This is my first story. Don't hate for no reason. Will take fair criticism though.
I do not own Naruto or anything related. That goes to Masashi Kishimoto
CHAPTER 22
Once again the electronic board ran through the names of the remaining people until finally landing on: Rock Lee vs Tsurugi Misumi.
A loud, "YYYYOOOSSSSH!!" filled the room as a boy with a bowl cut wearing green spandex jumped down from the balcony.
"Finally! A chance to show off my FLAMES OF YOUTH!" Lee began jumping and stretching in pace, waiting for his opponent to arrive. Misumi slowly walked down the stairs. He wore a full navy blue outfit, including a navy blue bandana and mask, covering most of his face and black shades to cover his eyes. Eventually he stood across from his hyperactive opponent.
"Ready?" The doctor asked. The two combatants stood across from each other in battle stance.
"Hajime!" In a blur of speed Lee instantly closed the distance and before Misumi could even react he landed a strong kick on his head sending him flying across the arena. Rock Lee stood there waiting for his opponent to retaliate. But when the proctor went to discover why Misumi was not moving it was discovered that Lee's one kick was enough to knock him out cold.
"Rock Lee wins by knockout!"
Two thundering, "YYYYYOOOOOOSSSSSHHHHHHHH" echoed throughout the room.
Lee continued, "My Flames of Youth are burning brightly!!!!"
Lee jumped up to his team, "Did you see Gai-sensei?"
"Of course Lee! You have your beautiful FLAMES OF YOUTH."
"Gai-sensei."
"Lee."
"Gai-sensei!"
Lee!"
Gai-sensei!!!"
Suddenly a genjutsu of a beautiful sunrise and a thunderous waterfall with a bright rainbow appeared, unfortunately surrounding two men, in tight green spandex, jumping, and hugging one another.
Around them echoed cries of despair,
"I can't disrupt the genjutsu! Why won't it end?"
"My eyes, It hurts my eyes."
"Make it disappear!!"
Pushing past the recent trauma the proctor let the names on the board roll and announced them when it stopped, "Hyuga Hinata vs. Yamanaka Ino, please come down to the arena.
Naruto, who was rubbing his eyes hoping to erase the image from his mind, grinned and whispered to Hinata, "I told you that you would make it. This will be a cakewalk, I'm sure of it."
Hinata smiled kindly and hugged him, "Thanks Naruto-kun." Quietly she walked down the staircase as Ino confidently strutted down towards the arena.
Ino smirked, "You've become less timid, but that won't help you any against me."
Hinata raised an eyebrow, "And why is that?"
Ino feigned shyness, "Because you're the same little girl who was too kind to injure her friends. "
Ino regains her confident figure, "It's probably why you settled for second place Naruto over there. So when Sasuke-kun sees how strong I am in the finals, he will finally love me back!"
Hinata sighs slightly agitated , "You are a fangirl too?" Ino gains a tick on her forehead.
"And you're a clan heir too, I thought your father would have taught you better than this." Ino gains another tick.
"Honestly, you are no better than Sakura. You give kunoichi a bad name just as much as she does."
Ino finally burst, "I AM WAY BETTER THAN THAT FOREHEAD GIRL!"
The proctor, seeing that this fight was going to happen whether or not he authorized it, just shouted, "Hajime!"
Ino in blind rage instantly charges Hinata screaming, "I'LL SHOW YOU!" But she forgot one crucial fact: Never engage a Hyuga in taijutsu.
Much faster than Ino could close the distance, Hinata activated her byakugan and whispered, "Hakke Sanjunisho" (Eight Trigrams: Thirty-two palms). Instantly Ino dropped to the ground, unable to move, yet still conscious and painfully so.
Hinata sighed once more, "I have changed and gotten stronger, and I don't like you implying that I haven't because to be a good Shinobi you must always try to improve. I find it ironic that you spoke of change yet since the academy you haven't gotten any stronger. We were friends, and I hoped that this match would be a friendly one, yet that changed when you insulted Naruto-kun and insinuated that he was a consolation prize to me. This match is over, call it."
"Hyuga Hinata wins by immobilization." The proctor shouted.
Before walking away Hinata unsealed Ino's chakra points just as quickly as she had sealed them.
When she walked back up the stairs and arrived next to her team she received a tight hug from Naruto, "I didn't know you had it in you to be so cold."
Hinata blushed, "W-well she insulted you Naruto-kun. I couldn't let that go."
"I know, but you still kept your cool and played your match. And because of that, when we get out of here I'm gonna get you some cinnamon buns."
Hinata kissed his cheek and smiled, "Thank you."
Aching from having her chakra points sealed and unsealed in succession, Ino climbed the stairs to her own team. There was silence as she sat down next to a resting Shikamaru.
"You think I've changed right Shikamaru?" She whispered to the boy sitting next to her.
"No." Replied the resting Nara, "You are the same bossy, nosey fangirl from the academy."
