayate explain "there are basically no rules, the fight continuous until one of you dies or get knocked out or admits defeat... 'Cough' if you don't want to die then quickly acknowledge your defeat... Blah blah blah blah blah."
"The object that controls your destiny is... This electric score board will show the match-ups for each battle... Now this is sudden but lets announce the 2 names of the first fight..."
The genins look at the screen waiting for the names of the first match to appear.
Uchiha Sasuke
Vs.
Akadō Yoroi
"Hn" Sasuke said smirking.
"Now, these two entrants come to the front... The first participants in the first fight are Uchiha Sasuke and Akadō Yoroi, are you ready?" Hayate ask.
"Hai" Sasuke said looking at his opponent.
"Hai" Yoroi said.
Sakura narrow her eyes at Yoroi before closing her eyes "Hn just as I thought."
"You better win this teme" Naruto thought.
"Good luck Sasuke" lee thought.
"A chance to watch his abilities" neji thought.
"Where's the curse seal?" Yoroi thought shock to see the curse seal gone on his neck.
"Now... We will be starting the first match... Will everyone except the two participants move to the upper level" Hayate said.
"KAKA-SENSEI!" Naruto yelled waving at his sensei.
On Sakura's way towards the upper level she pass Sasuke.
"Sasuke-kun just a warning... He can absorb chakra, so be careful" Sakura warned "and don't get to cocky or confident."
"Hai, hai... How can you be so sure that he can absorb chakra?" Sasuke ask raising an eye brow.
"I have an adoptive brother who can also absorb chakra" Sakura said shrugging "like I said be careful and good luck."
Sasuke nodded "thanks for the warning."
"Aa" Sakura said before walking away.
The other genins along with their sensei's watch the two of them, eager to watch the fight.
"Now please begin" Hayate said before jumping away.
"Are you ready?" Yoroi ask doing a hand seal.
"Hai" Sasuke said smirking.
Yoroi's right hand was filled with chakra, using his left hand he took out three shuriken from his shuriken holster and threw it at Sasuke.
Sasuke pulled out a kunai and blocked the shuriken before doing some hand seals "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu" he breathed out a continuous flame-thrower heading straight to Yoroi.
Yoroi turned out to be a water clone, the real Yoroi appeared behind Sasuke.
"You're dead" Yoroi said before quickly placing his chakra filled hand on his head and started absorbing his chakra.
Sasuke could feel his strength draining.
"Fuck! If Sasuke's chakra continue to drain, the chakra I place on the seal would be absorb too and if that happens... The curse mark will appear again" Sakura mutter worried.
Since Sasuke was facing his teammate, he saw the worried look on Sakura's face.
"TEME! IS THAT THE BEST YOU COULD DO?" Naruto yelled glaring at Sasuke but you could still see the worry in his eyes.
Sasuke gritted his teeth, he grab Yoroi's wrist and use all the strength he still have to throw him across the arena, Yoroi back flip landing on his feet.
Sasuke breathe heavily trying to summon whatever strength he has left, before he activates the Sharingan.
Yoroi run towards him again "you don't have time for sight seeing."
Sasuke disappear and doing an upper kick on yoroi.
"That's my..." Lee said shock.
Sakura and Naruto smirk.
"Although from here I'm going original" Sasuke said smirking.
Yoroi tried to counterattack, but Sasuke took advantage of this to spin around and rise again for further assaults, because of the blow Yoroi was thrown to the ground and Sasuke finished the attack by kicking him in the stomach.
"SHISHI RENDAN!" Sasuke yelled.
Yoroi landed on the ground unconscious with a crater behind him, Sasuke a couple of feet away from him.
Hayate walk towards Yoroi's unconscious form and checked if he was really knocked out "I'm stopping the fight here... And thus... The winner of the first match is Uchiha Sasuke."
"ALRIGHT!" Naruto yelled happy that his best friend won.
Sakura sigh in relief and half smile at her boyfriend.
"Lee... Thanks to you I was able to survive... If I hadn't seen your technique earlier i would have been in trouble" Sasuke thought before reaching the tower with his team they saw team Guy fighting with some Ame nins, he was able to copy lee's technique before his team left.
"Mastering even part of the super Taijutsu technique 'lotus' is impossible without grueling training... Even with Sharingan it's not something that can be perfected that quickly... And the creativity of the finishing move... Kakashi this boy remind me of you when you were young" Guy thought looking at Sasuke.
Neji narrow his eyes at Sasuke.
"Last year's number 1 rookie was Hyūga Neji... This year's number 1 rookie is Uchiha Sasuke... I wonder which one is stronger" Ten-ten thought smirking.
