"Naruto," Kakashi called out.
"Hm?" Kakashi approached his student.
"Did you need something, sensei?" Naruto asked.
"Well...," Kakashi looked at where Naruto was looking. "Are you nervous?"
"No. On the contrary, I'm confident. I'm thinking about my strategy," Naruto replied.
"I see. That's good," Kakashi smiled. "My advice is to use your agility against him."
"I've already thought about the fight with him," Naruto answered. "I'm thinking about something else."
"What do you mean...?" Kakashi didn't quite understand his student.
"There are only ten of us left, right?"
"Yes."
"So, only five will advance further. And that means one of the fights will be like a pass, right? That's what the Hokage decided?"
"Yes, but there could also be a tie in one of the matches, and then..."
"I understand everything," Naruto interrupted. "But... I will fight twice tomorrow."
"Where did you get that idea?" Kakashi became very interested.
"A premonition. A very strong one," Naruto glanced at the arena one last time and turned around to leave.
"Have you already mastered the Rasengan?" Kakashi asked.
"Yesterday. And it turned out to be slightly stronger than Jiraiya's Rasengan," Naruto continued walking.
"You're growing before my eyes, Naruto..." Kakashi smiled after his student as he left.
The feeling that he would be fighting Deidara tomorrow didn't leave him. He knew it would happen, and no other way, exactly like that. However, he didn't know how he would fight against him. If there were some ideas against Akatsuchi, there were none against Deidara. He was a mystery to Naruto, and he didn't know what to expect. Taijutsu, genjutsu, Earth Style, Wind Style... Naruto didn't know. He couldn't come up with anything. He was going in blindly, without any information whatsoever. He decided to stop thinking about Deidara, or else he would think too much and lose against Akatsuchi. Suddenly, fragments from his dreams started appearing before his eyes: the Nine-Tails, a large ball flying towards him. Naruto grabbed his head. "I need to go home."
Rrrrrraaah! A sphere. Shot. Strange kunai. Symbols. Seals. Funnel. A red dot inside the funnel.
Naruto opened his eyes.
"These strange visions again," he thought.
He turned his head to the left and saw that it was 9:00 on the clock. There was one hour left until the final stage. One more hour, and the strongest would face each other in one-on-one battles to prove who was stronger. Naruto quickly gathered himself and headed to the arena. The whole village of Konoha was decorated like a festival. During these few days of the final matches, shinobi from all corners of the world would gather in Konoha to witness the Chunin Exam finals. Naruto walked among the crowd, moving towards the arena.
"It's time to get ready."
Naruto and the other participants of the finals, along with the examiners, stood in a row. The arena was filled with people. Ordinary citizens, prominent figures, everyone had gathered to watch the fights. On a large balcony, Hokage Sarutobi, Tsuchikage Onoki, and Raikage A were seated. Hokage stood up from his seat... Everyone fell silent...
"Dear citizens of Konoha, esteemed guests! I am glad to see all of you here! Today, tomorrow, and the day after, for us, for you, and for their own purposes, these genin will fight. They have gone through trials, from simple exams to survival. They are the strongest of the strong. The best of the best. There is no one like them. And now, they will battle each other to determine who is the strongest and who is worthy of the title of Chunin! May the strongest prevail!" The arena erupted in applause.
Naruto scanned the entire arena and looked at his opponents.
"Naruto Uzumaki and Akatsuchi, please stay here. The rest of you, proceed to the balcony," Genma announced.
The opponents remained and faced each other. The spectators fell silent.
"Are you ready?!" Genma asked.
"Yes!" Naruto replied.
"Hmph," Akatsuchi responded.
"Alright, then let's begin!"
Naruto instantly lunged at Akatsuchi with a kick, which the stout ninja successfully blocked with his hand. Naruto bounced back.
"His reflexes and speed are decent," Naruto noted.
Naruto rushed towards Akatsuchi again. A right punch, blocked. A low knee strike, blocked. A left leg kick, blocked. Naruto retreated.
"This won't work..." Naruto said, crossing his fingers. "Shadow Clone Jutsu." Two clones appeared beside Naruto.
All three of them charged at Akatsuchi. The first clone aimed a right punch, blocked. At the same moment, the second clone struck with a left punch, which Akatsuchi blocked with his second hand, leaving himself vulnerable. In that same second, Naruto delivered a kick to the chin with great force, sending Akatsuchi flying several meters away. The clones dissipated.
"This seems too easy... There must be a catch," Naruto thought. "Mmmmmmmmm... Ahhhhhhhhh..." Akatsuchi began to rise.
"I'll... give you... a taste..." He stood up and began forming hand seals, then said, "Earth Style: Stone Golem." He opened his mouth, and earth erupted from it, shaping into a stone figure the size of Naruto.
"This is bad!" Naruto realized.
He reached into his pouch and pulled out explosive tags attached to kunai. He threw them at the golem. An explosion rang out. Dust and earth rose up. "Is that it?" But suddenly, the golem burst out of the cloud of dust, attempting to attack Naruto from above, but Naruto managed to dodge to the side.
"Not bad..." a voice was heard from behind.
"Damn, I lost sight of him." Naruto was hit from behind by Akatsuchi.
He flew across the arena. But as soon as he got up, he was struck in the stomach by the golem, sending Naruto even further, crashing into the arena wall.
"Gah...!" He spat out blood. "A few more hits and it's over for me. Is he really this strong... Kakashi-sensei, what would you do?"
Flashback
Naruto fell to the ground once again from Kakashi's strike. "How many times do I have to tell you?" Kakashi extended his hand to Naruto.
