CHAPTER 23
Reviews still wanted.
"A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous."-Ingrid Bergman
All the genin that had passed the second exam were waiting patiently in an open arena like room waiting for the last few minutes of the time limit to be over.
Once the time limit had passed and no new teams came in Hiruzen cleared his throat. At that moment everyone in the room placed their attention on Hiruzen.
"With the second exam over, I would like to tell all of you the true meaning to the chunin selection exams. First I will start by asking you to look around the room at the other teams in this room.
"Iwa, Suna, Kiri, Taki, Kumo, and Konoha, these are the teams gathered here today, and if you look at the past these nations at one point in time hated one another. The true meaning of the chunin exams is indeed to support and invite peace to neighboring nations, but it is also much more.
"The third exam of the chunin selection exams is about individual strength of a ninja through a life or death battle. What this shows is not only an individual's skills but also the skills of the nation that genin is representing." Hiruzen said.
Just as he went to say something else a ninja bowed in front of Hiruzen and addressed him. "I am Hayate Gekkou the third exam proctor, if I may Hokage-sama I will take over from here." Hayate said.
Hiruzen coughed lightly before taking a puff from his pipe and nodding. "Please do." Hiruzen said briefly.
Hayate then stood up and turned to address the genin. "Whether it was because the first two exams were too easy or for some other reason there are too many remaining genin." Hayate paused as he had a small fit of coughs.
"Due to this we will be holding preliminary matches the reason for having to cut down the amount of genin is for this reason; the third exam will be witnessed by many nobles and very influential individuals so we can only have a few matches." Hayate again paused and had a coughing fit.
"As the preliminary exams will begin immediately, if anyone wishes to quit now is the only time to do so." Hayate said.
The four genin that Naruto didn't recognize quickly raised their hand to leave and after they gave a quick reason of not enough chakra or too injured they were dismissed. One genin was from Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi's team, another was from Haku and Chojuro's team, and the last two were from Fu's team.
"Very well any others?" Hayate asked, and when no one raised their hand Hayate coughed before continuing.
"If you look behind me, you will see an electronic board, the names of the remaining genin have been entered and at random the board will select two genin. These genin will have to fight for the right to be in the third exam." After Hayate said that he nodded to Anko.
Anko then brought up a small mouth piece and talked into it and the board started to spin the names. Naruto then looked away from the board.
"Man this whole third exam is basically family and friends against one another." Naruto said. Not surprisingly though, everyone that knew what he meant nodded their head.
Finally the board stopped spinning and the first two names were displayed. "Will everyone except Kurotsuchi of Iwa and Sakura Haruno of Konoha please make their way to the viewing area above." Hayate said.
When everyone went to one side or the other Hayate then addressed the two remaining Kunoichi. "There are a few rules for this exam. First you fight until one or the other cannot fight, secondly if a say a match is over than it's over my word is law here." Hayate coughed once or twice then looked back to the two girls.
"Are both contestants ready?" Hayate asked. When both got into a fighting stance and nodded their heads yes Hayate quickly brought down his hand and said begin before he jumped away.
"How much has Sakura-chan improved since you first started teaching her Kakashi-Nisan?" Naruto asked without looking away from the fight.
"She has improved a great deal I would even say as much as low chunin to high genin, why Naruto-kun?" Kakashi asked.
"I was curious as to how long Sakura-chan would last against Kurotsuchi-chan." Naruto said. Shikamaru and all the genin and their sensei that didn't fully understand looked at Naruto for an answer.
"What do you mean how long she will last Naruto, surely you think Sakura could at least win don't you?" Shikamaru asked. Naruto just shook his head.
"I'm not doubting Kakashi-Nisan's ability to teach but I know at what level just about everyone in this room is at so based on their opponent I know who would win I was asking about Sakura as I don't know her skills as well as everyone else's." Naruto said.
Everyone besides the Konoha genin and Guy nodded in understanding, but Guy was vocal with his question. "I don't understand Naruto-san, these are all foreign shinobi how could you know their skills?" Guy asked.
Kakashi smacked himself in the face while the other jounin sweatdropped. "We told you in the waiting area for the first exam Guy, all these teams that have made it are the people he meet on his journey before he came back to Konoha with Sasuke." Kakashi said.
"Huh, oh yeah I forgot about that." Guy said causing all the jounin present to sweatdrop. Shikamaru then looked at Naruto. 'So that's why I never saw you in the village before the academy.' Shikamaru thought.
Back in the arena Kurotsuchi ended the match with a fast and powerful punch to Sakura's temple knocking her out. "What kind of kunoichi was she." Kurotsuchi said.
Hayate then walked to Sakura and checked her pulse. "Winner due to knock out Kurotsuchi of Iwa." Hayate announced. Naruto then jumped down from the viewing area and collected Sakura.
Once Naruto put her up against the wall, he allowed his hand to glow a light purple before he placed his hand on Sakura's wounds and everyone watched as they closed up instantly.
Shikamaru was again surprised but what he saw. "Ano, Naruto isn't medical ninjutsu supposed to be green in color of the chakra?" Shikamaru asked.