"KYAAA! SASUKE-KUN" Ino squeal with hearts on her eyes, not knowing that Sakura is dating Sasuke.
Sakura raise an eye brow at Ino but didn't say anything.
"Uchiha Sasuke... Let the medical team treat your injuries now" a medic Nin said.
"I'm fine" Sasuke said in a monotone before standing up and leaping on the upper level.
"Good job teme" Naruto said holding his fist up.
Sasuke smirk before punching his own fist on Naruto's and looking at Sakura who was smirking at him.
"Hn... I was worried nothing" Sakura said shaking her head.
"Can you just says congrats" Sasuke said poking her shoulder.
"Sigh... If I have too... Congratulation Sasuke-kun... There happy now?" Sakura said raising an eye brow while smiling at him, the smile reserve only for him.
Kakashi raise an eye brow at his students behavior "hmmm..."
"Aa" Sasuke said his eyes softening.
"We will start the next match" Hayate said.
The screen started flickering names before it stop.
Haruno Sakura
Vs.
Abumi Zaku
Zaku grin widely "it's pay back time."
"Zaku don't get too confident" Dosu warned remembering how she control him against his will.
Zaku ignore him instead he jump off the railing landing on the ground.
"Good luck Sakura-chan" Naruto said smiling confidently at her.
"Aa" Sakura said half smiling at him "this is gonna be good."
"I would say good luck... But I don't think you'll need it" Sasuke said smirking at her.
Sakura smirk shaking her head before jumping off the rail landing on the ground.
"That guy doesn't stand a chance..." Shikamaru thought crossing his arms on his chest.
"Now we will begin the second match" Hayate said before coughing "Begin!"
"You're going to pay for what you did to my arm, you bitch" Zaku said glaring at her.
Her teammates along with the rest was shock except for team Asuma and team Guy after learning that she was the one who cut off his arm.
"What happened while we were unconscious?" Naruto ask looking at Sasuke with wide eyes.
"I have no idea" Sasuke said shock but he wasn't showing it.
Sakura stare at him her eyes held no emotion except for one thing no mercy "is that suppose to be a threat?... Cause I only see it as an empty words."
"Cocky bitch" Zaku said before holding his arm forward "ZANKŪHA!."
Zaku created a supersonic blasts of air heading straight towards Sakura.
Sakura was gone in a blink of an eye, appearing behind Zaku the blade of her Akuma no Tsubasa was close to Zaku's neck.
"Cool axe" ten-ten said in awe.
"I really wish I can kill you right now" Sakura said closing her eyes "forfeit and I won't kill you."
"No" Zaku said glaring at her although she couldn't see it since she was behind him.
Zaku move his hand behind his back "Zankūha."
Sakura disappear only to appear across Zaku, her eyes still close.
"She's fast... Even faster than lee" ten-ten said her eyes wide.
"Then you leave me with no choice" Sakura said opening her eyes and raising her right arm forward.
Zaku suddenly drop on his knees gripping his body "AAARRRRGGGHHH!" He yelled in agony before puking out some blood.
"What are you doing?" Dosu ask his eyes wide along with the rest, heck even Neji and Gaara.
Some of the genins were trying not to puke when they saw the puddle of blood.
Sasuke was looking at Sakura's eyes "it's like she change into a different person... Those cold, no mercy filled eyes..."
"Forfeit" Sakura said releasing Zaku's blood.
Zaku cough up some blood before lifting his head glaring at her "N-Never."
"Zaku! Forget about your goddamn pride, she's going to murder you" kin yelled.
"Shut the fuck up" Zaku said trying to stand on his feet, before he collapse on his knees again griping his heart.
Sakura's eyes started to glow red as the pain on Zaku's body increase, blood started to drip from his nose, ears, fingertips and if you look at his eyes he looks like he was crying blood.
"I think I'm gonna be sick" Ino said clasping her hand on her mouth to stop herself form puking.
Shikamaru like Sasuke was looking at her eyes "She's going to kill him."
Chōji stopped eating knowing that if he continue to eat he would puke it all out.
Neji was watching the scene in front of him with a shock expression on his normally expressionless face.
Ten-ten turn her head away "he's going to die if she continue to do whatever she's doing."
Lee was looking at Sakura with a sad and slightly scared eyes "Sakura-chan..."
Hinata fainted the moment she saw the pool of blood on the ground.
Akamaru was shaking inside of Kiba's jacket.
Kiba was breathing through his mouth so he wouldn't have to smell the scent of blood.
Shino was making sure Hinata was alright.
"She's even less merciful than Gaara... At least Gaara killed quickly... But she... She's torturing them" Temari thought gripping the railing.