"Pfft..." Naruto scoffed, but still accepted the help.
"Don't hold back... It leads to failure."
"Not always," Naruto retorted.
"In your case, it does. You're not that strong. You always try to hide your cards. That's commendable, but your problem is that you don't know how to use them. You either use them at the end when you're already sure to lose or you don't use them at all. You try to force the opponent to reveal all their techniques, but that can't be done with just taijutsu. Understand that. Your maximum is clones. You don't want to go further. Understand that you won't win like this. Remember one thing, if the opponent offers something new, you should offer something as well. Don't wait for the last moment when everything is decided," Kakashi lectured.
"I'll try to keep that in mind someday."
END Flashback
"It seems the time has come. Earth... So I'll have to use lightning. I'll have to use that technique..."
Flashback
Another explosion echoed through the training ground. Naruto fell to his knees. Kakashi stood near a tree, shaking his head disapprovingly.
"This isn't for you," he approached Naruto. "Chidori is not what you need. It's better to stop before you lose your hand," he said, looking at Naruto's hand, which was covered in wounds and burns.
"But there must be some alternative. I can't just give up on it," Naruto spoke through the pain.
"You'll simply leave it for later," Kakashi replied.
"I can't..." Naruto insisted. "I must..."
"Instead, let's try to teach you another technique of this nature, but if that doesn't work either, then we'll have to give it up."
END Flashback
This... also exploded, but the control was more successful than with Chidori. Naruto got up. The golem was approaching. Naruto reached into his pouch and pulled out five kunai. He waited until the golem got closer and scattered them around, forming a pentagon. The golem had already reached Naruto and grabbed him by the neck, choking him. Naruto began to form hand seals.
"Element of Lightning: Electric Star." The kunai sparked with lightning, and the golem followed suit.
The lightning did its job. The golem turned into a pile of earth.
"Well," Naruto glanced at Akatsuchi and then crossed his fingers, summoning four clones beside him. "Your turn."
They all rushed forward. Akatsuchi quickly started forming hand seals, then placed his hands on the ground.
"Element of Earth: Stone..." but he was interrupted by a kick to the face, sending him upright.
This was followed by another punch to the face, lifting him into the air. Then another and another, until Akatsuchi reached the height Naruto needed, and then a downward strike. Like a meteor, Akatsuchi began to fall, and when he was almost close to the ground, another strike drove him into the earth like a nail. Naruto jumped aside, and the clones disappeared. Akatsuchi lay motionless. Genma approached him.
"He's unconscious," he announced. "The winner is Naruto Uzumaki!" Naruto let out a relieved exhale. "The next pair: Kurotsuchi versus Karui."
The opponents jumped down and stood facing each other. Meanwhile, medics rushed to the arena and took Akatsuchi away. One of them tried to help Naruto, but he waved them off, stating that he would make his way to the infirmary on his own. With a slight limp, he followed the medics.
"Good luck," he wished Kurotsuchi as he passed by.
She remained silent.
"Are you ready?" Genma asked as soon as the medics and Naruto left the arena.
Both kunoichi nodded in response. "Then let's begin! Start!"
"Don't move, and this will be quick!" Karui shouted, drawing her sword and charging at her opponent.
"I was going to say the same!" Kurotsuchi replied, blocking the kunai strike.
Karui recoiled. Now it was Kurotsuchi's turn to attack. She threw two shurikens, but the Cloud kunoichi easily deflected them. Then came a kunai strike, but it was blocked by a sword. Kurotsuchi attempted a kick at Karui, but she dodged to the side.
"I'm tired of these childish games!" Kurotsuchi said, throwing a kunai to the side. "Element of Earth: Stone Bullets."
She began spitting out bullets from her mouth. At first, the Cloud kunoichi managed to dodge them effortlessly, but then the bullets started hitting their mark one after another. Head, stomach, chest. And so it went on until Karui fell to the ground.
"Do you surrender?"
"Never!" Karui raised herself up and tightly gripped her sword, which began to crackle with lightning.
"Your end is near." Karui charged forward.
"Element of Earth: Stone Wall," a small wall rose in front of Karui, blocking her path.
"Do you think this will stop me?!" the Cloud kunoichi shouted, leaping up.
"Element of Earth: Earth Dome," the earth rose above Kurotsuchi, forming a protective dome around her.
"Do you think that will save you?!" Karui yelled, descending from the wall.
She plunged her sword into the dome, causing it to shatter, and then without hesitation struck directly at Kurotsuchi, who had hidden beneath it.
"Well, what do you think of this game?" A smile appeared on Kurotsuchi's face as she turned into a pile of mud.
"What? A clone?" Karui was surprised. "When did she...?"
Strange sounds were heard beneath the ground, and then two hands emerged, grabbing Karui by the legs and pulling her down under the earth, leaving only her head outside. And then Kurotsuchi herself leaped out from under the ground a few meters away.
"That turned out to be rather boring, to be honest."
"I'll get you now!" Karui tried to free herself, but her attempts were in vain.
"Well..." Genma approached Karui. "I don't think you can continue the fight anymore..."
"I can!" Karui screamed, struggling to break free, but her efforts were futile.
"The winner is Kurotsuchi!" Genma announced without hesitation.
Kurotsuchi walked to the balcony with a satisfied smirk. Meanwhile, several Konoha shinobi helped Karui to her feet. Once the outsiders left the arena, the next participants of the battle stepped forward: Yugito Nii and Samui.
"Are you ready?" Genma asked. "Yes!" both Cloud kunoichi responded in unison.
