{A\N}
Ok, so I waited a day to let the comments come through, and the Naruhina has overwhelming support here.
I saw a lot of good points for Sakura, though, and I'm actually glad about it. Truthfully, if you can believe it, I planned to pair Naruto with Tayuya because I wanted a Minato and Kushina parallel, but I didn't feel I could realistically accomplish this. I didn't know how to plan things out since I was and still am new to writing fanfiction. Thinking about it now, it was really silly, so, maybe next time.
Hinata was supposed to be a side character. I gave her a colder personality because, unlike in canon, she wasn't saved by Naruto. She had no choice but to either become strong or be branded. So imagine my surprise when everyone was pairing her up in her second appearance when I didn't even know how to do romance. But I have personally enjoyed messing with her character and the Hyuga clan.
I am impulsive when writing her character because she is extremely complex, even for me, given her change in character. She isn't stable but still has a lot of issues she needs to work out too.
Temari would be interesting, but you'll need to see what happens in the story before I talk about her.
I hated Sakura as a character in the original Naruto, and couldn't bear to write her into the story without making her into someone I wish she was in canon. I feel like I'm on the right path for her because, truthfully, I don't hate any character in Naruto, not even Kiba. I love them all. Some in my own twisted way, but it's still love. I feel like this Sakura could treat Naruto right if given the chance as well. Same for Hinata or any chracter that is chosen.
Naruhina has won out for now, so I'll give them a relationship to test the waters. I will still introduce other female characters, and I won't do a harem. If I do, it will be between two females only, and I don't want to do even that.
As promised, I have delivered within two days, so enjoy the chapter, and don't be afraid to comment on your opinion or suggestions.
{Land of Fire: Konohagakure: Tenka Stadium}
August 10th.
Line break.
Genma let out a breath and looked down at the sheet, grimacing. He looked up at the Kage's spectator box, and with a stern look and nod from Hiruzen, Gemma was given the go-ahead. 'Here goes nothing.'
He then turned to Naruto and gave him the secret hand signal Inoichi told him about; His mission begins now.
Naruto's eyes grew cold and focused at that moment, and his gaze moved to Lee's form. 'Sorry, Lee. I'm gonna make you work for this victory. I can't play around, nor can I afford to take damage in this fight.'
Genma then cleared his throat and announced that he would shake the village. "The First match shall commence! Rock Lee Versus Namikaze Naruto!"
Line break.
{the stands}
Gasps went out throughout the stadium, nobles, merchants, and other officials standing up at the news. There was confusion as well, with some thinking they misheard what Genma announced. And then it happened. On the giant plasma screen, the names Namikaze Naruto Versus Rock Lee appeared.
Madness. Truly and unmistakable madness. How else could you describe what occurred on the stands moments after, Well before the fight even started?
The revelation of the Namikaze name was a disaster. No one was ready for such a thing, not when a terrible pill had to be swallowed as a result. A child the village collectively shunned and avoided like the plague, being the son of the very man who saved them all was a blow they weren't ready to take.
At least, it was for regular civilians. The rich folk, however, had a better grasp of this revelation and a very different reaction. Some were angered and denied what they'd heard, and others were scheming, having gotten over their surprise fast. Some tried to ignore it, though even they had a difficult time not showing a negative emotion when dealing with the whiplash that comes from such a reveal, and most felt a pit in their stomach.
"How could this be?!" Many yelled.
"Impossible!"
"The brat is the son of our beloved Lord Fourth?!"
'Lies!
It was a truly disastrous way to reveal such an important name, given the nature of these people, but the truth can hurt sometimes.
Line break.
{Kage box}
Rasa's eyes widened at the name, and he looked at Hiruzen strangely. The same went for his sketchy guard behind him, a disguised Orochimaru.
Orochimaru stared at the plasma screen with amusement, enjoying the event before it's even begun.
"So the Fourth Hokage had a child?" asked Rasa, and Hiruzen only smiled.
"Pay close attention, Lord Kazekage. There's a reason I'm allowing this information to get out."
Of course, this was not at all the plan for how they wanted his status to be revealed. The Fire Lord has other plans, and there's little Hiruzen can do to stop him.
Line break.
In the crowd, The senior members of the Hyuga clan all stood up as the crowd erupted in shock and surprise.
Hiashi clenched his fist, and a scowl found its way onto his features. Why was he not informed of such a thing beforehand? Why didn't the Hokage let the other clan heads know this was happening?
The Elders were even more paralyzed than him, their jaws slightly open as they all processed this information and tried to find a way to benefit from this revelation.
Hiroshi narrowed his eyes and shook his head. This was unexpected, but it isn't such a big deal in the long run. There were more pressing matters to deal with than worrying about a no-name orphan boy suddenly inheriting a fortune.
Hanabi looked around, confused as to why everyone was reacting like this. It was lost on her. The names of the fighters were announced, and the fight was given the go-ahead; that's all that happened. What was the significance of this being the case?
Line break.
{The Daimyo's box.}
The Fire Lord smiled into his wine as everyone below him reacted in various ways. Outrage, shock, fear, excitement. The first two strings have been pulled.
The Hyuga would've no doubt pivoted had they known of the boy's heritage, hence, why he showed up in Konoha early to control when Naruto's status was to be revealed. Meeting with the Hyuga was just an assurance that things would move forward accordingly.
As for Naruto, though he held nothing against the lad, he couldn't afford for Naruto to come into his position too fast before he himself was in a more favorable position politically.
No, revealing his heritage in this manner, no matter how messy, is the perfect solution to slowing Naruto's rise, even if only slightly. Matters of inheritance will slow once people know to hold on to their purses and to get their affairs in order, even if futile.
He relaxed in his chair, and his wife rubbed his arm with a smile. "This was nothing short of genius, dear." She said.
"Thank you. With this, we're locked in. Now, we just deal with our rivals at home and deal with my father, which are easier projects we can handle with ease. That, and there's nothing like a bit of drama to light up the place," he said, smiling as he glanced over to his son, who was being given a selection of sweets before the match began.
Line break.
{The stands}
Choji wasn't affected, not being a history guy. It went right over his head. The same went for Kiba. He was confused as to why everyone was reacting as they were. Nothing more than that.
But Tenten and Ino paid more attention in school and knew the significance of the name.
"N-No... Way." Ino whispered, Tenten nodding as well.
"Not what I was expecting," Tenten said.
Asuma could only pat himself on the back for seeing it when it was in front of him, and Kurenai's jaw was on the floor. She believed it, but not really.
Kiba raised a brow. "What?! Why is everyone gawking?! And why is Naruto's last name changed?"
