Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Both kekkei genkai were activated. Right from the start, every person knew that it would be the most spectacular match of the exam. Or maybe ever. Both were so similar. Itachi was one of the strongest shinobi in Konohagakure. Tadashi was one of the strongest shinobi in Amegakure. And neither wanted to lose.
Chapter 17 – Kurosu vs. Sharingan
"Too scared to make the first move?" Tadashi taunted. Itachi didn't answer. "Coward!" Itachi glared.
"You're the coward. You're too scared to attack me so you're opting to use taunts instead," he countered. Tadashi snarled and started to move forwards, but stopped.
"Clever. Trying to goad me into attacking blindly through rage." Tadashi grinned. "But not clever enough!" He stabbed Itachi in the back. The Tadashi that had talked turned into water.
"A Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu," Itachi commented. He seemed unconcerned that a kunai was embedded in his back.
"What the…" Tadashi gasped as Itachi turned to water. "A Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu? But how?"
A fireball roared towards him, followed by a Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu. He dodged both before glaring at the Uchiha.
"You know nothing," Itachi said. "My kekkei genkai isn't just for show."
"Nor is mine!" Tadashi snarled. Saikō Kurosu! A visible Chakra shield appeared around him. Itachi studied it thoughtfully as he carefully maintained his distance. Suddenly, it shot forwards, so fast that Itachi could barely evade it.
"You're fast," Tadashi noted. "I don't think I've seen someone move as fast as you do."
"I have to be this fast…" Itachi said, dodging some more attacks from the Saikō Kurosu. "… So I can do this." He ran with incredible speed towards Tadashi, evading and outpacing the kekkei genkai. His hands moved so fast that the handsigns weren't even visible as a blur. The traditional chirping noise accompanied the Chidori as it formed and struck Tadashi. Not a fatal wound – it hit his arm – but it was enough to make Tadashi howl in pain.
"What was that?" he gasped. Itachi grinned.
"Chidori." He coughed as the Kurosu whirled past him, clipping his arm. Blood erupted from his mouth. The injury was internal, Itachi realised. Bad news. He jumped back, away from the kekkei genkai. His Sharingan tracked every move that Tadashi made. The Ame ninja drew a kunai and charged at Itachi, weaving so that he was harder to track. Itachi didn't draw a kunai. He blocked the strike with his armguards. The cloth was cut and Tadashi saw the armguards. The slashed sleeved fell away and there was a gasp when everyone saw the handmade protectors.
"Aren't they pretty?" Tadashi sneered. "Who made them? Your girlfriend?"
"I don't have a girlfriend."
"What about the ANBU girl that's always hanging around with you?" The audience that didn't know who Mikoto was gasped again.
"That's my sister."
"Thought you looked rather alike."
"Quit with the chat!" Itachi drew his katana. Kusanagi no Tsurugi: Chidorigatana! The sword glowed blue with Chakra.
"You like Chidori things, don't you?" Tadashi said. "Is that all you can do?"
"You'd better hope you don't see all that I can do – you probably won't survive." Itachi grinned at Tadashi's outraged expression.
"Let's see these deadly techniques, then." Fuiton: Kūki no satsujin no jutsu! Itachi couldn't breathe and his jutsu dissipated.
Damn it, this guy's strong! he thought. I'm going to have to use that, like Uncle said. May as well start, then.
"You can't breathe, and your Katon jutsus are useless too…" Tadashi trailed off. "What is that?" he gasped, looking at Itachi.
"What's what?" Itachi asked pleasantly.
"Decided to jazz up your kekkei genkai?" Tadashi asked. "How sad."
"This is the true power of my kekkei genkai," Itachi said. "I haven't just 'jazzed it up'."
In the stands, Sasuke gasped and looked accusingly at his brother.
"Please tell me he's not talking about what I think he's talking about!" he said. Itachi shook his head.
"That's exactly what he's talking about."
"What is it, Dad?" Mikoto asked. Sasuke didn't answer – he was too busy glaring at his brother.
