Author's note – Kishimoto Masashi owns Naruto while Guyver is written by Yoshiki Takaya.
I make no claim to either, I am merely playing in their sandboxes.

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Chapter Forty-One

The Preliminaries Start

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Naruto entered the training hall, his armoured feet echoing on the flagstones and quite a few of the eighteen genin in the hall turned to look at him.

Ino had been indignant over failing to find a single team to ambush, then having to suffer the further indignity of an ANBU telling them that all twelve other scrolls were in the tower and thus they were unable to complete the test. Naruto had managed to help her relax by taking her out for a picnic and then introducing her to Fu, causing Ino to immediately make plans to take Naruto's adopted sister shopping for an entire new wardrobe. Finding that Sakura's team had been taken down (fortunately with minimal injuries) by Neji's team spurred Ino into expanding her shopping plans in order to give Sakura some retail therapy as well.

Fu's expression on hearing Ino's plans had been half-overjoyed, half-terrified.

Of the eighteen genin waiting in three ranks, half of them were Konoha shinobi. Hinata smiled at him from her position between Sasuke and Kiba while Neji gave him a nod of respect. The other Konoha team was one that Naruto didn't recognise, being composed of three older teens, two of whom were wearing veils over their lower faces.

The other three teams were the Suna team, with Gara scowling in his direction, a trio from Kirigakure and a trio from Uzushiogakure. In both the Kiri and Uzu teams, two of them were carrying large weapons while the third appeared to be unarmed.

Not that Naruto believed them to be so for an instant.

Naruto took his position at the front of the dias. The original plan had been for Anko to address the genin, but she had noted that Naruto's voice was far more distinctive while Naruto himself had a very widespread reputation as being a superior fighter, thus he would garner more respect. Hiruzen had agreed and had penned Naruto's speech, stating that he was getting too old to keep parroting the same things over and over again.

The genin fell silent and Naruto started speaking.

"You have passed the first portion of the second test. However, there are too many of you to allow the third test to be completed in a timely manner.
"The fact that you have reached this point shows that you understand the importance of teamwork. That you trust your team-mates and that they trust you. That your strengths cover their weaknesses, as theirs cover yours.
"But now, you must stand alone.
"The Chunin Exams were created as a substitute for war. Rather than waste resources and lives in senseless slaughter, the exams allow the Hidden Villages to showcase their best in each generation and for those who fail to pass to learn from their mistakes.
"It is now time for you to represent your villages by yourselves."

Anko made a signal and Naruto sensed two curtains opening high on the wall behind him, revealing the screens behind them.

"As there are eighteen of you, nine of you will pass to the next stage. You will fight underneath the gaze of your teachers and obeying the rules of the proctor. If you disobey him, not only is he allowed to use lethal force to enforce his rules, I am allowed to as well.
"Proctor. If you would…"

Naruto stepped back as the proctor, Tokubestu Jonin Gekko Hayate, stepped forwards to take his place.

"My name is Gekko Hayate and I am the proctor for the preliminary round." Hayate declared, then he paused to cough. "When it is your turn to fight, you will do so only when I command. You will fight until your opponent surrenders, is incapacitated or killed, or unless I choose to stop the match, whereupon you will cease fighting immediately. I will enforce my rules, with lethal force if necessary. May we have the first two names?"

The two screens lit up, the names flickering until they finally settled.

"Hyuuga Neji of Konoha versus Kankuro of the Desert." Naruto announced and Hayate nodded.

"Everyone else, make your way to the balcony where your senseis are waiting."

The other genin turned and made their way to the stairs, although Hinata paused just long enough to smile at Naruto before rejoining her team. Soon, only Hayate, Neji and Kankuro were remaining on the stone floor and Kankuro unslung the bandage-wrapped parcel on his back, resting it on the floor to his left while balancing it one-handed. Naruto smirked under his mask as he double-checked the heat signatures.

Kankuro hadn't realized it yet, but he had one of the worst match-ups possible.

"Are you both ready?"

"I am." Neji replied as Kankuro nodded.

"Very well… Begin!"

