Preliminaries Ends
Kiba Inuzuka vs. Naruto Uzumaki
"Of all people to face," Kiba responded.
"Its okay old man," I told the chief. He nodded and went to the side lines to watch.
"Go Naruto!" Lee shouted.
"Member of the Inuzuka Clan against the son of the Nine-tail fox," Kakashi thought, "This will be an interesting match indeed."
Akamaru whine about something. "Don't worry Akamaru, I'll handle the big stuff, you just back me up," Kiba told Akamaru.
"Against me, you're going to need more than that," I said.
"I'll finally see how much stronger Naruto became since he left Mt. Oinari," the chief thought remembering how I use to have a hard time using a regular transformation without one of my tails appearing.
"Beast Mimicry!" Kiba shouted, "All Force Palm!"
Kiba became more wolf like as chakra stream out of his body. If that's how he's going to play then I can play along two. I made the handsign as one of my tails appeared.
Kiba came at me at high speed however I turned my body and slam him with my tail.
"What just happen, I thought Kiba was going to hit Naruto," Lee responded.
"Naruto just decreased the amount of chakra he stored in the seals of the weights on his tail just enough to counter attack," Kakashi explained.
"So that's why you asked for 9 sealing weights," Gai thought.
"Looks like the Nine-tails isn't as week as we first thought," Kankaro responded.
"So it seems," Gaara responded.
"Naruto truly has grown since that day," the chief thought.
Kiba got up after recovering. "Heh, I underestimated that tail of yours," Kiba said.
"That's only half of what I can do," I responded.
Kakashi remember how chief told him about me.
…Flashback…
At Mt. Oinari during the mission there. "Before I sent Naruto to find a friend he trust, Naruto use to be a troublemaker that no one trust," the chief told Kakashi, "Even after only his beliefs were change, and I hope that sending him to the leaf village to become a ninja will help him grow more into a demon who can live with humans."
…End of Flashback…
"This is your chance Naruto, everyone is watching. Show them how far you have grown since the day you left Mt. Oinari and came to the Leaf Village," Kakashi thought.
"If that's all you got then I have this match won," I said.
"I'll show you what I can do," Kiba said as he and Akamaru came at me with two smoke bombs. I heighten my sense of smell knowing I'll need it. Kiba threw smoke bombs to the ground covering me with smoke.
Kiba tried to attack me while I was in the smoke. I knew Akamaru was outside the smoke as I could smell him. Looks like escaping from the side won't work but there is one way out I still have. I took out my tag and place it on my forehead and made the handsign. "Transform!" I thought as I transform.
No one saw me transformed into a bat and flew out of the smoke. When the smoke clear Kiba was looking for me. "I smell him but where is he?" Kiba thought.
"Try over here," I shouted.
Kiba look to see I was flying to the ground behind him before transforming back to normal.
"He used bat transformation to escape from the one way Akamaru couldn't stop him," Neji thought.
"Using your opponent's trick against them in order to use your old escape trick," The chief thought.
"Try dodge this," Kiba shouted. Akamaru jump on Kiba who was on all four. "Beast Mimicry: Man Beast Clone," Kiba shouted. Akamaru Transformed into Kiba on top of Kiba. Kiba and Akamaru both came at me as I tried to dodge.
They manage to hit me a few times. I got tired of being beaten around and set my next plan.
"Fang Over Fang!" Kiba shouted as he and Akamaru started spinning into two vortexes.
I jumped to dodge their attack.
"So that's how you want to play," Kiba said as he and Akamaru planned another attack, "You think that you got a combination you can win?"
"Without a doubt Naruto grown into the exact opposite of what his father was," the chief thought.
"No matter what you throw at me, I'll throw it back," I said.
Kiba and Akamaru came at me and my clone. "Fang-over-fang!" Kiba shouted as he and Amaru turned into twisters. I dodge the attack along with my clone by jumping over them.
Kiba threw some smoke bombs in hope to blind me. I knew this trick and even though I can't transformed into the bat it doesn't mean I can't dodge it. My clone disappeared and I turn back to normal grab a tag place it and made the hand sign. Kiba and Akamaru stopped in their tracks as I transformed into them without a tail.
"No way! A transformation without a tail," Lee responded.
"Naruto what are you up two," Neji thought.
Kiba went to attack me and I took the hit on purpose as I transform into Akamaru causing Kiba to attack the real Akamaru. I transform back to normal fooling Kiba.
"Nice try but I'm not stupid, but I am a former troublemaker who loves to pull pranks on people," I said.