"How?"
"We found a way around the rules – don't worry," Itachi assured his younger brother.
"What is it?" Mikoto demanded.
"I thought the Sharingan was the true power of your kekkei genkai," Tadashi commented. So what's that?"
"It's called the Mangekyō Sharingan. Far more powerful than the average Sharingan, it's a rare power that very few people get."
"So what if it's far more powerful than the Sharingan? It still can't compare to Kurosu!" The Ame ninja's kekkei genkai attacked Itachi, who dodged it. What? thought Tadashi. How come he can still breathe? When Itachi ignited a fireball and sent it roaring his way, he realised that the Fuiton: Kūki no satsujin no jutsu had dissipated, and that Itachi was stronger than before. What is that Mangekyō Sharingan, aside from bad news for me? he wondered. He threw a handful of shuriken towards the Uchiha, who countered them with his own.
"I can sense Chakra," Tadashi told Itachi. "And your Chakra levels are going down rapidly."
"I can see Chakra, and your levels are going down fast, like mine. We'll run out at the same time," Itachi responded. Simultaneously, they drew some kunai and sprang to attack.
The audience gasped as the ring of metal on metal was heard ringing through the stadium. Tadashi tried to pull the same trick that he had done on Jun, but Itachi disengaged, so he couldn't.
Their skill with weapons was equal so neither could get the advantage over the other. The audience started to get restless.
"This is boring."
"I expected a more spectacular match than this."
"Is this the best these two have got? Did they get this far on pure luck?"
The Uchiha family glared at the mutterers. They had faith in Itachi.
"He'll win," Arisu said, sitting with the Uchihas. "He's just playing with that Ame ninja." Sasuke and Sakura glared at her.
"Arisu's right," Itachi said. "He's waiting until Tadashi's Chakra levels are lower."
"I hope you're right," Mikoto murmured.
Suddenly Tadashi separated from Itachi, who grinned.
"What's so funny?" Tadashi demanded. "We're both getting very low on Chakra."
Itachi didn't answer. Katon: Gōryūka no Jutsu! Time to see if I've remembered it right. Tadashi dodged the flames. Amaterasu! Tadashi gasped as black flames took hold in the dirt. There was an ominous rumble overhead.
"Oh dear," Tadashi mocked. "What a shame. Your pretty black flames are about to get extinguished by a storm!"
Itachi laughed.
"I wasn't aiming for you when I created the Katon: Gōryūka no Jutsu." A single bolt of lightning struck his outstretched palm. "That and Amaterasu created enough heat to form a thundercloud…"
"No way!" Tadashi gasped. "You created the storm?" Itachi nodded.
Kirin! The lightning left his hand and struck Tadashi. Susanoo! Tadashi screamed as the lightning hit him, but then he grinned.
"Anything that happens to me, happens to you!" he shouted gleefully. The lightning rebounded off him and struck Itachi. A skeletal beast formed around the Uchiha, protecting him. Once the thunderclouds had cleared, Itachi released the protection and walked over to Tadashi. The Ame ninja was still conscious, just.
Thank goodness Kurosu stopped me from suffering fatal damage, Tadashi thought before passing out.
Shino stepped up.
"The winner is… Uchiha Itachi no Konohagakure!" The roar of the crowd was deafening, but Itachi didn't hear it. The world spun and he passed out.
To zzz, who gave this story its first ever flame – thank you for being honest and I do realise that most of my fight scenes suck, but there is more to this story than the Chuunin exams and I don't make the Uchihas invincible, although I realise that I may have created some perfect characters, despite my best efforts not to. Your review meant a lot to me – I welcome flames as much as any other review.
And I said that I'd answer any inquiries: So to Dragon Jadefire, yes, I do read Vampire Knight!
Who realised that Itachi had the Mangekyō? Be honest. I did drop some hints. If you don't believe me, re-read chapter 13 and chapter 16. He uses it in chapter 13 and his uncle talks about it in chapter 16… Go on! Check!
Thanks for reading!
Tsari