Chunin Exam Arc: Stadium
The stadium was filled with Iwa-nin, and a few civilians who had the right connections to get in. They were excited and hopeful as over a third of the finalists were their own. Only a few seats were reserved for the accompanying jonin of foreign villages and a section designated to the five kage present.
Hiruzen's attendant stepped aside so Orochimaru could take over his strides. He leaned in and whispered into the Hokage's ear. Hiruzen gave him a sharp glance before entering the row to sit between the Tsuchikage and the Kazekage, all fully robed. He didn't miss the way Orochimaru's lips twitched upward, in what could almost pass as a relaxed state. Orochimaru raised his hands and shrugged his shoulders.
He didn't expect it from his student, but he viewed it as a good thing. There were times Hiruzen saw himself in Orochimaru. It started when he took him on as a student. He was an intuitive, quick learner who could take on what needed to be done. Back then, teaching had been a pleasant respite, as the village needed to be partially rebuilt and new laws needed to be instilled. Hiruzen had taken on his Sensei's grandniece, Tsunade, as well as Jiraiya who have proven himself with time and tenacity. Jiraiya's actions could be fuddling, but it brought him a sense of peace when it wasn't tiresome. How Hiruzen some days wished he could act so freely.
However, he could also see the ways Orochimaru isolated himself. It had become worse with Tsunade's and Jiraiya's departure. He was one of many potential candidates brought up for the position of Kage, but as much as he cared for his student there was one thing he lacked. Something he sincerely wished could be rectified, but held reservations.
Not that it mattered for now. That endeavor would need to be put on hold.
"I heard your son will be fighting," said the Kazekage.
"So it seems." Biwako might scold him for his detachment. Asuma certainly got his personality from her. It's in their best interest. They don't need another incident.
Inoichi leans over to Orochimaru. "What has you in a good mood?" Hizashi was wondering the same.
Orochimaru blinked. "It's an average day."
Inoichi considered his words in disbelief as the Kage's went on a babble. Political politeness with underhanded stabs. "I didn't know attending the chunin exams was a normality for you." It's a lighthearted joke, but Orochimaru didn't take the bait to advance the conversation. Orochimaru's expressions became smaller, more guarded, as he usually is. If Inoichi hadn't witnessed it, he wouldn't have believed it. "Yuina's slated to go against an Iwa-nin in the first round. At least we know who to cheer for. Unfortunately, Noriaki and Mushiro are going to be pit against each other." Inoichi looked the other way to Hizashi. "What do you think that match will be like?"
"I'm unsure. He can flounder a lot. When he isn't paying attention, he's really not paying attention. However, when he's serious, he's good at predicting people's moves. He'd be a good herding dog. He's caught Yori off guard more than she cares to admit. Closed arena put his usual style at disadvantage, though. The last mission I took with them was eight months or so, so who's to say what's changed since then."
"Hm?" Inoichi looked to the wing where the competing genin were waiting. From the angle, he couldn't see most of them, but he'd been able to spot Noriaki as he arrived with the other two. "Then it should be an interesting match."
Inoichi missed Kushina already. She had taken the other genin back with her, but she was the most talkative of the bunch. Something he sorely missed.
At least it gave him a chance to observe a curiosity of his. He watched as Yuina was called down for the first match. Known for her early appointment to genin alongside her brother, but whereas her brother had already been promoted, Yuina hadn't attempted the exam until now. At one point, he concluded it was because they focused on different things. Yuina had visited his mother in her flower shop on several occasions. Something his mother had been all too eager to share, as it involved flora not as commonly requested. His mother loved having an excuse to cultivate them.
However, Shikaku had done his own assessment. The summer of the previous year, he concluded that, in his opinion, she was passable to become chunin. Shikaku considered brining it up for internal consideration when he and Choza convinced him otherwise. If she was ready and wasn't participating it had to be for a reason. Inoichi thought of himself at that age. For all he knew, she could have wanted to enjoy fewer responsibilities for longer. However, Shikaku's observation explained why she had graduated at five.
Inoichi watched as the boy she faced bellowed, bringing a hand to his eye. Yuina threw a kunai and purposely missed. The explosive tag she attached went off. Smoke covered the area,d making it impossible to see, but he could determine that explosion was the size of at least seven times the size of a regular explosive tag. Perhaps more. Had it been modified? No. The smoke cleared to show the crater that now existed on the field. Its greatest impact was where the remnants of that substance had been.
What parts of the boy's body that hadn't been blown up were severely charred. Most fire jutsu wouldn't be able to burn that badly.
Many in the stands who had been speaking stopped, though that didn't stop everyone.
He eyed Orochimaru from the corner of his eye. Was it Orochimaru? Inoichi looked back to the scene. Or was it Yuina?
He didn't know which he would prefer.
Yuina's next was different, yet not any less shocking. Inoichi wanted to ask Orochimaru about the jutsu that seemed to offer some level of intangibility. Whatever it was, it certainly wasn't a beginner's technique. He couldn't ask, though. Certainly not where they were.