Tenten and Ino gave the boy a look that said it all. "Are you telling me you don't know the significance of the name Namikaze?"
Kiba rolled his eyes. "Just tell me!"
Ino sighed. "You literally dressed as him last year during the Kyuubi festival."
Kiba threw his hands in the air. "I don't remember what I dressed as! Tell me what's going on!"
Kurenai sighed and whispered in his ear, shocking the boy as well. "Naruto... Is... Wait. Uzumaki? Him?!"
Kurenai nodded, and Kiba shook his head, not believing it for a second.
"No way! No fricken way am I believing that that guy is the son of the Yondaime. He-"
"Whooped your ass in the prelims." Said Tenten, already fed up with Kiba's denial.
In the background, Kabuto took this opportunity to slip away from his post and make his way to the lower levels of the arena. "Well, well. Something even I didn't know. How cute. Unfortunately, it won't mean anything by the end of the day, but still.'
Line break.
{The Competitor's box}
In the Competitor's box, Sakura and Sasuke didn't react, nor did Gaara or Neji, for various reasons. However, both Shino and Shikamaru looked surprised at this revelation and stood at the news.
Both Kankuro and Temari knew the significance of this reveal and were both on their feet, giving one another a worried look.
Hinata showed genuine surprise at this reveal. She would never have guessed Naruto was the son of the Fourth Hokage. This explained some of the changes she's seen in him throughout their ninja careers, but most of all, it explained his power.
She was sure this revelation would uniquely shake the village, and the thought gave her a slight headache. Now, she would need to keep up with some of the things happening around her. So many people are going to pivot in awkward directions, her clan included.
Her gaze fell on his teammates, and based on their lack of surprise or care, she deduced that they already knew the truth.
She shook her head at this and spoke."That's a sloppy way to reveal someone's heritage,"
Shino nodded. "Very sloppy indeed,"
Line break.
{The arena}
Lee didn't register the name, not focused on the revelation, not when he had a bigger issue on hand, Naruto being it. He's never felt more motivated in his entire life. He had a chance to become a Chunin today, as well as the chance to show the village what a ninja with no skill in ninjutsu or genjutsu can do.
He always assumed the parallel between him and Neji would be the deciding factor in his journey, but now he sees it's not Sasuke or Neji but Naruto.
"You may engage when ready," Genma said, jumping away.
Lee nodded and bowed in respect, and Naruto did the same. "May the best man win!" he exclaimed, and Naruto nodded and got into the frog kata stance.
Lee didn't hesitate. He launched forward and sent a fist out, and Naruto gestured to block to attack, only for it to be a feint, as Lee blurred behind Naruto and sent a kick to the side.
To Lee's surprise, Naruto adjusted quickly, the blonde catching the fist before sending a backhand towards Lee, the older boy leaning away and avoiding it while also sending his other leg out to force a kick out, forcing Naruto to back off from a further engagement.
The moment Lee was out of reach, he was immediately blurred around the blonde, sending punches and kicks at any blind spot he could find, and Naruto remained still, keeping to his Frag Kata's defensive form.
Naruto was just as much of a blur as Lee was, his hands moving faster than the eye could see, swatting and deflecting every blow sent from Lee, even weaving away from a few strikes to throw attacks of his own.
Lee found the opening he was looking for and sent a chop to Naruto's neck, yet Naruto swatted it away. The blonde's other hand was already inches away from Lee's face as a hook was thrown.
Lee's eyes widened, having almost been rocked by that attack, and the moment he blurred away, Naruto had done the same, moving at a speed of the same caliber and catching Lee's shirt.
This caught most people off guard, especially Sasuke and Neji, two boys itching to fight the blonde more than anyone aside from Gaara.
Lee was fast, sending a punch to Naruto's face, but the punch he received back made him change his entire game plan. It was an exchange of blows that looked one-sided, with Lee being sent to the floor, sliding on his back, and Naruto's head only being tilted back.
Lee flipped onto his feet mid-slide, holding his cheek with a surprised expression. 'I see. As Gai predicted from his fight with Kiba, Naruto is indeed a physical monster. He's increased his prowess in taijutsu as well, though it seems to be only in defense... No. It's actually a reactionary taijutsu form of some kind. Interesting. But most importantly, his speed. I need to up my own for this to work.'
Naruto smirked when Lee bent down and unclipped his weights, setting them down gently.
'Ah. I should've known there was a further level to your speed, Lee. I wonder how heavy those weights are.' Thought Naruto inquisitively.
Lee stood straight and bounced around on his toes a few times before disappearing, further shocking the crowd.
He reappeared behind Naruto and sent a spin kick to Naruto's head, and to Lee's frustration, Naruto had already spun to do the same, the blonde arching his leg against Lee's and creating a clash that was strong enough for Genma to feel on the ground he stood on.
The proctor whistled at the exchange and backed away.
Naruto reacted fast and locked his leg over Lee's, forcing it down before he sent a series of chops and jabs Lee's way, resulting in a heated taijutsu exchange.
Their arms were a blur of movements as they struck at each other, Naruto sending a flurry of attacks that Lee redirected and blocked with skill, his precision being something Naruto took note of.
Indeed, Lee is still more skilled in hand-to-hand. It is his specialty, after all.
Even so, Lee was starting to backpedal as Naruto pressed forward, the older boy wincing at every blow he was forced to block.
'This is insanity! It feels like I'm attacking a golem made of stone!' Thought Lee.
It was then that Lee decided to turn the tables, weaving away from a sudden burst of swats and jabs before delivering a series of well-timed strikes of his own, forcing the blonde back on the defense.
This worked for a bit, with Naruto being the one on his back foot for a moment, but Lee made a mistake and had his fist caught all of a sudden.
Lee was then pulled into a sudden knee attack, Lee barely having enough time to muffle the blow with his hand. However, Naruto headbutted him, dazing Lee, and with a well-timed high kick, Lee was sent on his back once again.
Naruto didn't let up, though. Naruto was already upon him, bringing his heel down from where Lee had just been lying, Lee being just fast enough to roll away to avoid the attack, thankful he got away as the heel cratered the ground a little.
Lee dodged another series of kicks and palm strikes, weaving and deflecting before managing to shuffle his feet and blur behind Naruto. The moment he did, Naruto was already facing him, the other boy having a reaction speed that was simply absurd.
He leaned away from a backhand and sped to Naruto's side, sending a flurry of jabs that was avoided with ease, and another backhand forced him to blur away again.
Lee was beginning to realize that the blonde could keep up a long-winded engagement without a problem. By the time they slid away from one another to catch their breath, Naruto wasn't winded for anywhere near as long as himself.