"Good. Begin!" Samui unsheathed her sword while Yugito clenched her fists, assuming a fighting stance.
"May the strongest win."
"We both know it will be you," Samui replied.
The kunoichi charged at each other. Samui displayed decent swordsmanship, but Yugito's speed allowed her to effortlessly dodge the attacks. After many attempts, Samui stepped back. Yugito did the same.
"Well..." Samui tightened her grip on the sword, and chakra began to flow through it, causing lightning sparks.
"So that's how it is..." Claws formed from chakra grew on Yugito's fingers.
They once again lunged at each other, but this time neither dodged. They moved quickly, traversing the entire arena. Sparks were flying everywhere. It was impossible to keep up with them. However, they couldn't maintain such a frantic pace for long. Finally, after catching their breath, they stopped. They needed a minute to rest. They stood facing each other, breathing heavily. And then, in an instant, they charged at each other again. The sound of clashing metal and sparks filled the air, and they stopped back-to-back. A second later, Samui's blade broke, leaving only the hilt.
"Well..." Samui threw the hilt aside. "Examiner, I surrender."
"Even so," Genma muttered to himself. "The winner is Yugito Nii!"
"You could have done so much more. Why did you surrender?" Yugito asked.
"Either way, you would have won." A smile appeared on Yugito's face.
They both left the battlefield.
"Next battle..." Genma couldn't finish his sentence as he was interrupted by Omoi.
"I surrender," the Cloud shinobi said.
"Darui wins!" The sound of whistling came from the stands. "The next opponents: Deidara vs Shi." The adversaries immediately found themselves near Genma. "Are you ready?" Shiranui asked, receiving a nod from the genin. "Begin!"
The opponents leaped away from each other. Deidara immediately lowered his hands into his pouches.
"Watch closely, so you don't miss the moment!" Deidara shouted as small birds flew out from his hands, heading towards Shi.
Shi started retreating, evading them and trying to keep his distance. However, his back hit the wall, and Deidara's creations approached him closely and exploded. Dark smoke rose, and from it emerged a rather battered Shi. Deidara grinned with satisfaction.
"Hold on a moment!" Shi formed hand seals, and a bright glow surrounded him.
"Aaargh!" Deidara fell to the ground and closed his eyes. "Take this! Kaatsu!" For a brief moment, Shi heard a hissing sound behind him, and then an explosion that nearly sent him across the entire arena.
He landed unconscious.
"Is that all?" Deidara got up. "These are just a bunch of weaklings. Pffft."
"The winner is Deidara!" Genma announced. "I ask all the winners to come down."
Naruto, Yugito Nii, Kurotsuchi, and Darui descended, standing near Deidara. Meanwhile, the Hokage ascended to the balcony, ready to give a speech.
"I congratulate these five participants on their victory. Thanks to their efforts and strength, you advance to the next round. However, unfortunately, since there are five of you, and only four can proceed to the next round, tonight we will have a playoff match between two participants. They will be selected by drawing lots. You may argue that it's not in line with the rules to let a draw decide who advances and who must prove themselves again. But we live in a world where fairness is not always guaranteed, and not everything will always follow the rules. Therefore, pay attention to the monitor."
One wall panel on the opposite side of the Hokage began to slide away, revealing a black monitor. When it fully came into view, the names of the five participants rapidly changed on the screen. Suddenly, they stopped, depicting a pair of opponents.
"Deidara vs Naruto Uzumaki!" the Hokage announced. "Tonight at 8 p.m., these two will face each other once again before proceeding to the semifinals."
An hour later. Konoha Hospital
Naruto sat on a hospital bed after his examination. Today, he had another battle ahead to proceed further. The doors opened, and Kakashi entered the room. He silently approached the window and gazed into the distance.
"I'm sometimes amazed," Kakashi said after a minute. "You can predict the future at times."
"It happens that the whims of fate can be easily guessed," Naruto replied. "But it's not always easy to resist them."
"What will you do?" Kakashi's surprised by the answer.
"I don't know," Naruto's response astonished Kakashi. "It's unlike you. You always had a plan."
"Kakashi-sensei, I've simply never been in such extreme situations before..."
"These are combat conditions. It's war. You don't know your opponent, just as they don't know you. You both only have general information about each other. So use that. Do something you've never done before," Kakashi-sensei patted Naruto's shoulder. "I know what you're capable of," and then he left.
Naruto immersed himself in his thoughts. He knew he had little time. He tried to come up with a strategy but realized it would be useless if something went wrong. He looked at his hand and clenched it.
"Only one strike is needed."
Akatsuchi's Ward
The door to the room opened. "How is he?" Deidara asked upon entering.
"He's fine. The doctors said he'll recover soon," Kurotsuchi replied, sitting next to Akatsuchi.
"I'll crush him to dust; he'll pay for what he did..." Deidara's voice trailed off.
"Deidara!" Kurotsuchi shouted. "This is a fight for the Chunin title, so don't turn it into a personal vendetta."
"This is my battle. I'll do as I please. And he must pay."
"Deidara, you..." Kurotsuchi started but was interrupted.
"What? Why do you defend that brat?" Deidara snapped.
"I'm not defending him!" Kurotsuchi stood up. "Hey, both of you, calm down!" The door opened, and Kitsuchi, their team leader, entered the room.
"Father?" Kurotsuchi sat back, while Deidara simply snorted.
"You're in a hospital, damn it! And not even in your own village! Behave accordingly!" the Jonin explained.
"Yes, of course!" Deidara said finally and left. Kurotsuchi just shook her head.
"How is he?" he asked, looking at Akatsuchi.
"He'll recover soon," Kurotsuchi answered.
