"Blah": Talking
'Blah': Demon speaking/Inner Sakura
'Blah': Naruto's thoughts/other people's thoughts
'Blah': Harry talking to Naruto
And we're back with another chapter! I'm posting this chapter a little bit earlier than usual because I just finished "The Boomerang Warrior Rises" chapter which is the first chapter set after the finals. I'm actually really surprised I finished it so fast and it was almost 60 pages long before I edited it, so I decided to post this chapter a few days earlier than I intended to originally. The chapter after that one will take me a little bit more time to finish, so I think I might stick to posting a chapter with one week in between each chapter.
So let's not waste any time and dive right into it! We're only a few chapters away from the end of Book 3 and starting Book 4! But when I think back to this current chapter, I think this was originally written around Christmas time. It's been a while but I remember that was back when me, Azeroth44, Naruto, and Iruka were at our most insane when it came to these introductions.
Iruka: In the old chapter we sang Christmas songs with the wrong lyrics…
Naruto: Someone couldn't stop quoting the Nightmare Before Christmas…
Azeroth44: And then Sasuke killed me with the Chidori when I threatened to draw him in lewd sexual pictures with Justin Bieber, and he demanded to be given a wand to extract his revenge on the world…
K: Oh yeah! And then we tortured him! :D Fun times, friends. Fun times…
Naruto: I hit him like a piñata!
K: Yeah! But instead of candy, we made him bleed :D
AZ44: YAY!
K: Hahahahaha! But seriously, he is still the worst character of the franchise. That two-faced, son of a whore…
AZ44: Agreed. Shall we continue to the chapter now?
K: Yes!
N: But where's Jedimaster?
K: He'll be with us next time, assuming he's not reviewing chapters under my name again.
AZ44: He has his own account, dude.
K: Right. We might see him later on then. Now on with the chapter! But before I forget, I want to thank Leaf Ranger for helping me out with Shikamaru and Temari's fight for this chapter. Honestly, man, I wouldn't have been able to finish it if you didn't help me out, and I truly appreciate it. I hope you guys out there enjoy the battle I have here so... ENJOY!
Reviews are welcome and REALLY wanted!
Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto,
Harry Potter is property of JK Rowling,
Chapter 21: Shikamaru Shines
Silence.
No one could make a noise or know how to react to the announcement for a few brief moments.
The civilians sat in their seats, too shaken from the demonic flames that blazed earlier while the shinobi tried to take in the fact that Naruto was able to control the awesome force of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox on his own. Some citizens from Konoha were wet from fear-induced leaks and too much lemonade. But as Naruto stood over Neji's unconscious form, Sakura balled her hands into fists and she screamed with a smile and a blush in her cheeks. A look she would have saved for her beloved Sasuke.
"Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! YES! Naruto won! HE DID IT!" she cheered and set off the rest of the audience.
{{Sons of Odin by Patrick Doyle}}
Ino looked around in disbelief and confusion as she was deafened with the collected thunder of applause and cheers. The Konoha citizens, civilian and shinobi alike were unable to contain their enthusiasm and cheered on Naruto Uzumaki. Even the citizens that mocked him in silence or wished for him to be killed or at least see him fail were so blown from what ensued and the level of control Naruto had over the demon chakra, they applauded him all the same. The outsiders cheered him on as well and some of them even blew him kisses for such an entertaining match. Naruto didn't notice the sheer amount of praise he received until he felt his older brother shake his shoulder. Naruto stared at the crowds and blinked with disbelief as well and heard the mass of people cheer out his name.
"Unbelievable!"
"What an amazing match!"
"GREAT JOB, NARUTO!"
"WOO-HOO!"
"YEAH! AWESOME!"
"THAT WAS INCREDIBLE!"
"NARUTO! NARUTO!"
"You're the best, kid!"
Naruto felt his cheeks start to flood with color and scratched his nose out of a mixture of embarrassment and a rare humbleness as the crowds cheered him on as the hero of the Chunin Selection Exams. He had waited to be praised like this ever since the Sorting Hat made him realize what he wanted. Naruto cracked a wide smile and wished for this moment to never end as he showed the crowds a peace sign with his hand. The blonde-haired shinobi then ran around and waves his arms about as the people continued to cheer and whistle.
While he ran, the blonde shinobi felt his older brother embrace him with his invisible touch.
'You were brilliant, Naruto! Well done!'
Genma started to chuckle as he watched Naruto run around like a little kid, 'Incredible… even after a fight like that and summoned an entire storm of fire, he still has the energy to run around like that! That kid's got some amazing stamina!'
Back in the stands, Iruka stood on his seat and he cheered for his little brother and could have cried out of pride for his adoptive child's success, but he would save the tears for when he became Hokage.
"YEAH! GO NARUTO! WHOO-HOO-HOO! THAT'S MY BABY BROTHER DOWN THERE! THAT'S! MY! LITTLE! BROTHER!"
Iruka boasted out loud, unashamed, and never once relented and failed to notice a certain kunoichi sit beside him and cheer at his side to earn his attention.
"GO NARUTO! GO LITTLE LION CUB! WHOO!" the voice of Anko Mitarashi cried next to Iruka.
Iruka sat back down and looked at Anko, surprised to see her as a small blush rose in his cheeks, "What are you doing here, Anko?"
"What d'you think I'm here for, Iruka?" she asked in an audacious tone while she smiled, "I'm here to cheer for the kid! That match is one for the record books! People are going to remember this for a while! WHOO! GO LION CUB!"
Iruka smiled and his blush faded somewhat as he watched Naruto run around and wave to the crowds, "You bet. Sometimes I can't believe how much he's improved… but seriously, what's the other reason you're here?"
"I don't know," she answered as her excitement died down and she looked at him with a softer smile, delighted to see a more confident look on the chunin's face, but then she asked him, "But I think I would like to start over if it's not too much to ask."
Iruka felt Anko's hand rest on his own and would have blushed when he felt her warm, familiar hand brush on his knuckles. His hand recoiled and Anko lost some confidence and looked towards the arena in her own fit of embarrassment. But then she was surprised when she felt Iruka's lips touch her cheek when he dove in and snuck her a kiss. Anko blushed and stared at him. Iruka had stolen a kiss from her. The chunin she remembered didn't have so much nerve as she watched him smirk in confidence.
"What the hell?" he asked as he looked down at Naruto one more time and stood to return to the school, "I'll be free later this week!"
Anko smirked at him while he left and said, "Thanks, Umino!"
"It's a date, Mitarashi!" he winked back.
Anko snorted at how lame Iruka looked when he winked and smiled back at her. But she found it to be one of numerous charms about him that she liked. She saluted to him and Iruka left the stadium as soon as he could to return to the Ninja Academy.
In one of the other boxes, Tenten stared down at the arena and couldn't believe what she had seen as her teammate was defeated. She would have been more upset but it looked to her that this defeat would knock some sense into Neji, so she smiled and cheered on Naruto, at least in the hopes that his actions would help wake her teammate up.
"GOOD JOB, NARUTO!" cheered Tenten, "WELL DONE!"
Gai and Lee both stood at the stairs beside Sakura's row in the stands, the two of them frozen with shock at the end result of the battle. Lee couldn't breathe and Gai couldn't even move while their minds took in the fact that Neji had been defeated for the first time. As the crowds around them cheered and clapped, the student and teacher looked around and then watched Naruto as he ran about and cheered as well. Lee lowered his head and Gai noticed his student and felt troubled for him as he could determine how he felt about Naruto defeating his number-one eternal rival before he had the chance to. He feared Lee would become envious towards his new friend, but Gai soon relaxed and smiled as he watched Lee start to smile and lifted one of his arms in the air as he cheered in genuine happiness.