"Looks like Naruto hasn't fully grown out of his prankster side, just kept it hidden for the right moment when it'll come in handy," the chief thought.
I scratch the back of my head with my fox grin on my face. It was a harmless prank, but it did feel a little good to pull a prank again. "A little tip, think before you attack, or else you'll fall for a trap," I said.
Kiba calm down and got ready to attack. I think it's a good time to win this fight with my best attack. I pulled out my scroll and bit down on it.
"Oh no you don't," Kiba responded throwing some shurikans. I dodge them keeping focus. Kiba increase his speed and came from behind I summon my tail causing Kiba to back away.
"Fox-Demon Transformation Jutsu!" I shouted transforming into my true form. I came at him and use one of my tails to throw Kiba into the air I jump into the air and hit him with my body forcing him into the ground with force.
"Using your true form to increase your speed and power to body slam Kiba into the ground clever," Kakashi thought, "So that's why he needed Akamaru out of the way."
That may have been true but what Kakashi didn't know was that I was holding back my new combination to show off later and knew I could deal with Akamaru with it two.
"Winner, Naruto Uzumaki," Kushina called as I transform back to normal. I went back up the stairs but look at Gaara. I knew he saw my true form but he seemed unfazed by it. I guess I shouldn't be surprise.
Attention was turned to the board for the next match-ups…
Hinata Hyuga vs. Kin Tsuchi
Kin and Hinata walked down to the battle field to battle.
"Begin!" Kushina shouted. Neji took his stance with his bloodline active.
Kin threw some sinbols with bells attach.
Hinata saw them and dodge each one causing them to hit the wall.
"Now I got you," Kin thought pulling string that was attach to the bell.
Hinata heard them as Kin went to attack. Hinata took hits from the sinbols directly.
"Come on Hinata, don't let her fool you," I shouted.
"Naruto's right, I can't allow to be push around," Hinata thought.
Kin went to attack but Hinata ignore the bells and dodge the sinbols. She came close to Kin from behind and struck her several times. Kin passed out after a few hits.
"Winner Hinata Hyuga," Kushina shouted.
"Alright Hinata," I shouted.
"Hinata seem to be stronger," Neji thought.
We look at the board as it went through names and stopped at…
Shikamaru Nara vs. Tenten
"Begin!" Kushina shouted when they reach the field.
Tenten jump back and threw some shurikans. Shikamaru took out some shurikan and threw them to block Tenten's attack.
"Great, considering she's a weapon user, she's good with keeping distance," Shikamaru thought making the handsign. His shadow extend but Tenten dodge it with ease.
Tenten took out her scroll bit her thumb, swipe it on the scroll and summon a mace coming at Shikamaru.
Shikamaru dodge it but barely he made the handsign.
Tenten landed on the ground and dodge the shadow.
All of the sudden she was caught.
"How did you catch me?" Tenten asked.
"I can make my shadow extend in more than one place," SHikamaru explained.
Tenten saw that his shadow came from behind to hers.
"Even if you have dodge my shadow from in front, you had to see my shadow come from behind," Shikamaru said making Tenten drop her scroll.
"I won't loose," Tenten thought trying to break free.
"Its useless, I got you were I want you," Shikamaru said taking a kunai making Tenten grab one. They threw it at the same time and Shikamaru lean back to dodge but Tenten knew what was behind her and manage to break free and block it.
"Darn, I thought I got her this time," Shikamaru thought.
Tenten took her scroll and jump in the air. She summon her weapons and threw them at Shikamaru.
When it was over Tenten landed on the ground to see Shikamaru was hit in arm and legs where she had planned.
"I did it," Tenten thought.
"Shadow striking Jutsu!" Shikamaru whispered as his shadow extended and hit Tenten.
"She let her guard down at the last minute," Neji said.
"Winner Shikamaru," Kushina said.
"That was a close one," Naruto said.
Shikamaru went with the medics to get his wounds treated. Everyone turned to the board for the next match.
Choji Akamichi vs. Neji Hyuga
Choji and Neji arrived at the ground.
"Begin!" Kushina shouted.
Neji was in stance with his Byakugan active."
I don't know about this, maybe I should forfeit," Choji thought.
"Come on Choji, at least try," Asuma shouted, "If you atleast try I'll take you out for Barbeque."
"Oh yeah barbeque," Choji shouted then made the hand sign, "Body expansion Jutsu!" His body became a giant ball with arms legs and a head.
"Here he comes," Neji thought.
"Human Boulder!" Choji shouted retreating his head legs and arms and started rolling at Neji.