"Good," he walked over and sat on the nearby empty bed. "You must make it to the final..." he spoke after a minute.
"Um..." she hesitated. "There are strong opponents this year. Especially the one from Konoha."
"Naruto!" she clarified.
"Do you know him?" she asked.
"He helped us a bit..." she admitted with some embarrassment. "But why do you think he's strong?"
"If he defeats Deidara today, then I'll be proven right," he replied.
"Don't you believe in Deidara?" Kurotsuchi asked in surprise.
"I'll just say that he lacks composure, unlike that kid."
"And just because of that, you...?"
"No!" he interrupted his daughter. "An experienced shinobi can evaluate an opponent with just a glance and understand how strong they are."
"I see... Well, okay," she conceded. "We should take a walk around the village."
The Training Ground
"All three lost,
Raikage expressed his dissatisfaction."
"Apologies, Killer Bee-san," Samui, Karui, and Omoi said in unison, bowing their heads.
"No worries, it's fine.
My brother gave me a good 'lecture'," Bee scratched his head.
"Why did you give up? Huh?" Karui asked Omoi, smacking him in the process.
"It hurt," the blond replied, scratching the back of his head. "I would have lost anyway. Why bother fighting?"
"You should have defended the honor of our team!" Karui shouted and was about to attack her teammate, but Samui intervened, blocking her way.
"It won't change anything now," Samui tried to calm her friend.
"Calm down, guys.
No need to go crazy.
Let's go to a café.
We'll sit, eat, and then head back to the arena. Yo," Bee suggested.
"Yeeeeeaaaaah!" the team exclaimed.
Meanwhile, Meeting Room. Hokage's Residence
"This year, there are indeed many strong shinobi," Tsuchikage remarked.
"I never thought I'd say this, but you're right," Raikage agreed.
"The only thing that bothers me is the fact that Konoha has only one participant. So why is that?" Onoki wondered.
"Well," these words brought a smile to the Hokage's face. "Many Jonin decided that their teams weren't ready. I would say that numerous genin simply refused to participate. The reason is unknown to me. But I want to point out that now everything is measured in quality, not quantity."
"So you mean..." Ei spoke with a hint of annoyance.
"I mean that out of all the participating shinobi from Konoha, only Naruto managed to pass. In the Cloud, they have two teams. In the Stone, just one. It shows the worth of the village," the Hokage tried to divert the argument. These words brought a smile to Raikage's face. "By the way, while we have time, let me show you around Konoha," Sarutobi suggested, glancing at the clock.
"Well, I agree," Onoki consented.
"Then I won't refuse such an honor either," Ei accepted the Hokage's offer.
Several hours later. The Arena
Evening fell outside, but it didn't stop the arena from being completely packed. The floodlights were turned on. The opponents, Deidara and Naruto, were already standing on the battlefield. Kurouzuhi, Nii, and Darui watched the fight from the balcony, awaiting their turn. The stands never ceased their excitement. The rivals waited for the examiner to give the signal. And in turn, Genma awaited the signal from the Hokage.
"I will put an end to you now," the Stone shinobi threatened.
Naruto simply smiled, which infuriated Deidara. Then came the command from the Hokage.
"Begin," Genma commanded.
Naruto swiftly pulled out two kunai and dashed toward Deidara. Naruto's movements were precise and fast. But Deidara matched him in speed, his reflexes on point. He waited for the right moment, and when Naruto made another swing to attack, Deidara somersaulted backward, releasing his pre-prepared clay bird. Naruto reacted instantly and threw his kunai at it, which flew past Deidara and stuck into the wall. The Stone Genin turned around to look at his unexploded creation, as lightning bolts crackled around the kunai.
"So, it's lightning, huh? Well, alright," Deidara reached into his pouches. "Now you'll soar into the heavens," he extended his arms from the pouches and unleashed numerous clay spiders toward Naruto.
Without hesitation, Naruto pulled out a smoke bomb and threw it. A smokescreen rose, but the spiders charged straight into it.
"Katsu!" Deidara exclaimed, but nothing happened.
After a second, all his creations burst out of the smoke, impaled with senbon needles crackling with lightning. Then Naruto himself emerged from the smoke, holding a kunai in his hand, attempting to strike the explosive artist, but Deidara released another bird that exploded on command. However, white smoke appeared, and two more Narutos dashed out of it. At this point, Deidara engaged in close combat. He grabbed the arm of one of the clones and pulled it towards him, causing Naruto to strike himself. One clone vanished, and the other, bewildered, was knocked off his feet and also turned into smoke. The long-haired blond noticed a shadow and moved aside. Naruto tried to attack from above but failed.
"Katsu!"
"What?" Naruto looked down, but it was too late.
A small explosion sent Uzumaki flying to the other end of the arena.
"Are you giving up?" Deidara asked.
The answer came as the genius of the Academy stood up again on his own feet, breathing heavily.
"Then I'll finish it all now with one technique," the explosive artist put his hands into his pouches. "I've almost run out of chakra. I've exhausted myself enough for today. Only one strike remains," Naruto pondered.
At that moment, the blond from the Stone straightened his arms, and clay began flowing out of his palms, gradually taking the shape of a person. Eventually, it turned into an exact copy of Deidara, but completely white.
"Witness my creation and remember it!" Deidara shouted, still breathing heavily.
"You're already at your limit," Naruto remarked.
"This will be enough to defeat you."
The white clone lunged at Naruto, and Naruto at the clone, grabbing the last kunai along the way and infusing them with lightning. Just a meter before the collision, all the kunai struck the clay clone, paralyzing it, while Naruto, with his blue eyes, jumped over and dashed towards his opponent, forming a Rasengan in his hand.