"Yes normal medical ninjutsu is Shikamaru, but this is medical ninjutsu that only I can use in the way I am. I'm mixing two separate chakras and using them as one for the medical ninjutsu. My medical ninjutsu is around 100 times more powerful than regular medical ninjutsu." Naruto said.
Shikamaru nodded with slightly large eyes having his answer and turned back to the spinning board.
"We will begin the next match now." Hayate said. "Will Temari of Suna and Tenten of Konoha please come down for the match." Hayate said, and when the two did come down Hayate again asked if they were ready.
When they said yes Hayate quickly started the match and jumped away. Lee then turned to Naruto to ask a question.
"If what you said is true Naruto-kun and you know all of these people's skills, then who will win this match?" Lee asked Naruto. Naruto looked at Lee and then to the two kunoichi who had yet to move as they were sizing the other up.
"What kind of ninja is Tenten Lee?" Naruto asked simply. Lee looked to his sensei who nodded, so he turned back to Naruto.
"She is a weapon specialist; she acts as our teams support." Lee said with fire in his eyes. Naruto nodded almost grimly at that news.
"I see, it seems that I was correct in my assumption; that means Temari-neechan is the worst possible match for Tenten out of everyone here. Tenten-san will most certainly lose." Naruto said. All the fire that had been in Lee's eyes died out.
"Why do you say that Naruto-kun surely Tenten has a chance?" Lee asked with hope in his eyes. Naruto just shook his head.
"Ask Asuma-sensei Lee he will explain it." Naruto said. Everyone then turned to Asuma just as Tenten jumped back from Temari to get some distance.
"Watch the match then I will explain what happened." Asuma said. All the genin then nodded and looked to the match.
Hayate then looked between the two. "What are you waiting for I did say begin." Hayate said as he coughed.
"I guess she's waiting for me to make a move, but that will be her first mistake. The first move I make is the last one you'll see." Temari said to Tenten.
Tenten then jumped further back and smirked. "Well if you insist alright." Tenten said. She then jumped into the air before launching four shuriken at Temari, but as soon as they got close the shuriken all bounced as if they hit an invisible wall.
Tenten then yelled out in shock. "What I missed her. There's just no way!" Tenten said. Tenten then breathed out slowly. 'Ok stay calm, don't let her get to you.' Tenten thought.
She then counted her distance from Temari. 'She must have dodged them somehow, but if I try I different approach….' Tenten thought.
Temari then moved her hand to the fan on her back. Tenten's eyes narrowed. 'So that's her secret, that fan she carries.' Tenten thought. She then ran in a circle around Temari as she pulled a scroll from her pouch.
Tenten then jumped into the air and opened the scroll as she put chakra into it. "Alright try this on for size." Tenten said. She then spun in the air as weapons started flying out of her scroll towards Temari.
The same as before happened though and Tenten's weapons seemed to hit an invisible wall. Temari then grabbed her fan and opened it partially to show a purple circle.
"Take a look, this is the first star, there are two more, when you see all three I'll end the match." Temari said with confidence.
'Well I was waiting to save this for the finals, not waist it on a preliminary round, but it maybe now or never.' Tenten thought before she smirked and brought out two scrolls.
Up in the viewing area Lee was shocked in surprise and Guy voiced his thought. "She's using that already." Guy said. He then focused back down onto Tenten in the arena as she took a scroll in each hand and set one end on the ground.
Tenten then did some handsigns before she put chakra into the two scrolls and called the jutsu. "Rising Twin Dragons." Tenten called as a large amount of smoke came from the scrolls before they shot into the air in the form of two smoke dragons.
Tenten then crouched down and put some chakra into her feet before she jumped in between the two scrolls. She then began to throw weapons left and right as they came out of the scroll.
Temari then opened her fan to show the second star and swiped her fan blocking all the weapons. Tenten then jumped back into the air and tugged on ninja wire that was attached to all the weapons as she then threw them at Temari again.
The same as the last three times all the weapons bounced and not one hit Temari. Temari then opened her fan to show the third star. "Its over." Temari said. She then put chakra into her fan and swung it again while calling her jutsu. "Wind Scythe Jutsu." Temari said.
A burst of air then slammed into Tenten and pulled her into the air before cutting her all over her body. When the jutsu died down Tenten then began to fall to the ground before Naruto caught her. Naruto then laid Tenten down and began to treat her wounds.
"Man Temari-neechan you're brutal. Your wind is impressive though and has improved a great deal." Naruto said with a smile as he healed Tenten.
"Winner of the second match Temari of Suna." Hayate said as the board started to spin again before it stopped. "Will Rock Lee of Konoha and Omoi of Kumo please enter the arena for the third match." Hayate said.
Before he jumped down though Lee looked to Asuma for his explanation. Asuma let out some smoke before he sighed. "That Temari girl is from the wind village, what she did was focus wind or Futon chakra into her fan and then discharged it to block Tenten's weapons." Asuma said.
Lee then nodded before he jumped into the arena and saw his opponent who appeared to be worrying, Lee used this time to look over his opponent, other than the sword that he saw on Omoi's back which two of his teammates had, Lee thought he looked like a normal person.