Noriaki against Kisame was an interesting match, considering both of them exerted more energy and chakra than the others during their first match. Kisame favoured kenjutsu and taijutsu even though it was evident he had a large charka reserve – even now. He gave in and used a water jutsu to combat Noriaki's fire jutsu. The two attacks met each other and created steam. Inoichi frowned. He could attest to how hot that fire was. That it steamed and didn't extinguish also showed its heat. It certainly made a statement, but it didn't stick out as much as it normally would with so many monsters competing.
As a jonin, he knew he would still win against any of them, but he had seen several things he wouldn't want to face if there wasn't a need.
Kisame created a water clone to pressure Noriaki, leading to his student declaring defeat.
It was a shame, but Inoichi thought it was the right call.
Even though neither were from Iwa, there were people cheering for the match. They wanted to watch good fights, after all.
Yuina and Zabuza were called as the semi-finals were about to commence.
Noriaki may have been out, but Inoichi wasn't about to look away.
Yuina raised her hand to her mouth. No. Did she consume something?
Inoichi was considered the best sensor of his clan. He could feel her chakra flicker. It was a surprise, but he wasn't even going to ask how she had one of those pills. He wondered again if it was her or Orochimaru. Neither answer would surprise him at this point.
"No hard feelings if I slaughter you," said Zabuza with a grin.
Inoichi had heard from Hizashi's student that Yuina had been talking to nin from other villages. He learned she was a sponge for knowledge on the trip over, so he considered it reconnaissance. It was more impressive that she could get information out of them by approaching directly. However, it was uncanny how Zabuza grinned with a crazed manic joy.
It was even weirder for Yuina to grin back. There was no longer a need to be friendly when she, presumably, got all the information she could out of him. "Unfortunately, ghosts can't slaughter anyone."
Their grins grew a little larger.
Their chatter was friendly at best and shit talk at worse. Even so, both stood on full alert for the proctor to initiate the battle.
Immediately, they reacted.
A bright, blinding light of electricity glowed out from Yuina's hand. It was gone in a flash as a dense fog took over the field again.
It was a good move by Zabuza. It was a jutsu he relied on a lot, but it was effective. It hindered vision, and it was a poor conductor for electricity, so that the stunning jutsu Yuina used against the Suna Girl wouldn't likely be effective if she tried. As someone with a lightning affinity, it put Yuina at a disadvantage.
There were complaints. Inoichi tried to make a mental list of who in the stadium could track the ongoing battle through the fog, while trying to keep up with the battle himself. Not only was it necessary to sense chakra, which not everyone could, but they needed to have at least a little efficiency in tracking individual signatures and density. Even among sensors, he didn't expect most to be able to discern Zabuza's signature mixed with the water creating the fog, but tracking the two denser forms of chakra within was expected of a mediocre sensor even if they couldn't tell them apart.
No, that wasn't quite right. Little bits of Yuina's chakra permeating the air.
Hizashi bypassed any sensory need by activating his Byakugan to follow the fight.
Inoichi frowned as another signature formed. He had heard, of course. Before graduation, she had learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Sakumo had been critiqued by a few people while others praised him. It was dangerous. It was a forbidden technique for a reason. Usually, only some jonin would learn it, and rank alone wasn't enough. He may not have been a father, but he couldn't imagine even imagine trying to get his students to learn something like that. Much too risky.
What interested Inoichi the most was Yuina's ability to maneuver through the fog. Strikes were not quite as precise as they would have been without the hazard, but eerily didn't hold her back. She adjusted quickly. Judging by the distance, he assumed she was using her tanto.
"Is she a sensor?" Hizashi asked.
It took a moment for Orochimaru to answer. "Not by definition."
"She's using chakra to scan the area." Inoichi was highly alert to it. It was in much lower in quantity than molding chakra for a jutsu, but it took up a large enough space that it was impossible to ignore. He could only imagine such application could only be used in close quarters like now, far from the distances he could track, but useful in their own way.
"Chakra is a known interest of hers," said Orochimaru.
It was an odd choice. Chakra molding and jutsu were much more popular when it came to chakra interest. Hizashi's clan had an interest in the chakra pathway system, but that was because it was related to their bloodline. Funijutsu applied some chakra dynamic beyond his understanding to infuse chakra into ink in a dormant state.
The fog began to clear. Whether Zabuza determined he was wasting his chakra or whether he stopped because he was beginning to run low, Inoichi couldn't say.
Yuina allowed her clone to be stabbed as some semblance of vision returned. It was enough of a stall to permit her to lunch forward. Her tanto was ablaze with flames, aimed at Zabuza's head.
Because that's what she needed, he sarcastically told himself.
An action that offered no benefits other than to say it was something else at her disposal.
The strike was a missed death shot, but the tanto cut into his cheek. The flames mildly scorched him.
Zabuza lowered his body and spun, looking to knock Yuina over, but she jumped to dodge and swung downwards. He brought out a kunai to block, but the force sent it flying.
"I forfeit."
Yuina barely redirected her follow-up attack to miss striking him. She seemed unhappy and confused by his actions.
Though, considering her previous matches she may have wanted a clear cut match.
The Yamanaka's prized themselves on their knowledge of the mind, both when it came to their personalized jutsu and psychology. He wondered what her mind was like. Not just hers, but deviants.