CHAPTER 24
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"My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure." Abraham Lincoln
Hayate quickly came between the two genin and asked if both were ready and they both nodded their heads, he quickly started the match and jumped back. Lee and Omoi continued to not move for a minute and were analyzing the other before Lee shot forward.
Omoi's eyes widened as Lee came towards him at extremely fast speeds. As fast as he could act Omoi dodged the punch Lee threw and jumped back drawing his sword. Lee then also jumped back to create some distance.
Naruto was silently watching the fight with Sasuke to see how far both had advanced passed genin. "I think this will be a close match Naruto, what about you?" Sasuke asked.
Naruto closed his eyes for a minute to think. "While Omoi is defiantly strong even for a possible Chunin, once both he and Lee start getting serious I don't think he will beat Lee." Naruto said.
It was now Omoi's turn to charge at Lee for an attack. Omoi was upon Lee in a moment and swung his sword at Lee who managed to dodge, but was surprised when a thin small cut appeared on his check were Omoi had swung his sword.
Quickly getting over his shock, the look in Lee and Omoi's eyes had both changed. Omoi's after he went in to attack, and Lee when he received his injury.
"Seems the match is about to begin." Sasuke said noticing the change in both the boy's eyes and body language. All the present Jounin only nodded acknowledging his statement.
Lee and Omoi both quickly charged at one another again and traded some fast blows between the two before they just as quickly broke apart each now bearing more injuries than they had a moment ago.
Omoi then charged more chakra into his blade until it crackled with his lightning chakra before he swung at Lee as he called out his move. "Cloud Beheading." Omoi said releasing the lightning chakra in an arc that raced at lee.
Lee jumped back onto the hand sign statue as quickly as he could to avoid the lightning jutsu. Guy then shouted out to Lee. "Lee now is the time take them off." He shouted. Lee's eyes got large before he nodded and started to mess with something below his orange leg warmers.
When Lee stood up everyone could see he was holding weights. 'Man knowing who his teacher is I don't even want to know how much those weigh.' Naruto thought. When Lee then dropped the weights and they hit the stadium creating a large explosion and crater, Naruto just sweatdropped seeing he was right.
Everyone else who didn't know about Guy or his teaching methods looked on in surprise, while those that did like Naruto sweatdropped.
Lee only smiled now while doing a few stretches. "That feels so much better, now I can fight for real." He said. Lee then bent down and tensed before he flew towards Omoi at speeds that only those with training in high speeds or good eyes could follow. Before Omoi even had a chance to move Lee had given him a nasty right hook sending him tumbling back a couple feet.
Omoi then stood up and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and smiled. "You are much better than I expected and I am glad to have gotten such a strong opponent." Omoi said.
"You are also a great opponent." Lee said before his body had a slight spasm attack. "I didn't think you would get a hit in before I hit you." Lee said with a slight spasm again.
Omoi then smirked again. "How about we end this in one move, I can tell you that I don't have much strength left that was one hell of a punch and you shouldn't be doing so hot either as I channeled a lot of lightning chakra into your body." he said.
Lee only nodded with a smile on his face. "Indeed, with one move then." Lee said. Both then nodded before they started to prepare their moves. Omoi put his sword into the same stance he had before, only this time he was channeling almost double the chakra.
Lee had crossed his hands and was whispering something as his body started to change. First his veins near his temples stared to become visible then his chakra levels jumped until finally his skin turned red-ish.
Naruto then turned to Guy. "You taught him the eight gates?" Naruto asked. Guy only nodded as he watched his prize student getting ready.
Lee then threw down his fists and charged at Omoi with blinding speeds. Omoi barley had time to swing his sword as he called his move. "Double Cloud Beheading." He called as he swung his sword twice in Lee's direction before he felt an extreme force hit him in the stomach causing him to spit up some blood and pass out as he flew into a wall.
Everyone then saw Lee fall to one knee as he panted heavily and blood came out of a large wound across his chest. Hayate quickly stepped in and announced Lee the winner. Lee then fell down and rolled onto his back.