Neji sidestepped to avoid a thrown senbon, then the veins around his eyes bulged.

"…the hell?" Kankuro began, only to be interrupted by Temari's shout.

"He's a Hyuuga! He can see chakra!"

"…oh fuck." Kankuro whispered as he dropped the bandages that concealed him so that he could scramble behind his puppet, using it as a physical shield. Neji lunged forwards, his hands blurring as he struck…

…at the puppet.

"Ha!" Kankuro gloated, then he froze as the puppet simply collapsed on the spot. "Ummm, wait! What just happened?"

"I broke the chakra strings," Neji stated, "Although it does not matter."

"What? Why?" Kankuro whimpered, backing away.

"Because you are within the range of my divination. Hakke Rokujūyon Shō!"

Neji's hands seemed to vanish into a blurring barrage and Kankuro jolted and twitched with the force of the impacts before he slumped onto the floor, as motionless as the puppet he had tried to use.

"Ahem, winner, Hyuuga Neji." Hayate announced as the med-nins entered with a stretcher. Naruto's eyebrows rose as he saw that one of the trainee med-nins had pink hair. Within seconds, the puppeteer had been loaded onto the stretcher and was carted out while Neji strode up the stairs to join his team, a a tiny upwards twitch of his lips betraying his triumph.

A low buzz caught Naruto's attention and he half-turned to see the screens flashing through the names again until they finally flickered to a halt.

"Yosh!" Lee shouted as he vaulted over the balcony railing to land on the ground. "I shall prove my youthful hard work is just as deserving of victory as Neji-san's genius!"

Naruto blinked a couple of times in disbelief, then he turned his attention to Misumi, who was striding down the stairs, his eyes narrow behind his glasses. As he reached his position, Hayate coughed and Naruto realized that the cough was his cue to speak.

"Rock Lee of Konoha versus Tsurugi Misumi of Konoha."

"Are you both ready?"

"Yosh! I am ready to demonstrate the results of my youthful training!"/"Let's get on with this."

"Then… begin!"

There was a blur of green and then Lee was standing where Misumi had been while Misumi had been slammed into the wall. Everyone was silent for a long moment, then Minumi slowly unpeeled from the crater and collapsed to the ground.

"Yosh!" Lee's Sensei shouted from the balcony. "Well done, Lee! With but one youthful blow, you have proven yourself worthy of reaching the finals!"

"Thank you, Gai-sensei!" Lee cheered, having somehow moved back onto the balcony.

"Lee-kun!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"LEE-KUN!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

"Everyone look away!" The third member of Lee's team shouted as the duo hugged and Naruto spun round as fast as he could.

"Wha.. wha… the hell?" A voice whimpered as the light seemed to turn almost golden.

"The Wakawakashī san setto genjutsu." The kunoichi who had called the warning replied. "You get used to it, eventually."

Naruto turned back, just in time to see the med-nin depart with the unconscious shinobi, then the screens hummed into life again.

"Gaara of the desert versus…"

"I forfeit!"

Everyone stared at Kabuto, who shrugged with a nervous expression. "I saw what he did out there in the forest. I can't hope to stand against him, so…"

"Gaara wins." Hayate sighed as the screens re-activated. Naruto felt his heart skip a beat as a familiar name appeared.

"Hyuuga Hinata of Konoha versus Akado Yoroi of Konoha."

"Looks like I get an easy win." Yoroi sneered as he strode down the stairs. "The sooner I win, the sooner I can get a bowl of unadon. Save us time and quit now."

Hinata closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, then nodded to Hayate.

"I am ready to fight, Hayate-san."

"You should give up now." Yoroi said. "But if you really want to be defeated in front of your fiancee, I'm ready."

Hinata glared at him, then dropped into a Juho stance while Hayate took a couple of steps backwards.

"Begin!"

Hinata struck, but pulled her punch and leapt back. "What did you do?"

"You noticed, then?" Yoroi asked, sounding pleased. "It's my special ability. I can absorb chakra. Your Jyuuken is useless against me as I can absorb the chakra used before it has a chance to do any damage. As I said, you should surrender now and save yourself the humiliation of losing."