"WHOO! GO NARUTO-KUN! YOU DID IT!" he cheered as loud as he could.
'You are such a wonderful kid, Lee…' smiled Gai and then the teacher punched a fist into the air and roared, "THE POWER OF YOUTH BURNS THE FIELD UPON WHICH YOU LIT, NARUTO-KUN!"
Back at the box with Kiba, Hinata, Izumo, and Kotetsu: the two chunin clapped and smiled as both of them watched Naruto drink in all the attention and praise he so desperately desired. The two of them then expressed their opinions on the battle.
"Outstanding! That fox brat sure knows how to fight!" smiled Kotetsu.
"Yeah," his close friend agreed, "Naruto must have had a plan all along! And it worked!"
Close beside the two of them, Kiba roared and cheered while Hinata sat down and stared at Naruto with a small, relieved smile, her face filled with untold amounts of happiness as she held her hands close to her chest and a small blush showed in her pale cheeks. She was speechless while he teammate reached into his coat and decided to use a noisemaker he brought from home, unaware that the use of them were forbidden in the stadium at official events such as this one.
"WOO-HOO! GO NARUTO!" the rookie raised the noisemaker in his hand and it blasted with the force of a small bomb.
Hinata and a lot of the audience members around them flinched and ducked their heads down for cover. Kiba smiled and barked but never knew what hit him when two ANBU came out of nowhere and tackled him on the stairs and detained him.
"THAT'S IT! YOU'RE UNDER ARREST, KID! NO FIREARMS IN THE STADIUM!"
Kiba was tossed around with his arms tied around his back. Hinata covered her mouth in shock and couldn't decide to defend her teammate or run the risk of being arrested as well. She remained seated but continued to watch as Kiba was escorted out of the stadium and whined all the while.
"OWW! C'MON! It's a festival! The Sandaime told us to be festive! OUCH! Cut it out, dude! I'M GOING! I'M GOING! OK! Tell me how the other matches turn out, Hinata! I'll call my mom to bail me out!"
Hinata sat back down in her seat and feared Kiba's mother's wrath when she found out her son was arrested. But she was soon distracted from the notion when she turned to look at Naruto and smiled. Her hands soon balled into fists and shook as she watched Naruto run about and milked the attention he had for what it was worth. Hinata then felt a rush of confidence swell within her and she decided to call out to him and grasp his attention.
"Naruto-kun! You did it! I… I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT!" she cried with as much confidence as she could muster.
Naruto paused and could have sworn he heard a familiar voice. He looked around and tried to find whoever it was that called out to him but he was never able to find her in the crowds. His vision was too unfocused and so he chose to punch the air with both of his fists and smiled in a victorious gesture. He then waved at someone in the crowds he hoped was Hinata while he heard the faint sound of Kiba's rebellious, insane cries while the rookie was escorted out of the stadium with the two ANBU soldiers.
"YEAH, ALL HAIL KING NARUTO, THE STRONG! NO! KING NARUTO, THE BRAVE! NARUTO THE MAGNIFICENT! MUWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
In the opposite box, Sakura's enthusiasm and excitement died down a bit as she chose to watch her teammate in silence. She smiled at him but also looked somewhat defeated as she noticed how much stronger Naruto had become ever since their team started out. It was clear to her more than ever that Naruto wasn't the loser she once saw him as. Now it seemed he stood close to the same level as her beloved Sasuke.
'Naruto is so much stronger than he was before…' she thought.
And then Sakura then heard the voices of two female citizens from Konoha that sat behind her start to talk about him, "Incredible! Naruto Uzumaki won! I can't believe it!"
"He's on the road to success!" the other woman said.
And then the first of the two giggled, "He's also kind of cute when I think about it."
Sakura turned to look at the two kunoichi behind her and then looked back down at Naruto, surprised at how popular her teammate had started to become after one match. She watched her teammate stand tall as it seemed Naruto had calmed down and started to walk towards the stairs to the contestants' box. As she watched him continue to march like a real shinobi, Sakura could help but start to feel somewhat envious towards him.
'I can't believe I'm thinking this, but I envy you, Naruto…' she thought, 'Watching you battle makes me realize that I have to work hard too…'
(A/N: Did Sakura never think she would have to work hard when she decided to sign up for the Ninja Academy?)
In the contestants' box, Shikamaru held onto the rail and stood beside Shino Aburame. His arms had shook with nervousness when the climax of the battle commenced and couldn't stop it even after it was all over. He stared down at his former classmate and still couldn't believe what he had seen or accept the fact that Naruto Uzumaki had defeated one of the strongest rookies Konoha had ever seen before Sasuke Uchiha graduated.
"Naruto did it… he won the match…" he breathed after an eternal silence, "I can't believe this… And to think I thought Naruto was the same as me: one of the un-cool kids…"
Shino looked at Shikamaru with confusion hidden beneath his sunglasses.
"One of the un-cool kids?" he asked.
Shikamaru nodded and explained as he lowered his head, "You know… one the losers of our class. I can hear the crowds as well as the rest of the audience. Naruto is going to move on and become successful and stuff now. There isn't snowball's chance in hell I'll be able to defeat him now… I've never felt so depressed…"
Shino stared at Shikamaru and then went on to wait for the next match as if he didn't have a care in the world. He decided to read a little bit from his Miso Soup book that fell into his hands when Naruto ran into him and Kiba.
Somewhere else in the stands, after Naruto had retreated to the stairs, the teachers Kurenai Yuhi and Asuma Sarutobi sat beside each other in the middle of their box and stared out like a lot of the other citizens from Konoha who reacted to Naruto's use of the demon chakra.
Asuma was the first of them to talk and said, "That match…. was epic."
"I can't believe it," said Kurenai in amazement, "Naruto was able to draw the demon's chakra all on his own… And he didn't lose control over it, not for one second…"
The bearded shinobi crossed his arms and looked around at the other bewildered faces of their allies and friends.
"Yeah," he nodded, "I think that all the folks here from Konoha are in shock from that…"
Up in the Kage's box, the Kazekage looked very surprised to see Naruto use so much chakra and controlled it so well. But at the same time, he looked as if it was not what he wanted to see. The masked leader looked somewhat worried but then scanned the arena in search of someone else he wanted to see, while the old Hokage sat in his seat and stared.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had almost had a heart attack at what he had seen.
'Remarkable… Naruto was able to use the demon's chakra but also controlled it! He turned it into a maze of fire! All on his own! It would make a lot of sense if Jiraiya had a hand in his training this last month…'
At the same time, someone else had arrived in the stadium at the start of the match, but he remained hidden near one of the halls that lead to the exit. Jiraiya of the Sannin was hidden in the same box that Iruka Umino was seated in and had arrived to watch Naruto's match. The white-haired Sannin smirked and then smacked his own knee and crossed his arms over his chest with pride and amazement.
"Who would have thought a little dork like that could do it?" said the Sannin and then he let out a loud laugh, "BUWAHAHAHAHA! Well done, kiddo! Well done!"
Jiraiya was amazed that Naruto had done what he thought he never succeeded to teach him. He summoned toads as if it were second nature to him and then finished the match with total control over the demon chakra within him. The tall Sannin smiled and couldn't help but think about someone else he knew as he watched Naruto's blonde hair waver when he ran about the arena. Jiraiya frowned somewhat in sadness but then he smiled again when he decided he wasn't done with Naruto Uzumaki and started to leave now that the fun was over.
"Kushina's son faired out a lot better than I expected," he said, "It looks like I'll have to lure him back to me somehow soon… if Sarutobi-sensei doesn't hide him from me."