The crowd exploded in cheers the moment the engagement ended, impressed by the engagement between two genin. It left many shinobi questioning their own careers as chunin. The display of physical prowess from such a young generation was one that hadn't been seen since the early days of the Sannin.
At this time, Naruto and Lee started pacing around one another. Naruto did not have the competitive energy he remembered him having against Kiba. He was dead serious.
'This is getting crazy! C'mon, find an opening! Surely there's a blindspot to take advantage of!' Thought Lee.
{The stands}
Line break.
Gai was gripping the seat behind Tenten as he watched the match, not having expected Naruto to have improved this much since Kiba.
"That is some... Impressive work there, Kakashi. To have managed to train the boy in such a balanced form of combat is nothing short of... Miraculous."
Kakashi sighed and went to say something when a voice chimed in from behind them.
"Actually, it was me who taught him that form."
They turned to see Jiraiya leaning on the pillar just behind them, and Ino leaned closely, recognizing the man from somewhere.
Gai's eyes widened before he smirked and gave a respectful bow. "Ah. I see. It all makes sense now. He learned from one of the best teachers there is."
Jiraiya smirked and shook his head. "That form doesn't suit him well."
Everyone looked at Jiraiya with confusion, and Kurenai spoke up first. "What do you mean? He seems to be doing quite well from where I'm standing."
"No. He's right." Said Kakashi. "Lee is an offensive fighter, the same as Naruto. He seems restless for some reason. The form he's using is perfect for a reactionary fighter, but Naruto seems to want to end things quickly."
Jiraiya nodded. "Naruto isn't defensive in nature, but it is what it is. We found a workaround. Counter-offensive is the name of the game. He won't win the fight through taijutsu, though, I don't think."
Ino looked back down, ignoring the Jonin as they had their debate. She didn't care about any of that. She was focused on how much Naruto had grown. She remembered seeing him get his ass handed to him by Sasuke and Kiba every time they fought, and not once had he shown any ounce of what he was showing now. Sure, he beat Kiba in the prelims, but this was on a different level than even that. He looked so different and moved so different. He's like another person. Would it be shallow of her to jump from Sasuke to Naruto?
She shook her head and groaned. 'Had I known he'd turn out like this, I'd have gotten to know him a long time ago.' she thought.
She winced when Tenten started cheering for her teammate, having been pulled out of those thoughts as a result.
"C'mon, Lee! Don't give in! Change things up!" Yelled Tenten, focused on the fight rather than thoughts of romance options.
{The arena}
Line break.
Naruto and Lee slid away from one another after another heated exchange, and Naruto saw Lee's fatigue and smirked. 'Ok. Now's a good time to switch things up, as Tenten put it.'
Lee gave Tenten a thumbs up and reached behind him.
To Naruto's surprise, a pair of nunchucks were pulled out, and Lee started to swing them around, flourishing them with skill and unpredictability, throwing Naruto into a loop.
Lee let out a cry as he got into his new form, giving Naruto the, come here, pose.
Naruto didn't move a muscle. There was no way he was going to test Lee's skill with those nunchucks. Of course, Lee didn't care for this.
The older boy blurred straight for Naruto, and the blonde reacted in a flash, knocking the first attack away with his palm before whipping out a kunai to redirect the series of blows that followed.
With a series of swings, Lee was forcing Naruto back, chasing after him to deliver some kind of blow with his weapon.
Lee was a blur to everyone else, flipping over Naruto and kicking at the boy when least expected. But just about every experienced ninja came to the same conclusion. No progress was being made.
Naruto was well beyond fed up with this new style of engagement, and the glare he sent toward the green blur spoke volumes. ' Yeah, no, ' thought Naruto as he suddenly caught the nunchucks out of nowhere, shocking Lee and Tenten. Lee then sent a kick, and Naruto caught that as well.
Hoisting Lee up by his foot and weapon, Naruto yanked him into a vicious blow, a punch straight to the stomach. It sent Lee flying back a few feet before he hit the ground on his face and skidded to a halt.
Everyone's jaw dropped at this sudden move, and Sasuke crossed his arms, starting to understand how capable Naruto had become.
Lee stood to begin another assault, but in an instant, Naruto shot the Water-style: Toad gun at Lee, forcing the older boy to perform a low backbend to avoid the sudden water attack. In response to a sudden flurry of water attacks being sent his way, Lee spun into action, cartwheeling and flipping onto his feet before blurring away.
He then appeared behind Naruto to deliver a vicious blow to the head with his tool, but Naruto was way ahead of him, the blonde having avoided it at a speed that was comparable to Lee's and clasped his hands together. "Sorry, Lee. But this dance has gone on long enough for me."
Lee scowled and ignored him, leaping after Naruto as the blonde dashed back. This is exactly what Naruto wanted.
With a series of hand signs that left Sasuke and Kakashi stunned, Naruto put his plan into action.
"Water style: Water Wave!" yelled Naruto, and a wave of water rushed into Lee. The boy had been in the air and, therefore, unable to move. At the same time, a few clones appeared beside Naruto and in the background, confirming Sasuke and Kakashi's suspicions about Naruto's sign-weaving skills.
One clone clasped his hands together while the other went through more hand signs.
"Wind style: Wind cyclone!" Yelled clone #1
"Lightning style: Lightning stream!" yelled clone #2.
A tornado of wind that kicked up dirt and debris sucked in Naruto's water wave, and Naruto continued to spew water to keep it going. At the same time, Lightning poured into the now-raging elemental cyclone, the attack growing in strength.
Lee's eyes widened as he was pulled into the raging storm, and he knew it was now or never.
'This is going to be really painful,' Lee thought with a gasp.
Line break.
{Competitor's box}
"He... Weaved all that... In the span of a second," whispered a shocked Sasuke. "It's... It's just like Kakashi-Sensei."
Sakura nodded, grasping the scale of Naruto's power at that moment.
Just about everyone in the box was at the front to witness this engagement, and if they weren't concerned about facing Naruto before, they were now.
Neji leaned forward with his Byakugan activated, and he was left stunned at what he saw. 'Get out of this, Lee' He thought to himself. He couldn't believe the difference in power between Naruto and everyone else here.
Hinata had a smile many had never seen on the girl before, her composure faltering at what she was witnessing. She was more than a little entertained. She was excited. There was no way she was fighting Naruto, not at all.
'So this is the extent of your strength, Naruto? If so, then color me impressed.' She thought to herself
Temari wasn't reacting as the other leaf genin were. She was afraid. So was Kankuro.
They were given orders to assist in assassinating Naruto, but given what they are currently witnessing, they may need to reevaluate their strategy if Naruto is this capable beyond the use of his chains.
