Before I knew it, I was on the road again. My month-long window to train for the finals had passed, and it was time to move out. I didn't learn any new techniques – with the notable exception of Telepathy which I perfected to being sealless the final week before we departed – but I felt more confident than I had been upon making it through the second stage of the Exams. Shikaku and my fellow Naras working with me on my fundamentals had made me faster, stronger and quicker to react – all things a good shinobi needed to be.
While Misaki and I were the only two Konoha nin competing in the finals, the fact there were Konoha nin in the finals at all meant Konoha had to bring out all the stops. Every village who boasted nin in the finals was expected to arrive with an entourage that included the leader of the village. While the Hokage was under no stringent obligation to come, and wouldn't face penalties for not being there, it would be seen as rude and a slight to the host village. Given we were all pretending to be buddy buddy, that wouldn't be a good look.
Hiurzen Sarutobi may have lived a life of war, but he seemed to be a man that loved peace. If something as simple as his presence could foster a better future, he would show up.
So, rather than the comparatively small group I'd set out for Iwa with last time, Misaki and I were in the company of almost three dozen ANBU, the Hokage, Misaki's parents who were accompanying us to watch their daughter, Shikaku who had come to 'support a bright youth from his clan' and a host of civilians and off-duty ninja who were traveling with us to be spectators at the finals. Very noticeable was the absence of one Hiroshi Hayashi.
Our jonin sensei hadn't said a word to either of us since we'd arrived back in Konoha. It seemed that he was indeed avoiding us. I couldn't see why he would neglect coming along to the finals of our Chunin Exams attitude was starting to piss me off if I was being honest. Kenji's death hurt us all, not just him, and here he was acting like a child instead of the adult and mentor he should have been. His students, two actual children, were more mature than he was. It got on my nerves, but I put it out of my mind. I had a test to focus on, and if he really did not want to speak to me, then I wouldn't expend any effort seeking him out. If he thought we were at fault for Kenji dying, then I would allow him to think that way. Hiroshi was no longer my problem.
Misaki's company was far preferable to that of Hiroshi anyway. There was still an empty feeling hanging in the air whenever we talked as we waited for Kenji to break into the conversation, but that would fade with time. We didn't let it stop us from enjoying each other's company.
We talked at length about our respective plans for the upcoming tournament. Misaki was tight-lipped about what exactly she'd been working on with her clan, citing that we may face each other and she wanted to have an edge against me. I couldn't really fault her for that, so I didn't press her. If we did end up fighting in the finals, I would try to end the fight quickly, not giving her a chance to use whatever it was she'd been working on against me.
While I didn't have any new tricks aside from Telepathy, I'd changed my wardrobe up a bit. The fights would take place in the middle of the day to draw in as many spectators as possible. The Chunin Exams were an amazing source of revenue for the hosting village, and they scheduled the finals so that they could attract as many people from outside the village to come watch as possible. I didn't have an issue with this, it was just good business. The problem was that in the middle of the day in the rocky wasteland that was the Iwagakure, there would be few shadows for me to utilize on a flat, tournament field. That meant I had to bring my own.
The coat I now wore was more baggy than my old tan one and was colored differing shades of dark green, the colors splotched together to form a facsimile of camouflage. Like my old coat, there were several storage seals stitched into the inside lining of the coat containing everything from weapons to medical supplies. The pouch I wore at my waist, even if it was stocked with projectiles, was mostly for show and to misdirect my enemies. In addition to the coat, I also had on new, slightly baggy black pants. The added material would let me cast a bigger shadow both outside my body and within the clothes themselves, giving me more shadows to fight with in the arena.
The journey to Iwa took longer than it did the first time due to the size of our group and the small group of civilians among us, but we still arrived two days ahead of when the first match was scheduled to take place. Getting through Iwa's gate with our large group took almost the entire first day. The Iwa guards inspected every cart, bag and person for hidden combatants and…whatever else it was they didn't want smuggled into their village. Obviously, they couldn't take our weapons, but they searched us all the same.
Misaki and I were assigned to a single room again, though our accommodations were far nicer this go around. There were two beds instead of one, a sitting area and a large bathroom that was hooked up to hot water.