"What's this...?" Deidara barely managed to ask before the clone appeared in front of him, shielding him.
"How...?" Naruto could only ask before driving the Rasengan into the clone.
The clone immediately twisted in different directions, trying to escape Naruto's technique, but it didn't let Naruto go any further and then exploded. A powerful explosion resounded, and Naruto and Deidara were thrown to opposite ends of the arena. Their techniques created a crater in the middle of the arena. Dust and smoke rose, obscuring visibility. The stands fell silent. Not a sound could be heard. When everything cleared, everyone saw the rivals approaching each other. They were both battered, clothes torn, and covered in blood. They walked. They no longer had strength or chakra. They met in the center of the crater and simply grabbed each other by the shoulders.
"I was wrong. You're a worthy opponent," the blond from the Stone admitted.
"Maybe another fight, but... perhaps another time," Naruto smiled.
"Agreed, but today you won," Deidara said, and then he fell, while Naruto continued to stand.
"The winner is Naruto Uzumaki!"
Konoha Hospital. The next morning.
Naruto stared at the ceiling of the hospital room where he lay. His right arm, shoulder, and the entire right side of his body, except for his legs and head, were wrapped in bandages. His right arm was always bandaged due to the Chidori injury. He had taken quite a beating. Today was supposed to be the semifinal fight. Naruto knew that no matter who he faced, he had very little chance. He pondered each of his potential opponents.
Kurotsuchi was one of the people Naruto had helped during the second exam. From what Naruto had seen, she had decent control over Earth Release techniques. Plus, her battle with Karui hadn't been too exhausting for her. Additionally, she might have a few tricks up her sleeve.
Yugito Nii was from the Cloud, so she should have a couple of Lightning Release techniques in her arsenal. She hadn't exerted much effort in her fight either. Naruto only knew about her chakra claws and nothing more.
And Darui. Naruto knew nothing about him, and had no idea about his fighting style or what techniques he possessed. He hadn't fought in the exams, so Naruto was completely in the dark about him.
What united them all was that they hadn't given their all in the previous battles, which meant their condition was pretty good, unlike Naruto's, and they might have had a bunch of hidden tricks. Evaluating all of this, Naruto understood that the easiest fight would be against Kurotsuchi, and he definitely didn't want to encounter anyone from the Cloud.
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.
"May I come in?" Kakashi's head appeared in the room, and upon receiving a nod of approval, he entered. "Here," he placed a package near Naruto. "These are new clothes, the ones you had were quite tattered." Naruto opened the package and took out a black jacket, pants, and a red T-shirt.
"Red?" Naruto was surprised.
"Couldn't find any other color," Kakashi explained.
"The doctors don't recommend you go out today," he broke the silence.
"I understand that myself," the blond sighed. "But I have to."
"So, what have you decided for today?"
"No tactics, I'll just use everything I have," Naruto replied.
"Hmm, that's already a tactic," Kakashi was surprised by Naruto's decision but had no doubt in him.
"I don't even know..." Naruto pondered. "If I win today, I probably won't be able to compete in the finals."
"Is something wrong?" Naruto's words worried Kakashi.
"After two fights, I realized they are not just tough opponents, they are very strong, and I'm starting to doubt myself."
"Pull yourself together. The Hokage is hope for you. Don't let him down. You're representing the village in the semifinals, so you have to show what our village is worth."
"I guess so," Naruto sat on the edge of the bed. "I need to get ready, or I'll be late."
Konoha Arena.
The participants stood in the center of the arena, which had been cleared of the aftermath of the previous day's battles. Their attention was focused on the monitor, which was about to randomly select the semifinal pairings. And then, the names of the opponents appeared on the screen.
"First match: Kurotsuchi versus Yugito Nii. Second match: Naruto versus Darui," announced the Hokage, reading the names from the monitor.
The stands erupted with excitement. Naruto let out a heavy sigh, hoping that he wouldn't face Darui. Surprisingly, the Cloud shinobi remained completely calm, showing no emotions. Kurotsuchi and Yugito Nii, on the other hand, smiled, anticipating the upcoming duel.
"Let the semifinal matches begin!" The stands erupted with thunderous applause as the Hokage's words echoed.
As per the examiner's order, Darui and Naruto proceeded to the balcony of waiting, while Yugito and Kurotsuchi remained in the arena.
"Are you ready to begin?" The kunoichi nodded. "Start."
"Well, I won't hold back with you," Yugito said, and claws grew on her hands.
Kurotsuchi simply grinned and leaped backward, creating distance. Yugito charged straight at her.
"Earth Style: Earth Dome!" Yugito slashed her claws diagonally and then again, shattering the dome, but Kurotsuchi wasn't there.
The blonde kunoichi instantly realized and swiftly jumped up. In the spot where she had stood a moment ago, hands emerged from the ground, followed by Kurotsuchi herself leaping out.
"Well then," Yugito landed nearby. "Get ready." Her claws disappeared, and she started forming hand seals. "Fire Style: Fireball!" But Kurotsuchi didn't panic.
"Earth Style: Great Wall." The fireball collided with the wall, leaving nothing behind.
"How about this?" The blonde was already on the wall. "Fire Style: Fire projectiles."
Many small projectiles resembling mice flew towards Kurotsuchi, but the Stone kunoichi dodged them with consecutive backward somersaults and then swiftly landed on her feet, using her own technique.
"Earth Style: Stone Bullets." She began shooting earth from her mouth.