Shikamaru deadpanned at what he was seeing and groaned. "Maaaan! Even if I do beat Shino, I Have to find a way to beat that?! No, thank you."
Shino nodded in agreement, and everyone in the room, save for Gaara, covered their ears when it started popping, the air being sucked out of the room at a stronger rate.
Gaara's sand became unstable in that moment, his excitement becoming too much to bear.
'Uzumaki! You're mine!' thought the deranged Jinchuuriki.
Line break
{The stands}
Kakashi's eyes were wide with genuine surprise at this show of force. The attack was getting bigger and bigger until it looked like a jutsu that could be classified just above B-rank.
Asuma and Kurenai were on the same page as Kakashi while, Gai held his hands together in prayer, hoping Lee was alright in all that.
Ino was slack-jawed alongside Tenten, Choji was furiously chewing his food with his eyes wide in surprise, and Kiba was shaking his head in disbelief.
The only person there who wasn't surprised in the slightest bit was Jiraiya, the man crossing his arms instead. 'Good on you for holding back, kid. But you're underestimating your opponent.'
Had he said this out loud, no one would've understood what he meant. But only Jiraiya knew Naruto's absolute peak strength, and this wasn't it.
Line break.
{The Arena}
Naruto was overcharging the jutsu into something monstrous, Genma rushing away as trees within the arena were thrown about.
"What the hell!" Yelled the proctor as he scaled the wall for safety. "How are the others going to top this nonsense?! This is the first match, dammit!"
Naruto released his jutsu when he felt Lee may be in danger, and everything within the tornado was thrown about in all directions, including a battered Lee.
The ground was shifted, and any trees that could've been used for cover, save for the one right up against the wall, were tilted in an awkward angle. Thanks to the unexpected force of the attack, debris like drinks and food were in the arena, which caught people off guard.
Even now, a soda drink fell on Naruto's shoulder, slightly making the boy jump and scoff. 'Really? You can't hang onto your beverages, people?!'
Lee had been sent sprawling and rolling across the floor and hadn't moved since, making everyone believe the match to be over.
As a result, Genma took this opportunity to check on Lee. But to his surprise, the boy got up.
Naruto's brows raised at this. "What the Fuck?" He whispered. "How did you... come out of that?"
Lee got up and let out a breath, veins on his neck and head. He was visually different from before, and Naruto couldn't tell whether it was due to a genuine change in form or if Lee was in some kind of injured state.
Naruto knew something was amiss, but in the stands, Gai knew exactly what happened within that tornado.
Line break.
"He managed to jump to the second gate, the gate of Healing." Whispered Gai as he closed his eyes in relief.
"Huh?" asked a confused Ino, and a wary Kakashi spoke.
"The eight inner gates. It's a difficult and dangerous technique to learn because it's a double-edged sword, but in this case, it was timed very well. The Eight Gates are eight specific tenketsu points that travel along the chakra pathway system in our bodies. When they are released, they give you an enormous boost in ability, whether through sheer willpower, defense, offense, or all-around physicality. I don't want to get long-winded, but it's a difficult technique to learn." Said Kakashi.
Jiraiya nodded, very impressed at the display. 'To have jumped into the second gate, a form that, from what I understand, requires a high level of concentration, and in the middle of being pummeled, is unrealistic. Yet, he pulled it off. What a monstrous feat.'
Line break.
Lee got to his feet, grateful he was still in one piece. 'That kind of ninjutsu... I'd forgotten about Naruto's absurd arsenal.'
Naruto shook his head in disbelief, and clones suddenly appeared beside him. 'I suppose since it wasn't a concentrated technique, he was able to survive. Something like pressure damage would've ended the fight, I'm sure of it.'
Lee frowned at the revelation that Naruto could cast certain jutsu with little to no hand seals involved.
He looked down at his hands, and they were still shaking from the current of Lightning that struck him within that tornado. His nerves felt frayed. He didn't think much of it, deciding to stay in the second gate.
'Ok. New plan. Primary lotus!' he thought as he rushed Naruto and his clones. Naruto reacted instantly, his clones rushing at Lee while he himself went through hand signs.
'Wind style: Wind bullets!' Naruto said in his head as he blew out bullets of wind at Lee.
The wind was fast, invisible, and nearly unavoidable, resulting in a few bullets hitting Lee in his leg and shoulder, eliciting a cry from Lee.
Lee grunted as he did a series of leaps and cartwheels to avoid where the bullets may be heading, the only indicator being the way the attacks were visually bending the air around him. 'This is troublesome! If he hits me with a few more of those, it's all over. I have to get close to him and fast.'
The Naruto clones rushed after Lee as Naruto continued to fire off his jutsu, firing more and more bullets of wind.
Lee raced into the only forested section of the arena that wasn't affected by the earlier attack, doing everything in his power to dodge the invisible wind bullets.
The sound of the trees getting holes punched into them made Lee feel anxious, and the dozens of clones coming down on him made things worse.
Lee slammed his fist through a few clones as they came down and, by sheer luck, avoided a bullet that slammed into the clone rushing from behind him before elbowing another well before they could strike him.
However, getting nicked in the side and back while avoiding the clones did it for Lee, and Though he was faster than the clones, they were doing a good job cornering him.
Naruto stopped his jutsu when he noticed Lee being driven up the stadium wall and out of the small tree line, his remaining clones engaging him on the surface.
Naruto took this opportunity to give himself another win condition and began throwing strangely marked kunai, planting three in a triangular formation before crossing his arms and watching closely. The seals on the kunai held the same tag for the barrier he used in the forest of death. It is, after all, his strongest variant right now. With them glowing as they are, he should be able to activate them at a moment's notice if he feels he needs to.
Lee's eyes narrowed as a clone rushed him and threw a high kick, and Lee easily dispatched it, swatting the kick away and slamming a fist through it, dispersing it.
Four more came at him, and in a blur, though still injured, he took them down in a single blow using his damaged nunchucks.
He looked to see Naruto still waiting on him and frowned. 'In this form, if I get close, I could overpower him. I can't lose any more time!'
Lee launched off the wall and raced at Naruto like a bullet; Naruto got low and dodged a charging kick that knocked up dirt behind him, and he whirled around to block a series of blows from Lee. Yet, Lee's attacks were strong, much stronger than before.
Lee was moving faster and hitting harder, Naruto getting hit in the face and chest with vicious blows from the taijutsu prodigy, and just as Naruto went for a counter strike, Lee ducked under and slammed his foot on Naruto's chin, sending Naruto into the air.
"What the hell?!" Naruto yelled in confusion. He wasn't aware that Lee's physicality improved this much suddenly.