"Oh great anther person I'm scared of" kankurō thought.
Gaara was watching silently.
"Sakura-chan..." Naruto whisper gripping the railing "what happened to the sweet and nice girl I met 8 years ago?"
Sasuke remain silent loss in his thoughts.
The jōnins were shock and worried.
"It can't be..." The hokage thought shock.
Sakura release Zaku when she notice he want to say something.
"I FORFEIT!" Zaku yelled his body still in agony, the blood flowing from his eyes, nose, fingertips, and eyes stopped, but his body was still shaking,
"Since Abumi Zaku forfeit Haruno Sakura is the winner of the second match" Hayate said coming out of his daze.
Sakura's eyes change back to its original color, she close her eyes before jumping up the upper level, landing beside Sasuke.
"Congrats..." Naruto said unsure of what to do or what to say.
Sakura remain silent leaning against the railing while her head is down and her eyes close.
After Zaku was taken by the medics, Hayate cough to get everyones attention.
"Now... Lets start the third match..." Hayate said looking at the screen.
(I'm not going to write all the matches because I am lazy and the details are too boring, btw the matches didn't change except for Ino and Shino, their match happens like this, when Ino saw bugs crawling on shino's face she fainted...)
All the winners of the prelims exam was standing in front of the hokage, starting from right to left, Aburame Shino, Hyūga Neji, Nara Shikamaru, Gaara, Kankurõ, Temari, Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, Dosu Kinuta.
"To all of you who won the rights to compete in the third round test in the Chūnin exam... Congratulation to you all" Hayate said.
"There's 6 from the leaf, 3 from sand, and 1 from sound" the hokage thought.
"Well then hokage-sama if you would please..." Hayate said.
"Well now I'd like to start explaining the main test..." The hokage said.
"Finally..." Naruto thought excited.
"As I told you before in the main event, your matches will be seen by everybody... Each of you will fight to represent the strengths of your countries... I'd like you to showoff all your powers with no reserves" the hokage explain.
"We're not going to do it here, right now?" Naruto ask confuse.
"This break, you can say will be for preparations" the hokage said.
"What do you mean?" Neji ask raising an eye brow.
"In other words... In addition to informing all the various Daimyō and Kage, this is the time needed to arrange for the gathering of the even... And this is also the preparation time for you examiner students" the hokage started to explain and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, etc, etc and all the boring details.
"... And that's the way it is... Well I'd like to dismiss you now but... There's something that has to be done for the finals before I can do that" the hokage said smirking.
"What the hell is it?" Naruto demanded "I've got to train now."
"Well now don't get too excited... There are pieces of paper inside of the box that Anko's holding, so each of you take one piece" the hokage said.
"I'll come around so wait your turn" Anko said holding a box.
"All right you all took a piece, now then I'd like you to tell us the number on that paper in order, starting from the left" Ibiki said holding a clip board.
"It's 9..." Dosu said.
"1" Naruto said confuse.
"4" Sasuke said.
"10" Sakura said.
"7" Temari said.
"5" kankurō said.
"3" Gaara said.
"8" Shikamaru said.
"2" Neji said.
"6" Shino said
"Alright now I will.. Reveal to you the final tournament" the hokage said grinning.
"Huh!" Naruto said his eyes widen.
"That what we drew numbers for?" Shikamaru said shock.
"Now Ibiki show them the match arrangements" the hokage said.
"Hai" Ibiki said showing them the clipboard.
First round
1 Uzumaki Naruto
Vs.
2 Hyūga Neji
Second round
3 Gaara
Vs.
4 Uchiha Sasuke
Third round
5 kankurō
Vs.
6 Aburame Shino
Fourth round
7 Temari
Vs.
8 Nara Shikamaru
Fifth round
9 Dosu Kinuta
Vs.
10 Haruno Sakura
"NANI?" Dosu thought nervously.
"Nani? The finals are just a regular tournament?" Temari thought.
"How troublesome" Shikamaru thought lazily.
"Phew Thank Kami I'm not on the same block as Sakura and Gaara" kankurō thought relieve.
"Uchiha Sasuke..." Gaara thought something glinting in his eyes.
"Perfect..." Neji thought smirking.
"Hyūga Neji immediately against him... Bring it on" Naruto thought.
"Seriously I get the weak one..." Sakura thought annoyed.
"Hn" Sasuke thought.
"Well then, you're free to start strategizing or resting as you like... With this I'll dismiss you all" the hokage said.
Man what a long chapter...
Shishi Rendan - Lion Combo
Shōheki Fūin - Barrier Seal
Please review and I hope you enjoy it...
-xoxo-