Once the match was called, Naruto instantly jumped down to the arena. Naruto went to Lee first as he had the worse injuries. He first healed the large gash on Lee's chest, next he restored his chakra before healing Lee's minor cuts and bruises.
Naruto then turned to Omoi and started to do the same as Lee started to stand. Once Naruto had healed Omoi's injuries he took some smelling salts from his pack and swiped them under Omoi's nose causing him to cough as he woke up.
Naruto then helped him to his feet as he took Omoi back up to his team. Once he passed Omoi onto Karui he high fived Omoi and gave Yugito a small kiss before returning to his team. Hayate coughed to bring attention to him as the board started to spin again.
Naruto chuckled slightly when the board came to a stop. "Man already, I wanted to be the one to destroy the arena. Of the five people here that could really cause some fun and I don't get to go first." Naruto said with a sad looking pout on his face.
All Naruto's friends just chuckled at him. Jiraiya and Tsunade standing next to Hiruzen though just smirked at their grandsons actions. "Well yes ok then, will Fu of Taki and Shino Aburame of Konoha please proceed to the arena." Hayate said.
Fu just chuckled as she jumped into the arena. When she came face to face with the stoic Aburame she looked over to Naruto. "Don't worry Naruto-kun I won't wreck the arena too bad for you." She said with another chuckle.
Naruto just childishly turned away with another pout. Kurenai standing right next to Naruto couldn't help herself and pulled Naruto into a tight hug with his face in her breast as she kept repeating "Kawaii."
When she finally released him Naruto, Yugito, and Kurenai all had blushes, while everyone else was either looking at Naruto or Kurenai with wide shocked eyes.
All attention returned to the arena though when Shino talked. "Do you mind explaining what you meant by not destroying the arena too bad Fu-san?" Shino asked.
Fu only smiled at Shino before she turned back to him to answer his question. "Being an Aburame your bugs should have already told you even if I am suppressing it. Although I believe what you are looking for is a verbal conformation. Very well then your bugs were indeed right when they sensed Youki, I am the seven tailed Jinchuriki at your service." Fu said.
Shino's slight nod of the head was the least obvious reaction to the information. Naruto and everyone that knew Fu smiled large smiles at her glad that she told everyone with such pride what she was, but others where all ranges of emotions. Hiruzen had a slight eyebrow raised, but the others looked on in slight awe and some in fear.
"I see, the logical thing to do then would be to forfeit, but seeing as how you are a friend of Naruto-san that means you won't try to kill me. What that means is that I am free to test myself against one of the strongest ninja you can go against, also I believe that the seven tailed Jinchuriki uses bugs as well meaning this will be a very unique fight." Shino said in his weird way of talking.
Fu only nodded her head at everything that Shino said to acknowledge him before she got into a loose fighting stance. Seeing that they were done talking Hayate brought his hand down between the two bug users starting the match.
Shino immediately let all his bugs out from his body and had them loosely floating around him. Fu only smirked before she changed her fighting style slightly, but what really surprised Shino was the two wings that Fu had out that floated her slightly off the ground.
Fu's wings then started to beat extremely fast and she charged at Shino. He only had a moment to bring his bugs up and have them guard him. When Fu punched his bug shield, Shino's bugs quickly attached to her and drained her chakra as fast as they could.
Fu only smiled before using enough Youki to bring up a thin layer of Youki that instantly killed all the bugs on her. Fu then flew into the air, she then clapped her hands together and molded some chakra into her mouth.
Recognizing the move Naruto and his friends covered their eyes as Fu called her move. "Hiding in scale powder jutsu." She called. She then exhaled a large cloud of thin powder than seemed to shine, but an instant later there was a large flash and the powder glowed extremely brightly and temporarily blinding those that saw it.
As that was happening Fu surrounded her body with bugs and charged at Shino again. When she was about to hit him though she was surprised when he caught her fist, but then she smirked when he pointed to his glasses. Fu then also smiled before she pointed to his hand. When Shino looked down he wasn't surprised but slightly shocked when he saw the bugs on him and felt that most his chakra was already gone.
Once the powder disappeared and everyone was able to see again, they saw Fu's fist next to Shino's face, but also saw him blocking the fist but then a second later Shino fell forward out cold. Hayate moved forward and checked his pulse before nodding.