Yugito was caught off guard and was hit by a few projectiles, causing her to fall off the wall.
"This is the end for you." Kurotsuchi was already descending upon Yugito with a kunai in hand, intending to finish her off. But Nii grew claws on one of her hands, swiftly slashing across Kurotsuchi's chest in a single motion. And then dirt fell on her.
"A clone..." Yugito sensed something amiss and quickly got up, moving aside. Kurotsuchi emerged from the ground. "That trick worked once, but not twice or thrice."
"How about this trick? Lava Style: Melting Lava."
"What?"
Before Yugito could figure out what was happening, her legs were enveloped in lava, freezing them in place.
"It won't burn you, but you won't be able to move."
"We'll see about that."
And cracks started to appear on the solidified lava, while Yugito's legs seemed to be burning in blue flames.
"That's it," the blonde smiled as she escaped the trap.
Yugito began flexing her fists, then lunged at Kurotsuchi. A hand-to-hand combat ensued between the two. The blonde constantly landed blows on the brunette. The Stone kunoichi had to defend herself against Yugito's punches and kicks. But it couldn't last long, and after a slight boost, Yugito delivered a powerful right hook to Kurotsuchi, followed by a left side kick to her ribs. The brunette fell to the ground. Yugito stopped attacking and began waiting for her opponent to get up, drawing two kunai in the process. Finally, Kurotsuchi stood up, and the two kunai flew towards her, but none of them hit her, instead passing by from different directions.
"You missed!" the granddaughter of the Tsuchikage smirked.
"No," Yugito said with a satisfied expression and pulled her hands.
It was only then that Kurotsuchi noticed the strings connecting the kunai to Yugito. The kunai "returned" and tied up the Stone kunoichi.
"That's it," Yugito said as she infused the Lightning chakra.
Kurotsuchi did her best to withstand the lightning strikes, but it couldn't go on forever. Yugito neither increased nor decreased the lightning's charge; she continued tormenting the Stone kunoichi until she lost consciousness and fell. The approaching examiner, making sure that Kurotsuchi was unconscious and couldn't continue the fight, declared,
"The winner and the first finalist: Yugito Nii!"
The medics rushed onto the arena to help Kurotsuchi. Yugito walked to the balcony with a satisfied expression.
"It's time," Naruto said as he jumped off the balcony. Darui, too, decided not to waste any time and followed suit. After a few seconds, they stood next to the examiner.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes," Naruto replied.
"Yes," Darui answered.
"Begin," commanded the examiner.
Darui unsheathed his swords and combined them before charging at Naruto. Swinging his sword from top to bottom with great force, he ended up embedding it in the ground as Naruto moved aside. Naruto decided not to play around and released a large fireball. Darui dodged it and, infusing his sword with lightning, charged at Naruto once again. Naruto waited. Darui swung his sword, but Naruto stood firm without moving. Once again, the sword descended towards Naruto, but he swiftly ducked and performed a sweeping maneuver. The Cloud shinobi failed to land a hit and fell to the ground. Darui quickly got up and rushed to retrieve his sword but was met with several kunai impaled in front of him, blocking his path. Naruto arrived and attempted to strike with a kunai, but the Cloud shinobi blocked the attack and knocked the kunai out of Naruto's hand. Darui grabbed Naruto by the collar, but he turned into a smokescreen.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flowers." Kunai engulfed in flames flew towards Naruto's opponent, who skillfully dodged them but failed to notice the wall left behind by Kurotsuchi.
However, the projectiles ran out at that moment.
"Rasengan!" Darui took a step to the side, and Naruto crashed into the wall with Rasengan, shattering it to pieces but falling to his knees.
Taking advantage of this, the Cloud shinobi leaped aside and quickly began forming hand seals, pointing the middle and index fingers of both hands towards Naruto. Kneeling on the ground, Naruto was struck by lightning.
"AH!" The discharges spread throughout his body, causing excruciating pain, as if he were being crushed from the inside.
After tormenting Naruto for a while, Darui rushed towards his sword.
"No, no way," Naruto gritted his teeth from the pain that still lingered, and he rose to one knee.
He pulled out a scroll from his pouch and unsealed it. In his hands, Naruto held two enormous shuriken which he found the strength to throw at his opponent. Just in the nick of time, Darui realized the shuriken coming from the side but managed to stop and jump back.
"So, you won't let me get close to the sword. Well, then you have enough strength," Darui started accumulating chakra.
Naruto grabbed his shoulder, feeling worried about the pain.
"This is really bad. I can't even move. The pain all over my body won't let me," Naruto hissed. "Lightning Style: Black Lightning," Darui said. "This will be my final technique."
Lightning of an unnatural color, black as night, began to appear around Darui.
"Damn," Naruto barely had time to say before being hit by a full discharge of this technique. "Aahhh!" Naruto screamed in pain as Darui continued directing the lightning.
Naruto writhed in agony, but instead of falling, he rose to his feet. Naruto screamed in excruciating pain, but he stood on his feet, even though he was shaking. He extended his right hand to the side and did something that shocked everyone.
"Ch... Ch... Ri... Riiii!" Naruto shouted.
The Black Lightning suddenly started flowing along his right arm and began to take on its natural color in his palm. The discharge in his palm was unstable, but Naruto managed to hold it there, even though the lightning was dispersing in all directions, striking anything it touched.
"What is this?" Darui couldn't contain his surprise, nor could the three Kage and Kakashi.