Back in the arena after Naruto left, Neji remained on his back in the middle of the battlefield as he moaned. The burns, cuts, and bruises that riddled his skin weren't what hurt the most, but how it felt to be defeated. It hurt how it seemed fate had been defied and the beliefs he had constructed after he lost his father all seemed extraneous when he relied on them to maintain a stable sense of mind until now. He didn't know what to do next or who to blame for his misfortune, but before he had time to think it over, Genma walked over to him after he called the medical team to collect the rookie.
The much older shinobi chewed on his senbon needle and looked down at the defeated rookie while he said, "You know, even a caged bird, when it smartens up, will try to open the door with it's beak…"
Neji moved his head to look at the older shinobi and listened to him, as much as it hurt his neck to move and stretch out the cuts on his neck.
"The dream to break free and fly is a dream worth dying for… but… You lost this time, kid…" he said.
Soon the medics arrived and carried Neji onto a stretcher and carried him out of the arena. All the while, the rookie stared at the older shinobi and took in his words of wisdom. As he was taken from the arena, the rookie stared at the trees above him when the team escorted him to where he would be treated for his wounds. Whist under one of the trees, the sun was blocked out and Neji saw a bird huddled on one of the branches. But as soon as the sun beamed through the tree and almost blinded him, the bird took off and flew into the air and cried, as if it cried out, "freedom".
Back in the central box, Hiashi sat beside Hanabi who looked at her father, worried and scared when her stern and emotionless father looked sad and even vulnerable. She seemed more worried than ever as she looked to her father for answers on the matter Naruto and Neji had discussed. But before she could talk to him, he stood from his seat after some internal debate and beckoned to his daughter. One of the members of the clan stood close to escort Hanabi back home while it seemed Hiashi had a matter on his mind he needed to deal with alone.
"Hanabi," he beckoned as the attendant from the clan arrived, "Go home, Hanabi-chan. I will be there in a minute. I must have a talk with your cousin from the branch house."
Hanabi did as she was told and held the hand of the attendant while she was escorted home and her father left towards the direction of the medical facilities.
After about a half hour, the roar of excitement over Naruto's match had died down some and the audience buzzed about the second match of the first round. Back in the Kage's box, the Kazekage chuckled at his companion while he continued to stare down at the arena.
"Well," said the masked leader, "The crowds are in astir!"
Sarutobi blinked and nodded in agreement, "That was because it was a terrific battle… Naruto-kun sure has matured a lot since the Chunin Exams started…"
"No…" said the arrogant ruler from the desert, "That's not the reason…"
Sarutobi stared at the Kazekage.
"The crowds and the shinobi leaders are more excited about the next fight of the first round. It can be rightfully assumed that the shinobi leaders, feudal lords and rulers want to see the match between Gaara and the Uchiha."
It was somewhat true. The audience buzzed and started to discuss the first match less and talk more about the next one.
"I should mention," started the Kazekage, "I noticed that the Uchiha wasn't present before the first match started. He has arrived, hasn't he?"
Sarutobi seemed distracted when he noticed the voice of the other shinobi ruler sounded different. His voice sounded more sinister, dark, and familiar.
"You sound ill, Kazekage-sama," said the old man.
The Kazekage stiffened and let out a loud cough as he tried to clear his throat; it sounded like he had a cold. But after he had tortured his throat, the other shinobi ruler sat straight and his voice had returned to normal.
"As I said," he reminded Sarutobi, "Shouldn't he be here now? The one from the Uchiha clan. I would like Gaara to have his turn and battle him soon. If he hasn't arrived, we could wait for him… I don't mind at all."
Sarutobi was anxious, as there was still no sign of Sasuke or Kakashi. But soon, he turned his head to look the Kazekage with a look of disapproval and remained calm.
"Kazekage-sama. It wouldn't be right to reward Sasuke for failure to arrive on time. To favor a single rookie from my own village in front of our audience and future clients would force them to question how I run this village."
Sarutobi withdrew his pipe, hidden in his sleeve, and lit it with a match he also had hidden.
"Besides, it wouldn't be fair to the other contestants who did arrive on time… I'm afraid Sasuke Uchiha must be disqualified. His failure to arrive on time shows he does not deserve to become a chunin. Your son advances to the next round."
"I would mind where I tread, Hokage-sama…" the ruler from the desert said in a tone that sounded like a threat, it even made Raido flinch, "Otherwise… You would have a rise of disappointed and uncooperative spectators to deal with… the crowds are so riled and excited for this match. Most of the rulers here from the various nations and countries came here for that match alone. If the audience is denied such an iconic match, the crowds could revolt, riots could break out for all we know… and it's no surprise. After all, Sasuke is the last of the Uchiha clan… and as a fellow leader I must beseech… allow him to face Gaara… the reason I even came to Konoha was with the sole desire to see that match as well."
Sarutobi looked at the Kazekage in slight surprise and furrowed his eyebrows slightly.
The Kazekage simply glared at the old man and said calmly, "Your choice. Postpone the match or don't. It's not like I have to deal with them."
Sarutobi looked back at Raido who was informed from an ANBU that arrived and walked in close to the old leader, "There has been no new news on Sasuke's whereabouts. And there's the issue of Orochimaru… Please, sir, forfeit Sasuke Uchiha now… He had his chance and he blew it. It doesn't matter if he's from the Uchiha clan or how talented he is. He should be forfeit before the crowds become too aroused."
At that moment, the old man could hear the crowds below start to raise their voices while others from Konoha started to demand the next match to start at once. Several shinobi from Konoha acted like fools and made demands as well. Genma stared at the crowds as their voices raised and scoffed at their behavior of their comrades.
"C'MON! LET'S GO!"
"ANYTIME BEFORE NIGHTFALL!"
"START THE MATCH ALREADY!"
"LET'S DO THIS! C'MON!"
In the box where Sakura and Ino were seated, the two of them were worried. Even Ino seemed concerned as if she and Sakura switched roles as Ino looked more concerned for the lost Uchiha.
"What's going on?" she asked, "The next match is about to start, so shouldn't Sasuke-kun be here?"
Sakura looked down in silence as she worried about her beloved teammate, 'Sasuke-kun…'
Back in the contestants' box, Naruto had reunited with Shikamaru and Shino. The three of them leaned close to the rail and maintained their distance from the trio from Suna. It should be noted that Naruto and Shikamaru stood further from Gaara than Shino, as their memories from their last encounter remained vivid to them both. But even with Gaara around them, Shikamaru maintained his cool and focused more on the tournament. Both rookies could hear the audience rumble on and on about Sasuke's match and neither of them could believe the Uchiha still hadn't arrived.
Shikamaru had to be the most irritated as he commented, "Who in the world does this asshole think he is? What, is he outside the stadium about to launch some fanciful entrance to show off his duckbutt face? With an ego as bruised as his, I wouldn't be surprised if that's what Sasuke intends to do."
Naruto looked at him and asked, "What?"
"Don't try to pretend you don't know, Naruto," he turned to look at his old classmate and said, "Ever since the Chunin Exams started, Sasuke doesn't seem as impressive as he was back in the Ninja Academy. With each new challenger and test, his title as the Rookie of the Year seems questionable."
Naruto watched him and wondered, "How was his stupid title threatened?"
Shikamaru sighed but then he let out a small smile while he admitted, "You've outshined him on several occasions from what I've bared witness to and from what I overheard from my dad… To be honest… you're almost as cool as he is, if not, cooler with that last match on record. Let's see Sasuke Uchiha try to beat that."