"This is it!" Yelled Lee as he jumped after Naruto, unraveling his bandages.
They wrapped around Naruto, and in the crowd, Gai was cheering louder than ever, bolstering Lee on. but then he remembered something about Naruto, something important. The man's eyes widened, and a look of dread came upon his features. "Get out of there, Lee!"
Lee, not understanding his sensei's sudden panic, wrapped Naruto up like a cacoon and grabbed his sides. "Primary-"
He then stopped, remembering something very important and right on time, too.
He suddenly kicked Naruto away in a panicked yelp, and no one knew why until golden chains ripped the bandages apart and raced towards Lee, the golden spiked chains moving with deadly accuracy.
Lee landed right in time to race away, the chains smashing the ground before Lee and forcing him to continue moving away to avoid them.
Naruto landed in a huff and clasped his hands together to make a few more.
Line break.
Gai looked increasingly nervous for his students as time went on. Their training was to prepare for something like this, and Naruto holding back until a moment like this is exactly why he opposed Lee's use of the lotus. It leaves you vulnerable to techniques like the chakra chains, a technique that requires no hand signs and comes out without any warning and from just about any part of the body.
Tenten sat down, a worried expression on her face.
Around them, the crowd was going crazy. They weren't expecting a battle of this caliber, and for Naruto to have hidden a move like this away made things much more exciting.
Asuma glanced over at Kurenai. "Thoughts?"
"Still thinking." She whispered.
."Potentially Tokubetsu Jonin." Said Kakashi. "And I mean Potentially. A move like that is just too threatening."
Everyone was in agreement with that assessment and continued to watch the fight.
Line break.
"I thought that would be the end! Had I not remembered that jutsu, I'd be toast! Him having such a thing makes engaging him so difficult!" grunted Lee as he raced around, the chains slamming and ripping the ground apart wherever he went.
Naruto wiped a trail of blood from his mouth as Lee raced around the arena to avoid the chains.
Lee saw an opening and darted with enough force to kick up dirt, and just as he was about to land a blow, a flash of gold came from Naruto's shoulders, and it was only thanks to being in the second gate that he was able to slide under and dart away, a gash on his shoulder from the near miss.
Lee was knocked out of the second gate by the mere contact of the chains and thrown across the field from his own movement speed.
"Darn! This is insane! I can't let those hit me!" Yelled Lee in frustration.
Lee slid onto his feet and jumped away to create distance, and Naruto retracted his chains. 'These things use up too much chakra to waste them on someone who moves like him. What's your next move, Lee?' Thought Naruto with a scowl as he measured how far into the barrier Lee was.
Lee huffed and puffed before closing his eyes. He went into the first and second gates without a hitch, but from there, things got intense,
His skin turned red, and chakra burst forth from him, shocking the crowd.
Naruto knew the situation had changed the moment he felt the change in chakra. In an instant, he created a sea of clones as he synchronized with his planted barrier seals, ready to activate them at a moment's notice. 'Yeah, I knew something was up. what are the odds I'd have to face someone like you.' Naruto thought sarcastically.
"Third Gate!... Release!" yelled Lee as the area around him became affected by the energy being released from him.
Lee's form flickered from where he was, and the sound of clones dispersing was all anyone heard, smoke from the clones instantly obscuring the scene from some members of the crowd as a result.
"Oh. He's faster now. It's not enough, though." Naruto whispered in concentration, and Lee raced toward the last clone, slamming a fist through it to get to Naruto, but this was a mistake.
It blew up in an explosion of lethal wind chakra, and it wasn't an ordinary wind clone either. It was overcharged.
Lee slid away, grimacing at the terrible stings of being cut into like that, his clothes torn. Had he not been in this form, he'd be much worse off.
Naruto's eyes narrowed at the sight, and he checked another hypothesis off the list in his head. 'Speed, durability, and no doubt strength too. This form is a true transformation of some kind. Whatever it is, I can't see a reason to pull my punches.'
Lee yelled and charged Naruto, and just before his fist could reach his face, another obstacle flickered into existence. A purple barrier formed suddenly, Lee's fist contacting it and bending it as it absorbed the kinetic force. With a glow, the kinetic force was sent back into Lee's arm, breaking it and eliciting a cry of pain from him, sending him flying back.
The barrier wobbled from the force of the attack, and it made Naruto understand just what he'd managed to contain.
'Holy shit. At least I know My formula improved.' I thought, Naruto.
Lee slid back, his arm dangling from the force of that backlash. 'A barrier?! How? when?!'
Naruto crossed his arms and watched as Lee stood straight, his chakra increasing dramatically. "F-Fourth gate!...Urgh!... release!"
Naruto's eyes narrowed as Lee entered a further stage of the gates, and he knew he needed to neutralize him before he escaped. " Yeah. This is bullshit. How many times can he stack whatever this is onto himself?"
Line break.
{The stands}
"Yeah. This is a crazy good fight." Kurenai said, immensely impressed with what she was seeing.
"You're telling me. These kids are fighting like... Like Jonin." said Asuma.
"Kinda." Responded Kakashi. "Naruto seems to have the fight under control in spite of Lee's obvious superiority in this particular state. He's thinking ahead in ways only an experienced shinobi could understand. I'm guessing this is your doing, Jiraiya?"
Jiraiya nodded while watching the fight. 'Don't pull your punch, kid. Finish it and move on fast.'
Line break.
{Competitor's box}
"What the hell kind of fight is this?! These two are monsters!" Temari said out loud.
Kankuro said nothing. The mission they themselves were to participate in is to eliminate this kid, yet unless this Lee kid can fuck him up real good for them, they are screwed.
"Safe to say, If I have to fight either of them, I'm forfeiting," Shino said.
Hinata smirked and nodded. "Agreed. I never would've imagined Naruto to be this powerful. It's... awe-inspiring."
Sakura couldn't agree more. This was extreme for both boys. It was like watching Kakashi fight Zabua all over again.
The pinkette looked over and felt a bit worried at what she was seeing in Sasuke. He wasn't showing the same reaction everyone else was. There was a glare being directed at the blonde, and he looked very sour.
In the background, Gaara was meditating. However, his mind was in chaos. He wanted nothing more than to feed Uzumaki Naruto's bleed to his sand.
Line break.
{The arena}
Naruto created five clones, and they formed up to give him a boost to get to the roof of his barrier, launching him high into the air to do so. Meanwhile, Lee was bouncing off the walls, slamming the wall with his leg, propelling him against the barrier at high speed.
The barrier was already growing unsteady from the power it was being forced to intake and would soon be ready to break.