Hinata frowned slightly, then adjusted her stance, causing Gai to lean forwards, his brow creased in concentration.

"I… that is the fighting style that Kushina-hime used." He declared. "I thought it a lost art! Pay attention, Lee, you are about to see the fighting legacy of Uzushiogakure… the Uzuken!"

"Jyuuken or Uzuken, you'll still… what the hell?"

Yoroi stumbled backwards as Hinata's foot scythed through the air, then he staggered as he tried to recover from the backhanded strike to his lower ribs. Even as he tried to straighten, Hinata launched a curving punch that seemed to aim at his stomach, only for it to turn into a spiraling uppercut with wisps of chakra solidifying around her fist.

"Shoryuken!"

Hinata finished her spin in mid-air, landing lightly as Yoroi somersaulted backwards, leaving a trail blood and shattered teeth. Landing heavily on the ground, he rolled to his feet, only to find himself being hit with another chakra-enhanced move.

"Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!" Hinata called as she launched herself into a spinning leap, one foot extended outwards. Yoroi was sent into a staggering spin as the kick impacted three times and he collapsed as Hinata touched down once more, one fist pulled back to her waist ready to strike or block while her other hand was held out in front of her.

"Winner, Hyuuga Hinata." Hayate announced with a slight smirk. Hinata bowed to him, smiled at Naruto and then scurried back up the stairs to rejoin her team.

Once again the screen started flickering through the names of the competitors and Naruto waited for the names to settle before announcing them.

"Kajika of Kiri verses Yuki Haku of Uzu."

The sword-user wearing the shark-like hood leapt over the balcony and landed in a three-point-crouch, his right hand resting on the handle of his sword. Haku chose to walk down the stairs, eschewing drama, and came to a stop before Hayate.

"Let's do this!" Kajika shouted, unslinging his sword and Naruto's eyes widened as he saw a row of explosive tags extending out of the back of the blade. Hayate also noticed the weapon's destructive potential and promptly backed up almost to the dias.

"That is the Splashsword, is it not?" Haku asked and Kajika nodded with a sharp-toothed grin.

"Yep. You should quit, 'cause otherwise you'll die."

"We shall see." Haku replied, reaching into his kimono and pulling out a single tag. "Hayate-san, I am ready."

"Your funeral." Kajika smirked. "Prepare to lose, for I am your opponent!"

"Then… begin!"

Kajika lunged forwards with a wordless battle-cry, only for Haku to activate the tag, unleashing a virtual horizontal geyser of water that slammed into Kajika, knocking off his feet. Kajika slammed into the wall and rolled to his feet, a sneer of disdain on his face.

"That's your trick? A water blast? I'm from Kiri! We're masters of water! You just gave me victory."

"We shall see." Haku said as he knelt down on the inch-deep water and Kajika started to run forwards again, only for his feet to slip out from underneath him.

"Wha-aaaargh!"

Haku stepped to one side as Kajika spun passed, slamming into the other wall.

"Urrgh… huh? What the… ice?"

Kajika carefully pulled himself to his feet, using the wall to steady himself, then he growled.

"You're going to pay for… erk!"

Two senbon sprouted from his neck and he fell over. On the balcony, Zabuza whistled.

"False-death state… very impressive. Kid, if Uzu don't work out for you, I'd be happy to have you in Kiri!"

"Thank you, Zabuza-san, but my mother and I fled during the Bloodline Purges." Haku replied politely as the ice began to rapidly melt. "I am very happy in Uzushiogakure."

Zabuza shrugged. "Worth a try."

The last of the ice finished melting as the med-nins splashed through to reach Kajika and the screens hummed into life once again.

"Hozuki Suigetsu of Uzu versus Sasuke Uchiha of Konoha."

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Author's afternote – Yep, Hinata did just use two moves from Street-fighter. They're both moves which included spinning, which is why I selected them.
And no, this doesn't mean that Ryu and Ken are going to show up…

As for Team 10, well, having 2 Guyvers in the finals would be overkill, so I had them accidentally stay out of harms way. Besides, it was funny.