The blonde-haired rookie felt his cheeks start to flush as he smiled and said, "Thanks…"
"How troublesome…" the lazier rookie said as he leaned over the rail more, "But still… I don't think the Uchiha will show his face this time around. If he's this late, then he's disqualified. There's no doubt about it."
Naruto leaned over the rail and tried to relax as he rested his head over his crossed arms. He tilted his head a little bit to look at Gaara and somehow the red-haired rookie had sensed him and looked right back at him. Naruto would have liked to reach for his wand and feel more secure but he did his best to relax and offered Shikamaru his own two cents on the matter.
"If I know him as much as I do, he'll be here, Shikamaru... Sasuke would come even if he had to drag himself here… He wanted to test his limits with these Chunin Exams… he's an idiot, but he wouldn't miss this…"
Naruto tilted his head back straight and stared out into space to pass the time. Shikamaru whirling his head back to Naruto and over at Gaara once or twice out of confusion when he noticed the two of them stare at each other.
Sarutobi hesitated in his decision while the Kazekage relaxed in his chair. But after about five more minutes, the old man came to a decision and said, "The rules are rules for a reason, and there can be no exceptions. Let us move on to the third match, then."
Raido seemed relieved and was about to inform Genma, but the ruler of Suna raised his voice.
"Hokage-sama. I must insist that we wait for Sasuke Uchiha."
Raido decided to add in his own word and said, "It doesn't matter how talented Sasuke Uchiha is or what clan he's from. If he failed to arrive on time, he doesn't deserve to become a chunin. He had his chance and he blew it."
"Listen to the crowds," the masked leader reminded them as their voices bellowed even louder and Sasuke's name echoed around the stadium while the rulers of the other nations looked impatient, at the same time the shinobi citizens almost doomed their own village as their crowds demanded the second match to start, "You don't think there won't be a wave of disappointment that follows after we announce Sasuke has been forfeit? You would be mistaken. Let's be honest with ourselves here: it's too late to make that announcement and not warrant a revolt from the audience. Sasuke and Gaara are the main attractions of the Chunin Exams… Sasuke Uchiha doesn't have to become a chunin, but at least allow him the chance to fight and leave the audience, the fellow leaders, satisfied after their travels."
Sarutobi stared at the other leader, but then he noticed his skin seemed a lot whiter than it looked earlier, and then it seemed to return to normal. The old man sat back and frowned at the Kazekage and looked down into the stadium. He didn't seem to take in the Kazekage's words at all. The old man seemed calm and calculated before he summoned Raido to come closer.
"Sasuke might not show up at all, so there's point in protest… Inform Genma," the old man took a breath and then said in a calm, collected tone, "Tell him to announce the second match will be moved to the end of the first round and commence with the third match."
The Kazekage looked satisfied and sat back down in his seat while he seemed to smirk under his veil. But Raido looked defiant and displeased with the Hokage's choice. Never before, ever since the Chunin Exams were created had the tournament ever been altered for the sake of one rookie.
Raido tried to convince the old man out of his sudden decision, "Hokage-sama! I must protest!"
"Raido-kun," the old man raised his voice to silence the man and had him lean in closer while he whispered in a calm, controlled voice that suggested the Sandaime was aware of how foolish his decision was, "Inform Genma of those details… but make sure to tell him, when Sasuke Uchiha arrives…"
Raido nodded his head and seemed less opposed to the old man's choice, but still looked defeated, "Yes, sir…"
And with that said, Raido vanished and the Sandaime sat back in his seat to stare at the Kazekage. The old man did not seem as relaxed as before. He seemed tense but also controlled as he sat back and stared at the other leader: he had realized the truth behind the Kazekage's insistence on Sasuke Uchiha's participation.
'I knew Suna wouldn't be foolish enough to risk an attack on Konoha… But Orochimaru sure does have a talent of stealing faces…'
{{Harry Champion by Patrick Doyle}}
The crowds continued to roar and buzz while Genma and Raido discussed the Sandaime's decision. The audience demanded the next match to continue while Genma looked frustrated but seemed to have accepted the changes to the schedule.
"This is ridiculous," he said and then Genma asked, "You're sure I'm allowed to tell him that when he arrives?"
Raido nodded, "Positive. The Sandaime insisted on it. As soon as Sasuke Uchiha arrives, tell him that as well as Kakashi if he arrives with him."
"Fine…" the shinobi with the senbon in his mouth frowned but then cracked a small smile when he said, "But at least it'll be fun to see the look on his face."
The other shinobi said, "Just calm those idiots down first and start the next match."
Genma nodded and Raido vanished. He then faced the audience and made the announcement as soon as the crowds decided to be silent and listened in.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN," he roared, "One of the contenders has not arrived for his match! So the second match will be postponed to the end of the first round and we will proceed with the next scheduled match!"
Kankuro, Temari, Shino, and Shikamaru all blinked while the audience buzzed and whispers filled the stadium. But at least it was better than hundreds of voices shout and whine. In the boxes, Ino seem to be the most relieved, while Sakura looked more worried at what had happened to Sasuke. Others seemed concerned or were baffled at what Sarutobi decided all because Sasuke hadn't arrived. Asuma and Kurenai were puzzled.
The bearded shinobi took a smoke and wondered, "Just what in the world does Sasuke think he's doing?"
"What next?" asked an irritated Kurenai.
Back with Ino and Sakura, the more enthusiastic of the two of them smiled with excitement, "Cool! Sasuke-kun still has a chance in all of this!"
In the contestants' box, Naruto seemed somewhat relieved but had wished Sasuke had been forfeited, for selfish reasons but also because he didn't want his teammate to be thrown into the lion's den with Gaara, or served to Orochimaru on a silver platter. But his older brother did not share Naruto's concern for the Uchiha, as much as he shared his desire for a well-earned disqualification.
'What kind of Bowtruckle bullshit is this?! This has never been done before in the Chunin Exams ever since it first established! This is ridiculous!'
Naruto listened in to what Harry was ranting about.
'Sasuke failed to arrive on time. That calls for an immediate disqualification. If it were anybody else in the tournament, and I mean ANYBODY else in the Uchiha's position, that rookie would have been kicked out of the tournament in a heartbeat…'
'You're right, Nii-san. It isn't fair that Sasuke is allowed to compete after he's forced the audience to wait. Weren't we told how important this tournament was back in the tower of the Forest of Death? And look at those crowds! But at the same time… Orochimaru is after Sasuke for his Sharingan… and we don't know where he is and Suna could one of his allies for all we know…'
'I understand that. But it's still no reason to disturb the tournament for the sake of one selfish brat. If the roles had been reversed and Orochimaru wanted us instead, I bet we would have been removed from the tournament or replaced before the preliminaries even started…'
'Replaced? You know… what if someone had posed as Sasuke and had them enter the tournament instead? Sasuke would have been forced to hide, but at least he would have been safe from Gaara and Orochimaru. The tournament would be scheduled the same as ever and no one would have been favored. And Sasuke wouldn't be a sitting duck if Orochimaru and his army are out there waiting to take him.'
'You know… that is an excellent idea, Naruto… No, not excellent! Brilliant! That is BRILIANT! You'd make a decent Hokage with that kind of thinking…'
'But since that didn't happen, Sasuke is still in danger…' the blonde wizard hesitated as he reached to hold his wand and imagined using the Imperius Curse on his dark-haired teammate, meanwhile he could sense his older brother smirk when he thought, 'But if Orochimaru doesn't come and if we survive this, Sasuke better face the consequences or he better be more humble from now on. If he doesn't, I'll force him to kiss the old man's feet.'