Lee yelled out, and his form glowed. His working fist crashed into the barrier before he hopped off of it faster than the barrier could discharge the energy and slammed his fist into another part of the barrier.
From everyone else's perspective, the barrier was wobbling with strain as Lee ping-ponged off the walls, trying to overwhelm the confined space he'd found himself in, and it looked like it would fall apart at any moment.
It was when Naruto was on top of the barrier that Lee stopped, noting that in order for Naruto to hit him, he needed to open the roof of the barrier, which Naruto did.
Lee acted fast, bulleting off of the walls and racing up toward Naruto, and at first, Naruto charged a Rasengan. But fear gripped him at what could happen to Lee. He doesn't know how to pull the Rasengan back on a living being, so in a moment of hesitation, he canceled and, at the last second, rushed out one of his more destructive jutsu.
"Wind style: Pressure damage!" yelled Naruto, and he blew out a concentrated point of air that blew into an explosion of wind, the attack crashing into Lee just before he could reach Naruto.
Lee was sent to the ground level faster than he could process, and the attack was so violent that it blew the barrier apart; this version was not designed to withstand ninjutsu of this caliber.
In the stands, the air pressure change caused just about everyone's ears to pop, and they covered their ears until the effects passed.
Jiraiya shook his head in frustration at Naruto's hesitation, knowing he had just made himself vulnerable. 'Dammit, kid. Why did you hesitate!'
A large cloud of smoke rose, and Lee was standing in the middle of a crater, blood pouring from his head, back, and arms. But he was still standing.
Naruto's eyes widened at this. "What the actual fuck am I looking at?!" the boy yelled out loud in anger.
He cut his finger with a kunai and quickly drew a Kanji on the palm of his hand to perform the crimson bind technique.
Lee bent his knees, and Naruto knew he needed to act now.
In a flicker of movement, followed by a boom, Lee launched from his spot and straight for Naruto, and of course, Naruto wasn't going to let him get close.
Golden chains poured from his chest just as Lee got close, and the older boy righted himself over the chains and slammed his foot into Naruto's head, sending the blonde flying back.
Naruto gasped in pain as he tried to adjust himself in mid-air, but Lee was already in his face.
Luckily, being familiar with speeds even greater than this, Naruto was able to use his barrier armament to muffle the oncoming attack, and he was grateful he did. Lee's fist smashed through the barrier but weakened the blow, the attack stopping Naruto's travel to the other side of the arena and, instead, sliding across the ground in a brutal fashion.
Line break.
"Damn! That had to hurt!" Kiba said with a laugh, suddenly enjoying the show a little more.
Choji nodded, leaned forward, and enjoyed the show. "Holy smoke, this is good! C'mon Naruto! Hit him back!"
Ino stared wide-eyed at the scene, the same for the Jonin.
Kakashi turned to Jiraiya, and of course, he wasn't at all worried about Naruto. Just a little peeved.
He knew why, though.
'He went in for sensei's jutsu and stopped. I'm glad for it. It shows restraint. yet, at what cost/ How will you deal with Lee now, Naruto?' Thought Kakashi.
Line break.
Naruto looked around, doing everything he could to track Lee's absurdly fast movements.
'This is like dealing with Jiraiya's blatant bullying all over again!' Naruto thought, annoyed.
Lee raced out of the smoke, and a kick that would've ended the fight was instead redirected and muted through Naruto's quick swat, but there was no way for him to avoid the punch sent into his gut; Naruto's eyes widened in pain before being sent hurdling across the battlefield once again.
He felt his ribs in protest and wondered if he fractured anything. Even his durability wasn't a match for whatever this was.
Naruto, mid-slide, righted himself right as Lee bulleted into him, Naruto crossing his arms in time to block a charging kick that sent him into the stadium wall.
Lee slid to a stop and got into a stance, going into a further state, blue chakra exploding from his pours. "F-Fifth!... Fifth Gate! Release!" Lee yelled, his voice cracking in pain. 'Just one more move! If I can't use the Primary Lotus! Then I will use the Hidden Lotus to end this!'
Naruto ripped himself from the wall, a large portion of the wall falling apart from behind him as he walked forward. He was genuinely pissed off.
'I can't believe this nonsense. Where does a genin get this kind of power all of a sudden?!... Ok, Naruto. Let's not be a hypocrite here... No. This is actually fucked up.' Naruto thought in frustration.
"Prepare yourself! Uzumaki Naruto!" Yelled Lee as he got into a launching position.
Naruto let out a breath, gritting his teeth. He outstretched his arms, and his chains raced toward Lee.
Lee shook his head and darted right past them. "It is no use, Uzumaki! They are too slow to catch me!"
Naruto cursed as Lee dodged past his chains and rocketed towards Naruto.
The blonde barely managed to dodge out of the way, the blow smashing against the wall and startling the crowd from the force, causing people to drop their beverages and food.
Naruto was sent spiraling across the floor, and well before he could right himself, a foot met his stomach, Lee having darted at him faster than Naruto could even do anything about it.
He was sent into the air, and Lee chased after him, cocking his fist back to send him higher to perform the technique.
Just as he got close enough, he slammed his fist into Naruto's stomach, causing Naruto to cough out some blood, his internal organs now damaged. Yet, Naruto planted his hand on Lee's wrist at that moment, placing his Kanji onto the boy.
Lee swatted the hand away and launched him further up into the sky before throwing his bandages out to wrap around Naruto's form.
Naruto's eyes opened at that moment, red and pissed off, and he activated his seal just before he was pulled into Lee's attack.
Red Crucible blades shot out of Lee's form, shocking Lee as he felt no pain yet felt his movement suddenly restricted.
"Uzumaki style: Crimson bind!" Yelled an enraged Naruto, and in an instant, as though weighed by the heaviest object, Lee slammed to the ground like a rock, cracking the floor.
The red blades twisted on Naruto's orders, and it was then that Lee knew what was happening. He was being attacked on a spectral level.
Naruto gasped, trying his best to take in breaths, his insides feeling like they were in tatters.
He fell to one knee and coughed up blood, and Genma itched forward.
"Get back! Don't you dare!" yelled Naruto, and Genma, though worried, put his hands up and backed up.
"Ok, Ninetails. I know we don't interact often, and I consider this cheating. But I'm borrowing some of your power."
Naruto's hair stood, and his eyes became far more intense with the characteristic Kyuubi's. He let out a breath as he felt his intestines, which had been minced meat before, repair themselves to something manageable.
He coughed a wad of blood before wiping his mouth and standing up, glaring at Lee for giving him such a hard time. 'Whatever form he's in, it's absurd. Had I known I'd be facing such a beast, I would've... Nevermind.' Naruto thought with a sour tone.