The technique was so dangerous that the ANBU raised barriers around the arena to protect the spectators. Meanwhile, one of the lightning strikes hit Darui, causing him to fall to his knees. He watched as Naruto slowly approached with the discharge still in his hand, realizing that there was nothing he could do. And then another lightning strike hit him. Now he was completely paralyzed. Naruto continued to approach, but then three ANBU members descended upon him, knocking him off his feet. All of this caused Naruto to lose complete control, and the lightning surged freely into the sky.
"Calm down, you won. You've won," Genma said, looking at the paralyzed Darui.
Naruto lay in the hospital room, not for the first time recently. Kakashi sat beside his bed. He was still amazed by what he had witnessed with the Chidori. He had come to the conclusion that Naruto couldn't create or maintain lightning on his own, only with the help of an external stimulant. Additionally, there was another problem: would Naruto be able to participate in the final? According to the doctors, he was severely injured. Torn ligaments and chakra channels. With these problems, the doctors said he couldn't take part in the final match. Kakashi pondered.
"Mmmmm?" Naruto murmured.
"Naruto?"
"Sensei, is that you? Where am I?" Naruto was still a bit confused.
"You're in the hospital..." Kakashi replied.
"Th...the fights..." Naruto tried to get up, but Kakashi stopped him.
"Stay still, you need rest..."
"How long have I been sleeping?" Naruto asked again.
"Two days..." Naruto attempted to get up once more.
"Stay lying down. Yugito asked the Raikage to request a postponement of the match for a few days so that you can recover." Naruto calmed down and continued to lie down, thinking about something.
"And when was the match rescheduled for?"
"Tomorrow." Naruto tried to rise again, but this time he was stopped by the pain, and he collapsed back.
"Your participation is uncertain. The doctor will give the final verdict in the evening," Kakashi explained. Naruto accepted this calmly.
"Here, take this," Kakashi placed a package on the nightstand next to the bed. "There are various things in there. Take care." Then he left.
Later that evening. Naruto's room.
The doctor examined Naruto, while Kakashi and the Hokage waited for the results. The doctor ran his hand, glowing with green chakra, over Naruto's body. When he finished, he shook his head disapprovingly.
"He's not ready," the doctor stated.
"What? Why?" Naruto asked.
"The same injuries. They don't heal that quickly, so..." he turned his head towards the Hokage, "I would advise against allowing him to participate in the final match. He can try to go out, but I won't speak of the consequences. He simply won't withstand the pace of the battle. It's too dangerous." The doctor stood up and headed towards the exit. "With your permission, Hokage-sama."
The doctor left, leaving the three of them in the room, lost in thought.
"Hokage-sama, allow me to participate," Naruto stood up and stood before the Hokage. "I can do it."
"I can't risk your life. You have already proven that you are a worthy shinobi," the Hokage replied.
"I have to complete the whole journey. Allow me," Naruto kneeled down.
"I..." The Hokage was at a loss for words.
"Hokage-sama, I will take care of him and assess his condition. If we don't show up tomorrow, I think you will understand," Kakashi intervened.
"Alright. I'm hoping for you, Kakashi," Hiruzen disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"And... what did you come up with?"
"We'll test your condition."
Arena
Fifteen minutes had passed since the time the match was supposed to begin. The Hokage had already delivered a long speech. Everyone was waiting, but many were dissatisfied. The Hokage had already asked the examiner twice to continue waiting. There were only five minutes left, and Naruto would be disqualified for not showing up. Yugito was also eagerly anticipating the fight and wanted to take on the one who had defeated her teammate. Time was up.
"Well then," Genma prepared to announce Nii's victory when suddenly a gust of wind blew, lifting the leaves upwards, and Kakashi and Naruto appeared in the middle of the arena.
"Did we make it?" Kakashi awkwardly asked.
"Just in time," replied Genma.
"Was it really necessary?" Naruto asked Kakashi.
But Kakashi didn't answer, he simply disappeared in a puff of smoke, to which Naruto clicked his tongue.
"Everyone is here, we can begin. Are you ready?" Genma asked.
"Yes," Naruto and Nii responded in unison.
"Start!"
Yugito quickly grew her claws, and Naruto drew out his kunai. They ran towards each other. Naruto blocked Nii's strikes with his kunai. She attempted again, but Naruto skillfully blocked her attacks. Then the kunoichi increased her intensity a bit. Naruto had to move faster. He started feeling pain in his muscles. At that moment, Yugito managed to break Naruto's kunai with her claws. Naruto quickly leaped back.
"Wind Style: Air Bullet!" the blond shouted, blowing out a huge stream of air. Not expecting such a turn of events, Nii was blown away by the stream and sent flying into the wall behind her. A huge hole with numerous cracks formed at the point of impact. Naruto felt pain throughout his body from this technique, causing him to stagger.
"Not bad," Nii praised, emerging from the wreckage.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball."
Another fireball flew towards Naruto. The two collided, creating a massive column of fire that dissipated in all directions. Naruto had used two techniques but was already feeling the pain. Meanwhile, Nii remained standing. Then projectiles in the form of mice flew toward Naruto. He simply lunged toward them, creating three clones along the way. One clone sent the original flying into the sky, while another flew towards Nii. Two clones were hit by the projectiles and destroyed. The clone that flew straight at Nii knocked her off her feet, and the original from above threw five kunai down. At the same time, Nii destroyed the clone, but then the original landed on top of her with a satisfied smile.
"What? You like being on top?" Nii asked.
"No... You just fell for it," Naruto replied.
"What?" Yugito looked around and saw kunai embedded in the ground around her. "Lightning Style: Electric Star."
Naruto waited a while for as many lightning bolts as possible to pass through her body, and then he moved aside, leaving Yugito lying there.