I'd expected someone posing as our jonin sensei to room with us like Hiroshi had done, but apparently that wouldn't be the case. Misaki and I had the room to ourselves.
The night prior to the finals passed quickly with us both getting some sleep. We ate in the morning, then made our way directly to the stadium.
I kept my eyes peeled and my shadows coiled around me inside my jacket as Misaki and I entered the arena where we would be fighting today. I'd been expecting a round shape like the Roman Colosseum from my old life, but the design of Iwa's Chunin Exam arena was different. The entire arena appeared to have been cut into a mountain to create a large stadium that could seat thousands of people. Tunnels and arches led to and from the seating areas, with subterranean tunnels leading to the staging area of the fights. The stands, raised close to twenty meters above a wall hemming in the fighting area, were carved from the same rock that stood around the arena, peaks rising to points beyond the bleachers. The floor of the arena where the fighting would be done was square. Dirt had been spread over the entire area and packed hard into the ground. There was a box high above the north stands labeled 'Kage' where, presumably, the Kage would gather to watch the matches. It was an impressive arena, and standing in it made the reality of my current situation set it. I was about to fight in one-on-one combat with nin from other villages that would have no qualms about killing me. I couldn't afford to hold anything back.
Misaki and I had arrived three hours early, but you wouldn't be able to tell by how many people were already seated. The stands were already filling up. The seats closest to the floor of the arena were all filled in. Apparently, people arrived early to grab seats in the splash zone, where they'd have the best view of children killing each other and blood splattering the ground. The Roman Colosseum comparison was feeling more apt by the second.
I tensed as I heard someone Shunshin behind me, but quickly relaxed when I recognized the feel of their shadow.
"Shikaku-sama." I turned and greeted with a bowed head. Misaki copied me and bowed to the Nara Clan Head.
"Troublesome, Hyuga-san," he greeted in turn. He was standing in a lax pose, his hands in his pockets as if he had nothing at all to worry about being in the heart of a near-hostile power's territory. "Good luck to both of you. Remember, hold nothing back." Shikaku had said the words to both of us, but he'd been staring intently at me when he said them.
We'd spoken while training for this tournament about whether or not I should use my Boil Release. The Chunin Exam finals were observed by every village and anyone else of influence in the world. If I used the Boil Release, all of the Elemental Nations would know I had it inside a week. I didn't want that kind of attention, but I also didn't want to die here because I'd been too hesitant to use every tool I had access to.
It may have been a moot point regardless. The Kumo nin who'd been our captive from the second stage of the exam had seen my technique and was still alive. If she hadn't reported back to her superiors by now, I'd eat my foot.
I nodded minutely to Shikaku, casting Telepathy without seals as I did. No one but him heard the words I sent, not even me. I was the one who cast the technique, so I knew what Shikaku heard, but the sound was audible to only Shikaku.
'I won't hesitate to use it, but I won't reveal it unless it's necessary.'
Shikaku nodded back to me. "Good. I'm going to find a seat. Make Konoha proud." Without another word, he spun around and walked through an arch into the stands, climbing the stairs up to the higher levels.
"Team 3?"
Misaki and I turned to see an Iwa shinobi with brown hair and spectacles holding a clipboard. "You are Misaki Hyuga and Shinto Nara, correct?" he asked.
"That is correct." Misaki answered for both of us.
"The finalists have a reserved section. Follow me."
Misaki and I followed the Iwa nin into the stands up to a small cut out opposite the stadium from the Kage's box. The small area hadn't been visible from the ground because it was covered by a rocky overhang. There were a few benches present, but everyone present was standing.
Misaki and I hadn't been the first ones here. There were two Kiri nin, four Iwa nin and three Kumo nin all waiting already. In addition to the contestants, there was another Iwa nin that Misaki and I recognized.
"Team 3," Tenjo, the proctor of the second stage of the Chunin Exams, greeted us. "Welcome. There are fifteen nin competing in the final exam. As such, there is a single bye. As the team that finished the second task first, the two of you may select when to compete."
Misaki and I looked at each other.