He stood to his feet and walked towards the struggling Lee, and with outstretched hands, he wrapped his sealing chains around Lee.
The moment contact was made, Lee was thrown out of his gates and went unconscious due to having been working with willpower alone.
Genma then walked over to the crater and let out a sigh at seeing Lee unconscious, the red blads fading away, leaving no visible mark on the boy.
"The winner of the battle is Namikaze Naruto." Said Genma, and the crowd went wild, having not expected a match of such a caliber.
Line break.
Gai's shoulders dropped, and Kakashi was going to pat his friend on the back for support but stopped.
The man was happy.
"You did good, Lee. You showed them what a splendid ninja you truly are. You pushed someone deemed as the strongest of his this tournament to his very limit! What an honorable outcome for someone like yourself! I'm very proud of you." said Gai, tears welling up in his eyes.
Kakashi couldn't help but smile and pat Gai's back. The man was now crying, much to everyone's surprise.
"You trained him well, Gai," responded Kakashi.
The silver-haired man turned around and noticed Jiraiya's absence. 'As I thought.'
Tenten nodded while watching Lee be carried off in a stretcher. 'You were amazing, Lee."
Kiba crossed his arms and sighed. "That was intense. I don't know how he does it, but somehow, he won."
Ino smirked. "You were a hater."
Kiba rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'm going to the bathroom. I'll be back."
Ino ignored him and cheered for Naruto.
Line break.
{The arena}
On the ground level, the crowd was cheering the name Namikaze, yet that was far from Naruto's mind. Naruto did a self-check and deduced that he would be ok for the most part. Fractured ribs were much better than smashed intestines. On top of that, he had plenty of chakra to spare, about 70% or so.
As he stretched his limbs, he kept wincing and realized how bad some of the bruising was on top of that. Lee was fucking him up pretty bad.
It was then that the medical staff came rushing in to check on him.
"Namikaze-san, don't move so much. We need to do a quick check-up before we can let you off." said one of the medical units.
"Nope. No, I'm fine. I just need-"
"Let them check you out, Gaki." said Jiraiya's voice from behind.
Naruto groaned and was taken by the sleeve by Jiraiya, the staff following close behind.
"But I'm fine. I need-"
"No, trust me, this is much better. Just play it cool. You can't sneak up on anyone if they know where you are." interrupted Jiraiya.
Naruto relented and was dragged into the dark hall, disappearing from sight.
Line break.
{Kage box}
'So this is what Konoha's genin are capable of.' Thought Rasa, a feeling of anger welling up in him.
He knew the Wind Daimyo was no doubt having a discussion about how he wished his shinobi were this good. He is no doubt conjuring all kinds of deals with the Fire lord to buy missions from Konoha at a discount.
"That was splendid, was it not?" asked Hiruzen, purposefully rubbing the performance of his genin in Rasa's face, the old man sensing Rasa's frustration.
"Indeed. It was a wonderful showing of Konoha's young blood. They'll make for a wonderful addition to any force in the world. The Fire nation will surely cherish them." Responded to the Kazekage.
"Indeed. Namikaze-san is surely ready for chunin. I believe Lee has a good shot as well, given his impressive feat of entering the gates, but alas, that will require a more in-depth investigation."
The Kazekage frowned and nodded his head. "You have... a worthy generation of shinobi."
Hiruzen hid his smirk at Rasa's bitter tone and stood up to call a recess. Unfortunately, the stadium is not in a condition to host another match until a safety check is issued. That, and with drinks and food on the field, a cleanup is necessary.
Of course, this was a ploy to Give Naruto time, a believable one at that.
Line break.
Meanwhile, The Wind Lord was indeed discussing business with Fire country officials.
He sat back, taking a sip of his drink, and let out a content sigh.
"How I wish shinobi of my own country could produce such specimens. And to think, this country may once again see another yellow flash," said the amused Wind Lord.
Hisaki nodded, waving the servant over to grant them some more food, and as he did, the wind daimyo continued to speak. "I don't know how you do it, keeping your kage in line and bringing prosperity to such a level. It is truly impressive."
Asami raised a brow at this man's attitude toward his own country and Kazekage. To say something like that is nigh treasonous. There's obviously no pride in his own country. Unless... The wind Daimyo is saying what he thinks Hisaki wants to hear.
The Fire Lord didn't respond immediately, likely just as put off by this as she was.
'If only I had as much control over Hiruzen as he thinks I do.,' thought Hisaki as he grabbed a few biscuits.
"You flatter me. It is a tough task, but my council makes things manageable. But, enough of such things, tell me more about your little economic plan you have going on. I'm curious."
The Wind Lord's smirk grew.
From there, it was a spew of stupid ideas that Hisaki had to bob his head at to remain cordial.
'This is already turning out to be a really long day.'
Line break.
Kabuto, disguised as an Anbu, smirked under his mask at the results of the fight and couldn't help but shake his head.
"Wow. I have no words for the performance you put on, Namikaze. it was so good, you made me fall behind on my task. I do hope Orochimaru will forgive me." The young man said to himself in an amused tone.
He slipped through the shadows with ease as he turned his coms on for his allies to hear.
"Stage one has been completed. Move onto stage two and take the outposts. The barrier should be compressing behind the Anbu's patrol routes now." Kabuto spoke.
On the other side of the coms, he was given a simple confirmation that he was acknowledged and that the task would be handled via Pakura.
He smirked to himself, glad this was working out so far. It was then that he made it to the other side of the stadium, where Baki had watched the events go down.
"Kabuto." Acknowledged Baki.
Kabuto glanced around, thankful the man picked a spot where there were no Anbu around to monitor them.
"Are you busy?" Asked Kabuto, and Baki glared at the man.
"What kind of question is that?"
"An important one." Responded Kabuto.
Baki could hear the smile on Kabuto and shook his head. "Mind your business. You have your orders, and I have mine."
"Please tell me your orders have something to do with the little menace we just witnessed down there."
Baki whirled on Kabuto, ready to strike at him, but relented. "How do you know that?!" Hissed Baki.
Kabuto was silent for a moment, measuring a response to the obviously on-edge sand Jonin. "I didn't. It was a simple query. As an agent, I have intel I must be sure to act on if it impedes our mission, and the intel I have in my possession is something you'll want to hear if it involves Namikaze Naruto."
"And what is that?"
"Naruto has been given the task of eliminating Gaara by this village's higher-ups. If Gaara is left alone with him, it's game over. Given Gaara's terrible habit, it won't be long before he grows impatient and once again does something impulsive to... quench his Bijuu's thirst for blood."