"B-but you haven't changed either!" Ino remarked.
"Yes…I have. I think it's troublesome but I do train even when I'm not with the team. Mostly because Asuma-sensei and my mom force me to. But you? You outright refuse to train sometimes claiming that 'your Sasuke-kun doesn't want a bulky girl' even though he wouldn't want you regardless. And at home your dad doesn't make you train much because you basically have him wrapped around your finger."
"W-why haven't you t-told me this before?"
"We have but you're too troublesome to listen. I'm actually glad Hinata said all that because maybe now you'll actually train, or at least not be as troublesome."
"I'll try." Ino grumbled
"Good."
Asuma smiled, despite not reacting to the conversation happening behind him, he heard it all and was glad the Shikamaru had initiated a change in Ino.
On the arena floor the proctor waited for the board to stop, when it finally landed on two more names: Sabaku no Gaara vs. Akado Yoroi.
In a swirl of sand Gaara appeared on the arena floor, "Finally, I will give mother some blood."
Yoroi who wore the same outfit as his teammate Tsurugi Misumi calmly walked to the arena floor and stood across from his opponent. And seeing as there was no conversation happening he immediately began the match, "Hajime!"
Yoroi immediately charged and getting closer he stuck out a hand but Sand suddenly blocked his path. Yoroi kept trying to break through the sand defense but never did so interestingly he got close to Gaara but when the sand shield came close he pressed his palm to it. But suddenly he screamed out in agony, "IT BURNS!"
The Konoha nin's arm began to wither as he screamed, "What's wrong with your chakra? Why does absorbing it hurt so much?"
As Yoroi writhed on the ground in pain Gaara sighed emotionlessly, "That was boring. You are too weak but any blood for mother is better than none at all. Sabaku Kyu!" (Sand Coffin)
With an outstretched hand Gaara commanded his sand to rush out of the gourd on his back to totally encase Yoroi. The proctor was ready to call the match when Gaara shouted, "Sabaku Soso!" (Imploding Sand Funeral)
Closing his fist the Sand immediately crushed Yoroi with a spray of blood. Taking the bloody sand back into his gourd Gaara sighed calmly, "There mother, I have given you blood."
The proctor was surprised and agitated but he still continued, "Sabaku no Gaara wins by death." The proctor turns to Gaara as med-nins come to collect the body, "Why did you kill him?"
Gaara emotionlessly replies, "Because mother wanted blood. So I gave her some."
The proctor became slightly more agitated, "But was killing him required for that. Couldn't you have just broken a limb?"
"Yes. How else would I prove my existence?"
As the names on the board randomized once more the proctor while still agitated just sighed, "Go up to the balcony." And when the names finally stopped he shouted, "Inuzuka Kiba and Akimichi Choji please come down to the arena.
Kiba excitedly jumped down to the arena floor. He wore black pants and a large gray overcoat. Choji nervously walked down the stairs. Choji wears brown shorts and bandages covering the rest of his legs. He also wears a green jacket over a white shirt with the Akimichi Clan symbol on it.
Choji though didn't want to hurt his friend just for a promotion. However, his sensei noticed this so he shouted, "Choji if you win I'll buy you all you can eat Yakiniku Q's"
Suddenly there was passion and determination in Choji's eyes as he ran down to the arena floor, ready to pound Kiba into the ground.
When the proctor shouted, "Hajime!" Both combatants quickly performed a jutsu. Kiba stood on the ground on all fours as his ninken Akamaru jumped on his back. Kiba quickly shouted, "Jujin Bunshin!" (Man-Beast Clone). With a poof of smoke Akamaru suddenly turned into a perfect copy of Kiba. Right after they both charged hoping to go for a quick finish.
Across from them Choji activated a jutsu of his own, "Bubun Baika!" (Partial Expansion Jutsu) Almost instantly Choji's arms seemed to inflate to gigantic sizes from the elbow down, and with his massive left hand he tried to smash one of the Kibas into the floor but he was too quick and dodged. Though reacting quickly Choji made a sweeping motion with his arms smacking the other Kiba and across the room and into the wall.
"Akamaru!" The standing Kiba shouted. In a puff of smoke the Kiba that was stuck in the wall changed into a small white dog. Kiba ran to his dogs' side to check on him. When he saw that Akamaru was able to stand up Kiba told him, "I guess we're gonna have to try harder, take this boy."
Kiba secretly feeds Akamaru a small spherical pill and suddenly Akamaru starts to grow until he is nearly Kiba's size and darkens to a reddish-orange color. Once again Kiba and Akamaru charged but they were held back by Choji's gigantic hands. They couldn't keep long distance because they were close-combat fighters, but everytime they got too close a swipe of Choji's hands could swat them away.