"Winner of match four due to knockout Fu of Taki." He announced before stepping away. Once more Naruto walked down to the arena and went to the injured. As he passed Fu he gave her a smile and high five before going over to Shino and picking him up.
Naruto then carried Shino up towards his side of the arena and placed him next to Kakashi before placing his hands on Shino's temples and giving him some of his own chakra. Shino then sighed in his sleep as chakra returned to his body.
Hayate coughed slightly to get the focus to return to him as he started the board spinning again. "Oh come on, now the arena will defiantly be destroyed." Naruto said with an even bigger pout. Sasuke only chuckled at Naruto before he jumped into the arena followed shortly by Akatsuchi.
"Preliminary match five; Sasuke Uchiha of Konoha and Akatsuchi of Iwa will now commence. Are both fighters ready," both nodded with grins on their faces. "Very well then begin." Hayate said as he jumped away.
Sasuke and Akatsuchi walked forward and shook hands with grins on their faces and once they finished they both jumped back. Sasuke turned on his sharingan and heavily watched his opponent's moves. Akatsuchi expertly moved his vision from Sasukes eyes to his chest and feet as soon as he jumped back.
He then pulled a Kunai from his pack and threw it at Sasuke and immediately after started some hand seals before launching a jutsu. "Doton: earth dragon." He said. A large dragon of earth then charged at Sasuke as Akatsuchi used another jutsu. "Doton: earth armor." He said.
Sasukes sharingan saw the kunai flying at him and he dodged easily and started up some hand seals when he saw Akatsuchi doing the same. "Katon: fire ball jutsu." Sasuke said putting more chakra than needed so that it would destroy the dragon.
Akatsuchi saw the fire ball destroy his dragon and crossed his arms over his chest and put more chakra into his earth armor justu to strengthen it. When the fire ball hit his earth armor it quickly dissipated as most of the chakra had gone into destroying the earth dragon.
Once the fire ball died down Akatsuchi did some more hand seals before firing off another justu. "Doton: golem justu." He called. Sasuke then also performed more hand seals at the same pace as Akatsuchi before he called his own jutsu. "Katon: flame bullet." Sasuke said.
The two jutsu once more collided but this time they were equal and just stopped one another. Sasuke then quickly ran at Akatsuchi and threw a punch at him that Akatsuchi caught instinctley. 'Shit.' He thought as soon as he caught the fist. "Its over." Sasuke said. He then used his strength to pull Akatsuchi's fist towards himself making their eyes connect.
All that those watching saw as Sasuke pulled Akatsuchi in was his sharingan spin before Akatsuchi fell over passed out. 'Man the level of these ninja is impressive, Sasuke used two mid level fire jutsus and a genjutsu and he isn't even winded.' Hayate thought.
He then went and as protocol checked Akatsuchi's pulse. "Winner of the fifth match by knockout is Sasuke Uchiha." Hayate said. Sasuke then went up to Akatsuchi's unmoving body and placed two fingers on his forehead. "Kai." He said.
Akatsuchi then opened his eyes and sighed. "I lost didn't I." he said it as more of a statement then a question. Sasuke just nodded and offered his hand which Akatsuchi accepted and lifted himself up. Both then walked up to the balcony where Naruto was and placed their hands on his back.
After a moment they removed their hands and Akatsuchi went back over to his team. Sasuke then looked at Naruto and saw he had another pout on his face. "What is it this time Naruto?" Sasuke asked.
"Look at the arena you destroyed it before I got too." He said as he pouted some more. Sasuke just chuckled as he looked over to the now slightly damaged arena. There was the cracks from Lee's weights, some large chunks of earth from Akatsuchi's jutsu were missing and there was also large scorch marks from Sasukes fire jutsus.
Before he could say anything else some ninjas came down and cleaned the arena slightly and then Hayate returned once more and started the spinning of the name board. After a few seconds though the board once more came to a halt.
"For the sixth preliminary round , will Haku Momochi of Kiri and Choji Akimichi of Konoha please enter the arena." Hayate said.