"Ahh," Naruto fell to his knees in pain. "Give me a little more," he said to himself.
"Not bad, and I didn't even notice. You're good," Nii commented, lying down and looking at the clouds. "I think that's enough from you."
Nii quickly got up and pounced on Naruto with her claws. Naruto tried to get up and escape, but he realized his body wouldn't respond, and the first strike hit his head, knocking him upright, followed by two crisscrossed strikes. Naruto fell and didn't get up, while Yugito just looked down at him. Naruto's gaze fell on the kunai that was still lodged nearby.
"Come on, get up!" Nii shouted. Naruto began to rise. There were many wounds on his chest, bleeding profusely. His body was in excruciating pain. Blood flowed from his mouth. Nevertheless, he managed to stand up, though he was severely unsteady.
"Now I'll crush you, even if it costs me my life."
These words immediately wiped the satisfied smile from Nii's face. She focused, understanding the seriousness of Naruto's words.
"Shadow Clones."
Five clones rushed towards Yugito, but they didn't try to attack her, instead behaving cautiously. Out of the corner of her eye, Nii noticed the kunai and immediately realized where Naruto was leading her, deciding to play along a little. She retreated further and further back. And then, there was only one step to the right. One clone threw shuriken engulfed in flames, leaving Nii with only one way out, straight into the trap. But with her speed and agility, she moved in the opposite direction, where she was immediately blown away by a gust of wind and sent into the wall again.
"Damn it! You bastard! You planned all of this!" Yugito struggled to free herself from the rubble.
As soon as she emerged from the hole, she wanted to attack Naruto, but...
"Rasengan!" she only heard Naruto's shout as he hit her with the technique and sent her back into the wall.
Naruto jumped back. The clones disappeared. And Naruto collapsed to his knees, then propped himself up with his hands.
"Kah!" he spat blood. "Damn, it!" his vision began to darken.
"Impressive!" Nii remarked as she emerged from the wreckage.
These words shocked Naruto. She was still alive. Naruto looked at her. There was nothing left at the point of impact, only torn clothing. And her legs were engulfed in blue flames.
"How...?" There was no answer.
Nii instantly teleported to Naruto and began to beat him with every possible means, with kicks and punches. Naruto didn't understand what was happening to him. His body was tossed around the arena from Nii's blows and her speed. Finally, she finished the beating. Naruto collapsed to the ground. His entire body was covered in bruises. Possibly a few broken ribs and bones throughout his body. His body started to weaken. His vision blurred.
"This is the end..." he lost consciousness. "And that's it? Examiner, I think I've won," she headed towards the exit.
"Once again, I'm on the Hokage Mountain. Once again, the Nine-Tails. It's roaring!" - Rrraaa!
Naruto opened his eyes. Suddenly, he felt a surge of power. He started to rise.
"What?" Nii turned around.
Naruto formed hand seals.
"Aaaaa!" Naruto began to scream, and the air around him started to rise, transforming into orange chakra, which he then unleashed in all directions.
The orange chakra shot up into the sky like a pillar. Then it disappeared but continued to "burn" around Naruto. His wounds began to heal before everyone's eyes.
"Tabi!" someone exclaimed Nii's name in horror.
But it was too late. In an instant, Naruto struck Nii with a powerful blow, sending her flying into the wall.
"Kah! Tabi, give me chakra," Nii's arms and legs ignited with blue flames, and a tail grew from behind her.
She lunged at Naruto, and he did the same. But Naruto was faster and stronger. Yugito could only defend against Naruto's attacks. She had little to counter him with. While she managed to block some of his strikes, she eventually let one through, and then another ten came at her like a machine gun. And more. And more. It was twice as many strikes, twice as powerful as what she had inflicted on Naruto before. If until now Naruto's strikes had pushed Nii back step by step, now he began to knock her upward. After a few more strikes, she was above the arena, with Naruto next to her. He grabbed her, and they began to fall together. Just before hitting the ground, Naruto extended his knee, and with all his strength, Nii fell onto it. Uzumaki threw her off and stepped back to the other end of the arena. The orange chakra still surrounded him. Naruto spread his arms to the sides. Lightning started to flicker in his right hand, while chakra gathered in his left. Eventually, the Rasengan and Chidori appeared in his hands, but their colors were more violent than usual. He had complete control over the Chidori. And now he was ready to start. The stands fell silent. Even the Kage were anxious about the consequences of this. Nii lay there, horrified, watching.
"T... Ta... T... B... II... Tabi!"
At that moment, Naruto rushed towards Yugito, raising dust and earth around him.
"Aaa!" The dust and earth rose up, obscuring the view of what was happening in the arena.
Even Genma jumped out of there, sensing something intense. Then a cat's roar was heard, the sound of a powerful impact, and for a moment, a huge blue tail emerged from the smoke before disappearing. A lightning bolt shot into the sky. Everything fell silent. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the dust to settle. After five minutes, the view was revealed, and everyone was surprised by what they saw. The battlefield was no longer there, only a massive crater remained. In the center of the crater, on his knees, clutching his left shoulder, was Naruto. And ten meters away from him lay Yugito. Genma descended. Approaching Naruto, he realized that he had lost consciousness and wouldn't be able to continue.
"The winner is Nii Yugito!" Genma announced.
The examiner glanced at Naruto once again and was shocked. He bent down, placing his head on Naruto's chest. There was no heartbeat or breath.
"Get the medics here quickly!"
"Kyuubi!" called the dark silhouette of the Nine-Tails.
"Mmmmmmmmmmm?" the Fox opened one eye.
"We need to talk."