"Flip a coin for the bye?" I suggested. Misaki nodded in agreement. I pulled a coin out of my pouch and flicked it into the air.
"Heads." Misaki called.
I caught the coin and smacked it down on the back of my hand. It was heads.
"I will take the bye." Misaki said to Tenjo.
"And I'll fight first if possible." I said. I wasn't sure if the rest of the fights would be determined by a random generation, but I'd like to fight first if at all possible. The rounds would be back to back, so by going first, I'd have more time to rest before my next fight.
Tenjo nodded. "Very well. The rest of the bracket will be randomly generated. Nara-san, your match will begin at 10:00. I wish you luck." Tenjo turned around and hopped out of the box, running at the edge of the stands and charting a course towards the Kage box.
"You're the ones that killed Misa's team."
Misaki and I shifted our feet as we turned to face the scowling Kumo shinobi who'd spoken. He had dark skin and wild black hair. There was a long blade of some kind affixed to his back, but it was wrapped in cloth that prevented me from knowing exactly what it was. Not for the first time in my life, I found myself feeling jealous of Misaki's byakugan.
"Will we have an issue prior to the tournament?" I asked the shinobi point blank, not wanting to have to deal with an unsanctioned fight. That wouldn't reflect well on Konoha, and it would only needlessly tire me prior to the fights that actually mattered.
The other teams in the box with us had slowly backed away, their eyes snapping back and forth between Misaki and I and the Kumo team that had stepped up to flank the shinobi who'd initially spoken to see what we would do.
"No." the Kumo nin said bitingly, taking a step back as the oppressive air in the box slowly died down. "But if I face either of you, I will kill you."
"Then I will feel no remorse for ending your life." Misaki said back coldly. She turned around and walked towards the other end of the box. I followed after her, being careful to keep a close eye on the Kumo nin with the shadows beneath them. Here in the shaded box, I could feel every person in the space. That would change the moment I was in the arena, exposed to the open air and scorching sun.
There was no further conversation as we waited for the tournament to begin. The other teams trickled in one after another until all fifteen of us were here. In addition to Misaki and I, there were two Kiri nin, three Kumo nin and eight Iwa nin. I imagined the reason there were so many Iwa nin was because they'd adopted a strategy similar to the Kumo nin that had hunted us down in the second task, banding together to hunt a single team and take them all as captives. I wasn't sure what happened to the third Kiri nin or the ninth Iwa nin, whether they were dead, had been captured or simply withdrawn, but it didn't matter. Only my opponents deserved my focus right now.
Cheers rose up from the now crowded stands as a lone Iwa nin walked into the center of the arena. It was Tenjo.
"Greetings, and welcome to the final event of these Chunin Exams." He shouted, his voice carrying as everyone quieted down, leaning in to hear what he had to say. "My name is Tenjo Osuki. I will be the proctor of this tournament. The rules are simple. Both combatants are to fight until their opponent is either incapacitated or surrenders. If I rule a match concluded, the match will immediately end. Without further ado, I call forth the combatants who will clash first. Shinto Nara! Aoto Hon! Please descend to the arena."
The stadium was once more swallowed by raucous cheers, shouts and whoops as thousands of people rose to their feet, egging on the kids they'd come to see fight. I caught sight of a number of men and women totting crates filled with food and drink walking up the steps between the stands, shouting out their wares and selling refreshments. You'd think these people were here to watch a baseball game instead of a death match.
I hopped up on the ledge of the box and lazily made my way down to the arena. There was no need to waste energy or chakra making a showy entrance.
An Iwa shinobi followed me. I watched him closely, taking in every detail I could about my opponent. My opponent had red hair and a stern look on his face. He was taller than I was and broader at the shoulders. If I had to guess, he was likely somewhere between seventeen and nineteen years old. He had no visible weapons on him other than a standard weapons pouch.
The cheers died down as the two of us landed across from each other in the arena. The atmosphere was tense as the spectators hushed, intently focused on Aoto and I. We stood a good forty meters apart with Tenjo standing in between us.