'Between you and me… I look forward to that, Naruto.'
"MY MATCH HAS BEEN MOVED UP?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" shouted Shikamaru.
Genma was able to calm down the crowds, but the audience still wanted to see Sasuke's match more and frowned as the shinobi announced the third match from the schedule, "The next match will be between Kankuro and Shino Aburame! You two! Please come down now!"
In the contestants' box, Kankuro stiffened as sweat ran down his colored face. He looked at his sister and down at Genma. But at the other side of the box, Shino seemed rather enthusiastic even while his face was hidden and he still looked as stoic as he ever did. Back in the stands, Baki could see Kankuro where he was seated and shared the same look on his face. It looked like he didn't want Kankuro to fight as it was assumed Sasuke and Gaara's battle would have been first. Kankuro looked back at his mummified puppet and clicked it a few times. Naruto looked over at Kankuro and decided to listen in on them when he started to whisper to his sister.
He heard Kankuro murmur, "I don't want to reveal the new mechanisms I installed for the Crow. If I do, it could jeopardize the whole plan. I can't do it, Temari!"
"Then withdraw!" he heard Temari hiss at him.
Naruto narrowed his gaze at them and itched his hand closer to his wand. Kankuro hesitated and then Temari nodded at him. Kankuro then raised his hand and announced as loud as he could, "Proctor! I withdraw!"
Shikamaru looked terrified, Shino was perplexed and insulted as he was denied his chance to shine. The audience above started outraging and insulting Kankuro for his decision. Calling him a coward and a disgrace to Sunagakure, but Kankuro ignored their insults and followed through with what he felt he had to do.
"I withdraw! Please continue with the next match after mine!" he said to make his statement clear.
Genma scoffed and he soon announced, "Due to Kankuro's decision to withdraw, Shino Aburame wins!"
Shino stared at Kankuro while the crowds booed at the announcement. But soon audience was silenced when Temari unleashed her fan and sent a blast of wind to blow the spectators off their feet in the box across from hers. She then used her fan like she did before and flew down to the arena with much enthusiasm but still looked determined and serious as ever. Genma didn't look impressed but was relieved Temari didn't back down like her brother did.
"You sure are enthusiastic to fight. Then let's start the next scheduled match," he then looked to the contestants' box and shouted, "Shikamaru Nara! Get down here! Your match is next!"
Kankuro looked relieved as he thanked his sister with a nod. He looked over at her opponent, Shikamaru, who now held the rail as if his hands were two mechanical vices. He refused to move from where he stood as his match felt too rushed and it didn't help he was too nervous to fight.
'What do I do? What do I do? Calm down! Dammit! Why is it that my match has to be the one with conflicting schedules? I'm already troubled at home, so what divine force above this earth decided I needed more trouble with troublesome stuff like this?! IT'S TOO TROUBLESOME! I should withdraw! Yeah! I'll withdraw now! Do it! Do it! DO IT!'
Naruto frowned at Shikamaru as he stood there and shook. His friend's extreme reluctance forced Naruto to make his head swell several times its normal size and in a cartoonish fashion, took a deep breath and did what Iruka did to when he scold his students.
"GET ON WITH IT!" roared Naruto.
Shikamaru flinched and the sweat from his palms caused him to slip as he leaned forward. The rookie then fell from the box and screamed, much to his shock, as well as the audience and his friends, "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Shikamaru hit the ground with a loud boom and rolled onto his back. The dark-haired rookie stared at the skies but took a moment to glared at Naruto when he leaned over the rail in concern. He had never meant to scare him over the rail. Soon, Shino and Kankuro looked over to see if the rookie was still alive, then the two of them stared at Naruto, whose face turned red and tried to retreat when he noticed how mad Shikamaru looked.
Shino looked back down at Shikamaru below and said, "Well, he's dead."
"He's not dead, Shino!" the blonde wizard said back at him, "I didn't mean to do it!"
He then hunched over the rail and shouted, "Gomenasai, Shikamaru!"
The slothful rookie looked up at Naruto with his eyes squinted in disdain for his friend and said, "Thanks a lot, bud…"
Back in the stands, Asuma looked embarrassed for Shikamaru entrance. Meanwhile, the disappointed villagers and shinobi in the audience booed at Shikamaru and even threw trash down into the arena, aiming for his head. One child in the audience was able to toss a broken handheld gaming device and hit the rookie in the head with it. Shikamaru shouted and covered the bruise on his forehead while he was soon buried beneath a pile of crumbled program pamphlets and tour guides.
Shikamaru tossed aside the collection of trash around him to look at the clouds. He watched the clouds swirl about and drift that amused him and made him feel envious towards the heavens.
Shikamaru sighed, "It's bad enough that I have to be subjected as the substitute of that teme Sasuke's match… But now I have to fight another girl… Man, this sucks… Why should I have to entertain the audience? I should stay where I am now and pretend to be dead; an audience that bad deserves a lot less from me… What's the point in fighting for such savage people in such a savage game? I can't believe we live in this kind of world… How troublesome…"
Temari smirked at Shikamaru, and tried to entice him to fight her.
"Don't tell me you're going to withdraw, like my cowardly brother?" she asked with a shout.
Kankuro shouted, "HEY!"
Asuma looked down at his student and sighed as he took in a breath of smoke, 'He hasn't got a bone of confidence in his whole body…'
Temari frowned and clenched the end of her fan. She then focused her chakra and dashed after Shikamaru in irritation of his laziness and refusal to move.
"IF YOU'RE NOT MOVING, THEN I AM!" she roared.
Genma shouted, "WAIT! I haven't even started the match!"
But it was too late. Temari took her fan and ran after Shikamaru with unbelievable speed; she raised her fan like a club as Shikamaru blinked and withdrew two kunai in an instant. Temari looked like a woman, furious at her slob husband as she unleashed her warrior side.
"Again with the spunky girls," he whined, "I don't like spunk."
Temari threw her fan down and roared. The thrust of her fan created a blast of wind and raised a cloud of dust and dirt and scattered the trash thrown at Shikamaru earlier. The audience was silenced immediately, frightened at Temari's wrath and seemed concerned if Shikamaru even survived the attack. When the dust cleared, Shikamaru was fine; he had somehow stuck the two kunai into the wall behind him and used them to stand and hover above a bewildered Temari as he leaned back on the wall with his hands in his pockets. The rookie smirked down at the kunoichi as Temari was somewhat surprised at Shikamaru's speed.
"I don't care if I become a chunin or not, but I can't stomach the idea of ever losing to a girl," he said in a somewhat sexist remark, "So I guess I'm in this fight!"
Asuma smiled a little and said, "Well that's a start…"
Genma decided to toss the rulebook out and let the rookies duke it out, "Let the match between these two clowns begin!"
Temari seethed at Shikamaru's smirk and unleashed another attack of wind. Dirt and dust blasted into the air and devastated the area. But Shikamaru had vanished as Temari backed off and turned around to see her opponent hide behind a tree off to the side, beneath the end of the arena with the smallest amount of shade. Shikamaru was covered with dirt from the attack and even started to sweat a little bit from the sudden movement.
'He's fast,' she commented, 'But he's going to need more than speed and a bad attitude to survive this.'
Shikamaru took cover to catch his breath and tried to think of what to do next, reluctant to resort to violence.
'Girls are soft,' he remarked, 'I'm not sure if I should be allowed to hit one.'
Back in the stands, Ino became fueled with excitement as she stood on her seat and cheered for her teammate. She earned the attention of the audience around her, as well as her sensei, who blushed and tried to pretend he didn't hear her or know her until she cooled down.