Neji dodge him as Choji kept rolling. Choji hit the wall and returned to normal size. By time Choji got up Neji hit Choji. Choji passed out mainly because he was dizzy when Neji hit him in the chest.
"Winner Neji Hyuga," Kushina shouted.
"Neji beat Choji," Lee said.
"Yeah not really surprising considering that if Choji use human boulder to long he gets dizzy," Shikamaru responded.
"Now for the final match would Gaara and Dosu come down," Kushina ordered.
Gaara disappeared in a swirl of sand and reappeared on the field as Dosu jumped down.
"Now you know the rules, Begin!" Kushina said jumping to safety.
"I'll end this quickly," Dosu said coming at Gaara with his armor arm.
Gaara's sand blocked the attack.
"What?" Dosu responded.
"Now for your blood," Gaara said.
The sand threw Dosu into the wall. Then Gaara's sand surround Dosu's body. "Sand Coffin," Gaara shouted closing his hand.
Dosu shouted in pain as the sand crushed him. When the sand retreated Dosu was dead.
"Since Dosu didn't amit defeat before being killed, the winner is Gaara," Kushina responded.
"That's ruthless," Lee said.
"That's true but what she said was right, so Gaara won legally," Kakashi responded.
Shikamaru came back in time with bandages where he was hit.
Minato told Kakashi about Naruto's arrangements he set.
"Are you sure?" Kakashi asked.
"Yeah, no matter who Sasuke face, at least you can focus on him while Jiriaya trains Naruto," Minato said.
"Well, it's a good thing that both made it to the finals then," Kakashi said before disappearing.
The finalist gather at the field.
"Congratulations on all of you for making it into the finals including the one not here," Kushina told them, "Now listen as the fourth Hokage has something to say."
"Including Naruto and Sasuke there's 7 from the leaf, and three from the sand," the chief thought.
"Now about the finals, as explained before, this exam is to test your strength through the strength of your village," Minato said, "This test will be hold one month from now, you can use this moment to prepare yourself."
"What do you mean?" Neji asked.
"Well in the preliminaries, you were fighting someone who you don't know their skills, but now you know what each of your opponents skills and abilities, and they know about you," Minato said, "So during the month of preperation of the finals, you can train and improve your abilities as well as learn new techniques that your opponent wouldn't expect."
I look at Temari then at Gaara. I have to use this month to prepare to fight not only against Gaara's sand but Temari's wind.
"Now we're going to draw numbers to see who face who in the finals," Minato said.
Each of us drawn numbers out of the box. I open mine to find the number 1.
"Now tell us your number and what ever number not called will be Sasuke's," Minato said.
"10," Gaara said.
"6," Hinata said.
"4," Kankaro responded.
"7," Lee said.
"1," I said.
"3," Neji said.
"5," Shikamaru said.
"8," Shino said.
"2," Temari finished.
"That means Sasuke has 9," Minato said, "Then we're find out who would face who."
Ibiki finished and showed it. It was basically like 1 against 2, 3 against 4, 5 against 6, 7 against 8, 9 against 10. Which means I will be facing Temari, Neji will be facing against Kankaro, Shikamaru will be facing Hinata, Lee was facing against Shino, and Sasuke was facing against Gaara. Although the second round was set up that the winner of 4th match will face who ever wins against the 5th match.
"The 3rd Exam maybe set up as a tournament, but as you fight you can show the proctors if you're ready or not to become Chuunin. Meaning even if there's only one winner, all could be promoted or none of you," Minato said, "So that means even those who lost the first round can be promoted if they prove they were ready."
"So I'm against the nine-tails son," Temari thought.
I grinned as I get to show Temari to not underestimate my power. But I'm slightly worried about Sasuke. He's up against Gaara and after seeing what happen to Dosu I know Sasuke will need more training to beat him.
"Now you're dismiss to start training and strategizing," Minato said.
A/N: I mix up some of the order and thought of giving Shikamaru Shadow striking jutsu to take Tenten by surprise to win. It was hard with who will be the finalist, but now I mixed up the finalist matches except for Sasuke vs Gaara, BUT Naruto and Gaara will still fight during the attack on the leaf. One more thing, I decided that instead of going strait from Tsunade coming back (not to become Hokage just yet) and Sasuke leaving the leaf, I thought of doing the extra episode of Team 7 going to the Waterfall Village for their mission between the two.
Next Time: Training begins and along with water walking exercise, Naruto learns more of his fox demon heritage as he trains with one of the ledgendary three saunin Jiriaya. Meanwhile everyone else prepares to fight in the finals as well. What will happen during that month? Read to Find Out...