Getting irate, Kiba growled, "Nothing's working so we're gonna use our ultimate move! Gatsuga!" (Fang over Fang)
Jumping off the ground, Kiba and Akamaru began to spin around in the air, almost turning into a drill. They began to bounce around, and off the walls but they were slowly drawing closer and closer to Choji. Letting his limbs return to normal size, Choji waited until the perfect moment and shouted, "Nikudan Sensha!" (Human Bullet Tank)
Choji's body began to inflate into a ball though his limbs remained the same size and began to roll forward at impressive speeds. In an explosive clash Kiba and Akamaru drilling attack was hit dead on by choji's rolling assault. The two rotating forces competed with each other in force. Pushing each other back and forth both Kiba and Choji pumped as much as they could into their charges. As their attacks began to lose power they both put as much of their energy into one last attack. But with a boom the two combatants were sent spiraling into opposite ends of the arena. There was silence as people waited for one of the two to claim their victory but eventually they checked on the two genin and found them unconscious so he announced, "Double Knockout, no winners!"
Asuma, Choji's sensei, sighs as he picks Choji up and brings him to the balcony, "Well he did his best. It's all up to Shikamaru now."
"Lucky you, Kiba was my last student competing," Kakashi, Kiba's sensei, says as he picks Kiba up by the collar.
For the last time the board randomized through the last three names eventually landing on "Neji Hyuga vs. Sabaku no Kankuro! Nara Shikamaru is safe and will immediately move on to the next round."
Besides Shikamaru's sigh of relief the other competitors were indifferent as Neji and Kankuro walked down to the arena floor. Neji stood across from his opponent and spoke confidently, "Forfeit, it is your fate to lose to me today."
Kankuro shook his head as he removed an object wrapped in badges from his back, "Keep telling yourself that as you Karasu shreds you to pieces."
"Hajime!" The proctor shouts.
Kankuro charged attempting to meet Neji in the center of the battle field leaving his package behind but as Neji activates his byakugan he scoffs. Neji goes to meet the charge but when he gets to center he dodges below Kankuro's strike and jabs at the air behind his opponent, and weirdly Kankuro faceplants into the floor. Not even bothering to look at the seemingly unconscious Kankuro and stared directly at the package. Neji charged at the package that creepily began to fidget but before something broke out from the bandages Neji began to poke certain points of the bag and it stopped moving.
Everyone was left confused until Neji layed Kankuro face up and punched his face to reveal Kankuro's puppet Karasu, and unwrapped the object to reveal an unconscious and unoving Kankuro.
Neji walked away and sighed, "I told him it was his fate to lose. He should have just forfeit."
Before Neji walked too far the proctor called out, "Wait here. Neji Hyuga wins by knockout. Winners please come down to the Arena and line up."
Lining up in the order of their matches the winners waited for the next command. Starting with Shino, the second exam proctor asked them to pick a slip from the box as the Hayate began to explain, "The Third Exam will be held in one month but the matchups will be decided today. These slips will choose the matches for the Third Exam. Similar to the preliminaries theory will be one on one matches in tournament style. However, different from normal tournaments, losing a match does not mean you won't be promoted, and winning the tournament does not guarantee it. More than just a test, the Third Exam is a show. The reason for the month break is to allow the invited kages, lords, and Daimyos to arrive and watch the final exam. Your goal in the third exam is to flaunt your abilities to impress the Kages. Winning your matches to progress is simply to have more chances to show off. Now read off the numbers on your paper so we know the matches."
Starting with Shino the winners begin reading off their numbers:
Shino: "Five."
Temari: "Two."
Naruto: "Eight."
Lee: "Six!"
Hinata: "Three."
Gaara: "Seven."
Neji: "Four."
Shikamaru: "One."
Writing down the numbers the proctor shouted, "Well here are the matches:"
Match 1: Nara Shikamaru vs. Sabaku no Temari
Match 2: Hyuga Hinata vs. Hyuga Neji
Match 3: Shino Aburame vs. Rock Lee
Match 4: Sabaku no Gaara vs. Uzumaki Naruto
The Hokage stood up and said "You are all free to leave. You have thirty days to prepare before the finals on the 1st of next month. Good Luck!" Then the proctors, and the Hokage sunshine away.
Kurenai gathered her team and asked, "You all have one month to train. What do you plan to do?"
"I will be training with my family so your assistance will not be required," Shino stated.
Naruto jumped in next, "I'm going to be working on my fuinjutsu so I don't need any help myself."
Kurenai nodded in understanding, "And you Hinata?"
Hinata looked to the floor in disappointment, "My clan would rather train Neji than me."
But then Hinata brightened up, "So I'm in your care sensei!"
Smiling Kurenai said, "You got it, now why don't we get out of here to celebrate the whole team passing."
Naruto jumped in celebration, "Yeah! Besides, I owe my hime some cinnamon buns."
Developing starts in her eyes she grabs Naruto by the hand and began dragging him towards the nearest bakery, leaving the rest of the team in a cloud of dust and a laughing Kurenai.
To be Continued...
I will post every one to two weeks. Thank you for reading.