"KNOCK HER BLOCK OFF, SHIKAMARU!" she shouted, "GET HER WITH A SIXTEEN-HIT COMBO!"
And then, out from nowhere, a familiar, rotund shinobi had arrived beside her.
"Is this seat taken?" asked the voice of Choji Akimichi who arrived with a large bag full of potato chips and various snacks.
Ino looked from the match and seemed surprised to see her wide teammate.
"Oh… I thought you were still stuck in the hospital, Choji," she mused with some concern, "Your stomach's fine now?"
Lee and Gai were surprised neither of them noticed the Akimichi heir arrive and sneak around them. Sakura looked over for a minute and saw the fellow genin stuff his face with a mouthful of crisps, unable to answer back with his mouth full.
"Mmmm," he answered, but asked as soon as he swallowed his fill, "You two mind if I sit next to Ino?"
Gai and Lee both nodded and stood aside to let the Akimichi heir sit his wide behind down next to Ino. Choji finished a bag of potato chips and opened up another one and helped himself as he watched his best friend's match start. He seemed a little bit confused that Shikamaru's match had started so soon, but Choji continued to stuff his round face
He did ask but never ceased his near-constant food intake, "What's going on? I thought that Sasuke's match was next."
"CHOJI," she hissed at him, "Shush!"
Sakura was reminded of her beloved dark-haired teammate at the mention of his name and sank back into depression. She went so far as to curl into a fetal position in her seat and covered her mouth with her knees.
Ino tried to reassure her friend, "I'm sure wherever Sasuke-kun is, he's fine! He's probably right on his way! Any minute now!"
But her words fell on deaf ears as Sakura's expression turned all the more sad and hopeless. Ino stared at Sakura with an uncomfortable look; baffled at how she was unable to help her former best friend no matter how hard she tried.
'Sheesh…' she thought, 'You'd think her puppy died or something…'
Choji couldn't care less about how Sakura felt and watched Shikamaru while he continued to eat more snacks.
"It's kinda weird to see Shikamaru down there fighting," he commented, "I don't think he will win…"
Ino switched her attention back to her teammate and hissed at him, "Don't say that, Choji! Shikamaru may not be a total superstar fighter, but he's really good at strategy and stuff! That's the reason we all made it through the Forest of Death and made it to the preliminaries!"
Choji seemed to agree, but he still insisted, "I bet he'll withdraw at the end of the match… he is a sloth after all."
"Yeah right, Choji," his blonde-haired teammate almost shouted, "You missed it when he dodged Temari's wind blasts! He seems a lot more active than he's ever been before! He's got a warriors heart burning in his chest!"
Just as that statement was uttered, Shikamaru lost focus on the match and stared at the clouds again, almost falling asleep. Shikamaru looked completely dazed and he sighed a tired breath of air, sounding like an old man.
'Oh, how I wish I were a cloud… Clouds are so free… So massive… so simple as the breeze carries them… I don't wanna fight… the whole reason I became a shinobi was so that I could live how I wanted to live…'
Just at that second, Shikamaru looked down and examined the damage his friend left behind from his match. He looked around the arena and examined the boulders scattered about as well as the amount of shade from the trees and the wall. He then got an idea and smirked at Temari.
'But it looks like there's still hope yet…' he thought.
Temari noticed his aloof expression and felt insulted, "Are you mocking me with that little smirk on your face?"
Temari clenched her fan and used the Wind Scythe Jutsu. At once, an incredible blast of wind blew across the entire arena, most of it aimed at Shikamaru's current location. He received the full blast of the attack, but he stuck close behind the trees that offered him little protection. The trunks were sliced and entire branches crashed down on the ground as the audience above covered their faces when the wind rushed into their seats. Tenten threw her arms over her face like a shield and remembered the attack all too well.
She growled at Temari in remembrance, "That wench! That's the same jutsu she used on me in the preliminaries!"
After Temari's attack subsided, the dust settled down and Shikamaru blinked the dirt out of his eyes. Temari then froze when she saw a dark shadow stretch out from behind the tree and chased after her. She panicked when she remembered Shikamaru's inherit talent. His shadow slithered across the ground and forced Temari to retreat. Once he had scared her off, Shikamaru relented his shadow, like how a territorial animal lashes out to scare off an intruder.
The kunoichi used her massive fan to carve a mark in the dirt and make sure she never crossed, unsure how far Shikamaru's could stretch out his shadow. She assumed he had a limit and guessed he didn't want her to know when he didn't seem to attempt to capture her from the start. Shikamaru had his shadow move like a snake, rather than shoot after her in one direction.
Temari remained alert, careful not to assume she was at a safe distance. She also made sure her fan didn't cast too much of a shadow, as she learned from Kin's mistake with her bells on wires.
She looked confident as she said, "You beat Kin without effort in the preliminaries. You're able to manipulate shadows as thin as a wire. But based on your reluctance to control me as well as your speed of attack, that means your shadow manipulation has its limits and you don't want me to know how far you can stretch."
Temari took a moment to measure the distance between herself and Shikamaru, while the rookie's face flinched and he frowned.
'She's smart,' he commented, 'Dammit… This is too troublesome…'
He watched her observe the shadows around the arena and look at the sun for a moment, which made Shikamaru feel more nervous and irritated. The kunoichi was figuring out what Shikamaru had planned and forced him to think of another plan on how to beat her. He cursed under his breath while Temari smirked, but still noticed how she never relaxed or assumed she was at a safe distance. She waited for him to attack and see how far his shadow could stretch. But no matter what, Temari could still attack him from a distance with her Wind Scythe Jutsu until his cover was sliced and Shikamaru was reduced to a mass of sliced meat and bone.
Shikamaru checked the sun and seemed to calculate the current time. He looked down at the end of the shadow from the wall and looked at the rest of the arena. Shikamaru then squat down close to the wall, closed his eyes, and formed a circle with his hands.
Temari seemed dumbfounded, as did most of the confused audience. But back in the stands, Asuma looked amused and smiled with delight. Kurenai was confused but seemed more curious as she tried to determine what the rookie in the trees was doing with his hands.
"I've never seen that handsign before…" she said.
Asuma corrected her, "It's no handsign, Kurenai… It's just his habit…"
"What habit?" she asked as she looked at the bearded teacher.
The man let his cigarette hang freely between his lips as he said, "Shikamaru really knows how to relax in any given situation. He enjoys it when he lets time slide by him. Just like a content old man. He always asks me to play shogi with him in our free time, but whenever he's stuck, he assumes that exact same posture. When he looks like that, it means that he's plotting out his strategies. And that's the reason I've never once beaten him in shogi. That kid outsmarts me every time."
Kurenai seemed as confused as ever, but then looked bothered, "This is an actual battle. Not some children's game."
"I wouldn't be so sure," he said as he watched his laziest student, "It was once said that the generals and military leaders of old used those same game pieces to map out their next militaristic strategies… So you could make the argument that Shikamaru was born to be a first-rate military advisor."
Kurenai shook her head and said, "Wait a minute. How can that be? I remember when we reviewed his grades back when dividing the genin into the teams. As I recall, Shikamaru's scores were at the bottom, the same as Naruto, Choji and Kiba."
"That's true," he nodded as he also recalled when their students were first selected after the incident with the Scroll of Sealing, "Back in the Ninja Academy, Shikamaru was too lazy to so much as lift his pencil. He dozed off frequently in the middle of class and during his tests. But one afternoon, I was so amazed at his proficiency at creating a strategy in games that I decided to sneak him an intelligence test. Though I tricked him into thinking it was another one of his favorite puzzles…"
"And what was his score?" she asked him.