"Go, nii-san!" a young voice called from behind my opponent, loud in the quiet after the loud cheering. The voice's owner was a small, red-haired boy held in the arms of a smiling brown-haired woman. You didn't need to be Sherlock Holmes to put together that he was related to my opponent.
Aoto smiled happily as he heard the cheer. His smile faded to a frown of concentration as he took his stance across from me.
I smirked, an idea forming in my head as I took my own stance. My right hand slipped up into the too long sleeve of my jacket.
"Are both fighters prepared?" Tenjo asked, looking between us. When we both nodded at him, he whipped his arm up and slashed downwards. "Begin!" He used shunshin to move to the edge of the arena, clearing room for Aoto and I to fight.
Aoto kicked off the ground, charging towards me, his eyes narrowed dangerously. His eyes widened in surprise and terror when he was half-way to me and he rapidly slowed his approach to spin around, eyes searching the space behind him. He didn't even see the kunai I threw towards his unprotected back.
I could have killed him. His guard was down, and his back was to me. His neck, his heart, his brain – I could have hit any of these vital targets, but I didn't. I chose mercy.
My kunai cut Aoto's arm as it flew through the air past him. He spun back around to retaliate, but his limbs tangled as he lost control of them. The paralysis poison I'd laced my kunai with had already brought him down.
I walked over Aoto's prone body and held a kunai in my fist, tip pointed down towards my opponent. "Proctor?" I called.
Tenjo appeared in front of me. "Aoto Hon can not continue fighting. Shinto Nara is the victor!"
I disappeared my kunai into my jacket as I turned and walked away. There was some polite clapping, but none of the monstrous cheering from before. Apparently, seeing a ninja actually fight like a ninja wasn't very entertaining to the masses.
Battles between shinobi were, more often than not, decided in moments. My battle with Aoto was over the moment I had a sample of his little brother's voice. All I had to do after was cast Telepathy on my opponent, creating the sound of his brother's tortured screams behind him to break his concentration for a moment and I'd won. Telepathy was more versatile than a simple way to communicate with allies. You could also flood your enemies with disorienting shouting or false information as I'd just demonstrated against Aoto.
"Nara-san,"
I stopped walking towards the box, turning around to face Tenjo. "Yes, proctor?"
"Would you please administer the antidote to your poison to Aoto?" Tenjo asked calmly.
While technically I wasn't obligated to do what he asked, pissing off the host village by leaving one of their genin paralyzed didn't seem like a wise decision. Besides, my Hokage was watching and he probably wanted me to do the honorable thing. I pulled a senbon out and threw it into Aoto's deltoid. The boy jolted as his body was his to control again.
"Thank you, Nara-san." Tenjo said with a polite nod.
I nodded back and hopped up into the stands, leaping over the spectators to return to the waiting area for the contestants.
"Well done." Misaki complimented me, a proud smile on her face.
I smirked. "Thank you." I was pleased with my performance too. Not only had I won without needing to expend any large amount of energy, but I'd gotten through the round without revealing many of my cards. All my opponents would glean from that confrontation was that I used poisons. The rest of my tricks were still secret for the next round.
"Shitty poisons won't work on me, tree-hugger." the Kumo nin who'd been talking smack before said, crossing his arms over his chest as he glared at me.
"I look forward to proving you wrong." I said simply, following Misaki back to the small section of the waiting area we'd carved out for ourselves.
Misaki and I watched the next matches in silence, both of us gleaning as much as we could about our future opponents.
Both of the Kiri nin advanced, beating their Iwa opponents with water jutsu they spit from their mouths. Two of the Kumo nin advanced, though the trash-talker didn't draw his sword, instead beating the Iwa nin he fought with a lightning jutsu. The Iwa shinobi had a hole in his chest when the med nin had rushed him away from the field. If he wasn't dead the moment that attack struck, I doubted he would live much longer.
The brackets for the second round were set. I was facing one of the Kiri nin, the kunoichi. Two Iwa nin were fighting one-another. The second Kiri nin was facing an Iwa nin in the third match. The fourth match was Misaki versus Yuto Ai, the Kumo nin with the wrapped sword on his back.
I couldn't wait to watch her kick the shit out of him. First things first though. I had a kiri kunoichi to defeat.