Asuma looked down at his student and said with confidence, "He scored over the charts; he has an IQ of over two hundred. Shikamaru Nara is a freaking genius!"
The kunoichi trembled when she heard that answer.
"Two hundred?!" she choked, "That's incredible!"
Asuma watched as Shikamaru came broke free from his old habit and stared down at Temari with a mixture of determination and irritation.
The bearded man seemed more excited about the match and said, "He's done thinking. Now he's gonna make his move!"
Temari drew out her fan and attacked with another blast of intense wind, "Wind Scythe Jutsu!"
The wind sliced the trees where Shikamaru was hidden and forced him to hide behind another tree with less damage. The blasts winded the audience, but no one was harmed. But Shikamaru had a few new bruises and cuts as he felt blood run down his cheeks and arms. Temari was relentless as she was impatient and attacked Shikamaru eleven times and took down several trees like a bulldozer.
"Thought you actually mustered up some of the fighting spirit?!" she shouted, "COME ON OUT, YOU COWARD! YOU CAN'T HIDE FOREVER!"
Shikamaru found the moment he had waited for before Temari had a chance to launch another blast of intense winds. She was surprised and somewhat horrified when he came out and threw a kunai at her. She deflected with her fan but realized too late that he took a note out of Naruto's book and attacked a small bomb to the end of it. Temari was blasted off her feet and her back hit one of the numerous boulders scattered about the arena.
"ARGH!" she shouted as the wind was knocked clean out of her.
Temari recovered, blinked a few times, and realized in horror as Shikamaru's shadow chased after her. She panicked and retreated to the side with no direct sense of direction. Shikamaru concentrated hard and his shadow chased after her at breakneck speeds. But with each boulder she zoomed around, the shadow gained mass and continued to stretch after her with each new little shadow. But it didn't end there as another shadow chased after her and forced her to alter her direction. Shikamaru had her cornered until she slid back into a clear area, scorched from the fire of Naruto's battle.
Temari looked down at the shadows that chased her and smirked when she saw them stretch, thin out, and then remain motionless. The kunoichi from Suna watched them strain like an outstretched muscle and carved another line in the dirt with her fan. She took it a step further when she blocked Shikamaru's view of her when she unsheathed her entire fan and embedded it into the earth.
She needed to catch her breath and think of a new method to defeat him, now that she knew how far his shadows could stretch. But she didn't have a lot of time to take everything into account and she was still a little bit dazed from that bomb. At the same time, Shikamaru concentrated hard and decided to add a few theatrics to the next move he had in mind.
Temari thought as she hid behind her fan, 'I'm ending this battle! Here's what I'll do. I'm going to create a Bunshin and distract this sloth. Then, I'll take out the trees supplying him his shade and force him to take cover at the same time, so he won't be able to attack. Without enough shade for him to use and no time to use his shadows, he'll be out in the open, and that's when I'll take him out. I'LL STRIKE HIM DOWN WITH EVERYTHING I'VE GOT!'
She soon put her hands together and then announced, "Bunshin no Jut-"
But Temari felt her insides become cold and realized she wasn't able to move. She couldn't even think for a moment as she watched her arms shiver and move against her will.
"You… You've gotta be kidding me!" she breathed.
Her movements mirrored Shikamaru down to the last detail, though her movements were somewhat stiff as she shivered and stood with her arms down at her sides and looked more slouched in stature. The audience stared in shock and amazement while others let out a scream.
Across the field, Shikamaru smirked and said, "Gotcha, the Shadow Possession Jutsu is a success!"
Asuma laughed and slapped his knee while Kurenai stared in utter disbelief, as well as the rest of the audience.
"He thought out that plan so fast. It's like he never had a doubt in his mind," said the older kunoichi.
Asuma nodded and smirked, "That is where Shikamaru shines brightest! He's an expert strategist!"
Back in the contestants' box, Naruto raised his fist into the air and cheered, "GO SHIKAMARU! YOU GOT HER!"
Harry couldn't help but feel impressed at Shikamaru's intellect in battle and agreed with his little brother's enthusiasm, 'Well done. Now knock her out before she can assist in the invasion!'
Temari soon demanded an answer and shouted, "How did you get your shadow to stretch this far?!"
Shikamaru turned his head to his right and said, "I'll let you look behind, but watch out…"
The kunoichi felt her head turn against her will and almost screamed when all she saw was darkness. The entire wall of the arena behind her was pitch black and Shikamaru formed a monstrous face with his unique abilities that shock Temari so much she almost screamed. It was made worse that she never once noticed it. She looked down at her feet and realized Shikamaru manipulated the giant shadow on the wall and connected it to Temari while she was oblivious. Shikamaru had teased and tricked her until she was close enough to the largest shadow in the arena; he then used the shadows of the trees, bushes, and rocks around the arena to reach the mass shade while she was distracted with the shadows that chased her around after that blow from the bomb she took.
Shikamaru frowned, "That little show with the chase around those boulders was all a distraction, kiddo."
Temari scowled at Shikamaru and shouted, "YOU JERK!"
Shikamaru walked forward and the kunoichi followed. He then forced her to kick down her valuable fan and tore a fraction of it when he forced her to trample over it.
"No!" she moaned as her fan was ruined and her brother looked unnerved.
Temari sweat up a storm as she was forced to approach Shikamaru. The two of them closed the distance between each other in a short amount of time but it felt like forever to Temari, as she feared what he would do to her. The audience also watched in anticipation; Kankuro bit down on his fingernails, while the Hokage pursed his lips in an expression of curiosity and amusement as he was shocked Shikamaru even tried to win the match. Izumo and Kotetsu looked intrigued, but both of them noted that the audience didn't even care about this match until after Shikamaru amused them.
Naruto leaned over the rail and shouted, "All right! Go get her, mate!"
"GO FOR IT, DUDE!" shouted Ino.
Seated beside her, Choji shoveled countless snacks into his mouth like some monstrous machine and he breathed out his nose like a bull. When Shikamaru was no more than a few short feet from Temari, and after she shivered and awaited her fate, the rookie let the audience down with one hell of an anti-climax.
Shikamaru raised his hand and said, "I forfeit. I'm done…"
Ino and Naruto had the same expression of absolute shock and disappointment. Genma frowned at Shikamaru, while Temari stared at Shikamaru with confusion as her arm was raised in the air with him.
"I told you guys he was gonna do that," said the Akimichi heir as he smiled and settled down, eating his snacks at a normal rate, "You really don't know anything about Shikamaru, do you, Ino?"
Shikamaru sighed, "I used to much chakra to move fast earlier and it takes a lot out of me to control three shadows at once and then take control of a shadow that's about as large as the arena. With that said, I won't have enough chakra to hold this technique for ten more seconds. So even though I planned out around two-hundred more moves, I think I'm outta time."
Genma looked at Shikamaru with a slight smile, 'What a weird kid…'
"Plus, all that stupid fighting is too troublesome… One match is enough for me…" the slothful rookie added.
Genma nodded, understanding that he had had enough, "Alright then. The winner is Temari!"
{{Dobby by Alexandre Desplat}}
The audience was left speechless. No one knew how to react as Shikamaru relented his hold over Temari and the kunoichi continued to stare at him. As Shikamaru's shadow returned to normal and his hold over the arena's shadow relented, the collected audience still applauded for Temari's favor. The kunoichi collected the remains of her fan and didn't know if she hated Shikamaru for the destruction of her fan and his laziness, or if she wanted to respect him for those same reasons. All she could do was stare at him as she folded her fan and returned to the contestants' box with her brothers.
Back in one of the other boxes, Ino clenched her hands and turned them into tight fists, "ARGH! What an idiot! WHY?! He could have become chunin! YOU IDIOT!"
"Shikamaru is Shikamaru…" her teammate reminded him with a sweet smile.
In another box, Kurenai shook her head at the rookie, "He doesn't have the will to fight at all. Does he, Asuma?"
"I don't know," the bearded shinobi moaned as he realized he dropped his cigarette and said, "It's a total mystery, even to me…"
Kurenai soon raised an eyebrow at Asuma's student, 'Although, that kid's knowledge and strategy levels are far beyond what any ordinary genin is capable of… If this were a real mission, would have been a total success. That is if he were a part of a four-man team. That way, he wouldn't just give up and run…It's a case of winning the battle but he still lost the match…'
Asuma still looked impressed and proud with Shikamaru's unwitting intelligence, 'It's a shame he doesn't want to fight. But you could say that it's because he likes to play it safe and cool in any or all situations… because he's aware of his own knowledge and skills, he doesn't panic or become hotheaded in the midst of battle… And that is how even if he finds himself in the worst fix, he can calmly retreat… '
Shikamaru then reached behind his back and massaged a sore spot on his upper back like an ape.
'I suspect, in terms of the psychological profiles deemed essential in chunin, Shikamaru is the most important one. The disposition of a natural team leader…'
Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed and mussed over Shikamaru's fight. Determining that he would most likely attain the rank of chunin. The Kazekage still looked unsatisfied and looked like he didn't even care.
Down below, Izumo and Kotetsu put in their own two cents.
Izumo said, "If we assess him as a platoon leader, the ability to protect and safely get one's soldiers out of danger is even more important than actually completing the mission."
"In the case of intelligence gathering, completing the mission but getting wiped out is no option," nodded Kotetsu, "Unless you can balance risks and sacrifices against the mission and proceed with survival as your most important concern, you don't have what it takes to be chunin…"
Izumo then said, "Along those lines, someone like Neji Hyuga is not qualified to be promoted to chunin this time. I'm not sure if the same holds true for our little Naruto. I would think he's chunin-material but he carried out his threat and set the field on fire. If he were on a real mission, those flames could have endangered his comrades…"
"It would be a shame if he doesn't become a chunin," said Kotetsu, "He sure worked hard and blew away everyone's expectations."
Izumo then told his teammate with a smile, "Even if he doesn't become a chunin, both of those rookies make for excellent genin, two of the best I've ever seen."
Just at that moment, Naruto hopped down onto the field and stormed towards the laziness person he had ever met in his life. Shikamaru looked over at Naruto with a raised eyebrow, as he noticed Naruto look a lot like Iruka whenever he and the other troublemakers caused trouble. His blonde-haired friend looked cross and even walked a lot like Iruka whenever he was mad. The resemblance intimidated him a little bit.
Shikamaru stretched out his back and clicked his neck while he checked the cuts on his arms and face and asked his friend in a bored tone, "What is it now, Naruto?"
"What the hell, Shikamaru?!" he shouted and then he chewed his friend out, like a teacher would a student, "You could have beaten her! You tossed Temari's fan! You could have kicked her in the head! YOU COULD HAVE DONE ANYTHING! NOTHING AT ALL CAME TO MIND?!"
Shikamaru stared at him in surprise and blinked a few times before he reminded himself that Naruto wasn't his schoolteacher, "Nope. I just didn't feel like fighting anymore. Besides, I could really use a good nap on my bed at home."
"THAT'S NO EXCUSE, YOU IDIOT," the blonde-haired wizard relented and smacked his own face to make sure he didn't hallucinate and asked, "So… that's it? There's no other reason?"
Shikamaru answered with a simple, "Yeah."
Naruto stared at his friend before he shook his head and surrendered, "I think I'm starting to understand how Iruka-aniki's felt about us more than ever. But at least your match was entertaining while it lasted, Shikamaru."
"At this point in the finals, does it matter if I win or lose?" he asked.
Naruto looked at him and asked, "What d'you mean?"
"You have a weird accent. Has anyone ever told you that?" asked Shikamaru, but then he continued, "Anyway, the next match, the last match in the first round is what everyone is looking forward to the most."
Ino looked defeated but said after she took the time to accept her teammate's sheer laziness, "Oh well! I guess it's just like him to do something like this, huh, Choji?"
Back with Sakura, she started searching around the stadium one more time for Sasuke or Kakashi. But after she failed to find a trace of black or silver hair, she looked fearful once more and worried.
'He's still not here…' she thought, 'Sasuke-kun…'
The Konoha civilians that came to watch Sasuke Uchiha and the various shinobi that arrived to do the same buzzed with impatience once more. The audience wanted the next match to start almost as soon as the recent one ended, excited to witness the last Uchiha to entertain them with his excellence. At the same time, rumors, stories, true and false all buzzed across the seats and spread like total wild fire.
"I heard that Sasuke Uchiha had to pull out of the match."
"What?! No! He can't!"
"I heard he got injured over some accident during training."
"I did not miss two days of work for nothing!"
"C'mon Uchiha! Let's go!"
"It seems that this Uchiha is guaranteed to win!"
"I wouldn't be so sure, this Gaara fellow looks more promising. And a lot more mysterious. He has no status recorded!"
"My money is on the Gaara kid! Screw that emo-kid Uchiha!"
Genma became a little irritated for the second time and checked his watch every few minutes as the impatient crowds above him shouted and complained. But back in the Kage's box, Raido walked up to the Sandaime and whispered to his leader to inform him of the latest news.
"We have received word from Kakashi…"
Naruto and Shikamaru were about to turn around and return to the contestants' box. But before either of them could leave, Naruto's scar flared for a moment; he froze and sensed someone's was about to arrive in front of him and his friend, almost run into them and send them off their feet.
An intense wind breezed in after a single leaf dropped out of nowhere. More leafs fell out of nowhere and were sucked in to an intense vortex. The wind carried countless leafs, dust, dirt, and then it ceased almost as fast as it had arrived. When it cleared, there stood two figures, back-to-back: one of them was a tall man with a mask and silver hair, and behind him there stood a teen with black hair and a new outfit that matched.
To Be Continued…
And so we've reached the end of the new chapter! Tune in next week for the end of the finals! And as usual, it's time for me to list the difference between this chapter and the original I wrote back in 2010:
Most of this chapter was pretty much the same in the beginning, except Iruka was chased by Daikoku and hired goons and he acted a little bit like Spider-Man avoiding them while also asking Anko out on a date. In the original, she arrived to warm him about Daikoku finding out about him leaving the school. And like I mentioned in the previous chapter, Kiba brings a gun with him to the stadium where he's arrested by the ANBU, but in the original version, Hinata is dragged along with him because she doesn't succumb to her injuries. There she thanks Naruto as she's taken away and Naruto sees her perfectly in the crowd as she's taken.
But the biggest change of this chapter would have to be the fight between Shikamaru and Temari: in the original, Shikamaru throws a kunai at Temari that purposely misses and creates a hole in the wall opposite his location under the largest shade in the arena. Shikamaru then uses the hole Naruto created in the wall of the arena and possesses Temari, more similar to how he gets her in the original manga.
And aside from all that, those are all of the major differences I can list.
Naruto: That's great and all, but how about we take this next week and use it to torture Sasuke-teme?
K: F*^% YES! YOU'RE GOING DOWN, BITCH!
Sasuke: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Anyway, be sure to leave behind a review after you read because they really help and I always love reading them and look forward to them. I'll be sure to post the next chapter next week and expect Sasuke to get his just deserves after he arrives at the arena!
Stay awesome, guys!