Baki was frozen at this revelation. They can't wait for an opportunity to strike Naruto, not if the boy is going to strike first.
"Relax. I have an Idea. It's simple. Gaara will be the bait. The boy has hidden many traps throughout the stadium, and though I don't know where they are, using Gaara will lead us to him anyway. They plan on isolating an incident, so our best course of action is to turn the tables and eliminate Uzumaki in his own confined space."
Baki nodded, liking the Idea. "Lead the way."
Line break.
{Naruto POV}
Naruto was brought to a medical bay, but not one that would be given to the other contestants. Naruto was being fully repaired. After all, he wouldn't be fighting in the exams anymore. As of this moment, he can move freely.
His forearms were being tended to, as well as his ribs, the boy having had his upper torso exposed so they could work on his injuries.
"You shouldn't have hesitated. Lee could have taken it had you dispersed it in time." Said Jiraiya.
"I couldn't. I don't know how to disperse my Rasengan upon contact with another person because I've never used it on another person. Only a summoning creature." Responded Naruto.
Jiraiya raised a brow, not aware of this fact. "Oh? You can increase the size of the Rasengan but not disperse it?"
The boy sighed. "It's different. I've never thought about doing that. I didn't want to make him into paste. So, I hesitated."
Jiraiya thought about it for a moment, and understood where Naruto was coming from.
'I see. I think I'm getting a bit ruthless. Konoha may be in danger, but even still, i can't fault him for thinking that way. The mission is to also protect our own. His father would've seen it the same way.'
"I'll be leaving the stadium after this."
Naruto looked up and frowned. "why? We need you here."
"They won't let Gaara move around with me being here. I won't be far. Besides. I need to check on something important." said Jiraiya.
"Like what?" asked Naruto.
"I intend to make sure their little assault plan goes out the window, and the only way to do that is to see it for myself." Said Jiraiya as he handed Naruto his summoning scroll, getting ready to leave.
"I'm letting you borrow this. There are reverse summon seals already in there for both Ma and Pa. Those toads will be a huge help, so use them when you can. Don't move until the Anbu arrive."
With that, Jiraiya left Naruto to scheme on his own, the boy wincing at the feeling of his bones being set back in place.
"Sorry, Namikaze-san." whispered one of the nurses as she applied her chakra to his ribs.
"It's fine." Naruto bit out as he felt another fracture forcefully repaired.
Line break.
{The stands}
Kiba was coming down the stairs after having used the bathroom, and as he did, he noticed two Hyuga elders having a discussion near the entrance.
He ignored them and kept going, but when Hinata was brought up, he purposefully lingered a touch longer than he should've.
"What you speak of is greed beyond measure. Hinata is promised to the Fire Lord's son, Masuda. To go back on the proposal regardless of the lack of a written contract is dishonorable beyond measure." Spoke one elder.
"It is not dishonor if it hasn't been made official through pen and paper. The Namikaze name is a strategic point that could get us close to the very seat of power we've sought for so long. The Hokage position."
Kiba froze on his way down the stairs, his eyes wide in shock and horror.
'what did that old geezer say?! Hinata's getting married?!'
Line break.
Ino was talking with Asuma when she noticed Kiba stomping his way down the stairs, his expression extremely troubled.
"Sensei," said Kiba, walking toward Kurenai. "Did you know Hinata was engaged?"
Kurenai blinked at the sudden question. "where did you-"
"Some old geezers were talking about it, members of her clan."
Kurenai sighed. "interesting. Well, the truth is, I knew. But-"
"Why didn't you say something?! That's a huge deal for the entire team!"
"Hey! Chill out, kid. Let her finish," Asuma said in a rare and authoritative voice.
Kiba flinched away, and Kurenai sighed. "I have this, Asuma. Kiba, listen. I was ordered not to say anything because it was a clan matter. I am not allowed to share such information unless given permission from the clan itself. It was no one's business, not even mine. I was privy to it because Hinata wanted me to know. That was all."
Kiba crossed his arms and gritted his teeth, trying to calm down. "She wanted you to know but not me and Shino? Who is she even marrying?"
"Kiba, listen. Getting involved with Hyuga business isn't a good idea. Respect your teammate's privacy and leave it at that." Kakashi chimed in.
Before he could say anything back, Choji shoved him out of the way. The boy was fed up with standing in the way. "Sit down already! The match may be starting soon!"
Kiba sent Choji a glare, and Akamaru, to his surprise, barked at him, begging him to calm down.
Kiba slumped in his chair and crossed his arms, and Ino couldn't help but shake her head. He is such a kid sometimes.
Line break.
{The competitor box}
He walked into the room and saw everyone staring at him in a new light. Indeed, he made an even bigger name for himself, but he didn't care for that.
His eyes darted around the room in search of Gaara, and to his delight, he wasn't there. Nor were Shikamaru and Sakura, but that could be for different reasons.
"That was very impressive, Namikaze. You've improved since the last time I saw you fight."
Naruto turned around to see Hinata, and she was giving him a grin he'd never seen on her before.
He raised a brow at first but smiled back. "Yeah, well. I gotta praise Lee for putting up such a great fight. He may have won the exams had I not been his opponent."
She looked him up and down and nodded, grabbing his sleeve before he could slip away. "Did you get yourself checked out? You don't look so good."
He blinked and looked down at himself. He did look roughed up and battered. He was sporting bruises that were bound to make anyone's day unpleasant, but this was all by design. He was, after all, a henged clone. "Yeah. I did. I'll be okay with the next fight, trust me. I can handle a lot worse."
She frowned at his response, and to his horror, she used her Byakugan. Luckily, his clone jutsu is indistinguishable from the real one, but is still gave him a scare.
In her eyes, he needed to get himself checked out properly, but she couldn't coddle him like she could her own teammates, so she let it go. "Whatever you say."
He waved and left, letting out a breath and walking to where Sasuke was lounging as Hinata went back to Shino.
"Sup," Naruto said, leaning on the rail next to Sasuke.
Sasuke clenched his teeth but smirked. "You've been holding out on me."
Naruto raised a brow. He didn't understand the meaning of the comment at first. But then it dawned on him. Sasuke wasn't awake for the forest of death events, nor was he there during his preliminary match against Kiba. This was the first time he'd seen him fight in a while.
Naruto looked up in thought before nodding. "You were always out when I was fighting."
Sasuke didn't respond to that; not sure how to feel. How is he supposed to feel? Naruto is well beyond the skill he'd imagined him in. His own training feels... Fake, now that he knows Naruto can use high-level ninjutsu so easily and so proficiently. He has an arsenal that he wouldn't know how to counter. Their rivalry is probably one-sided now.
Sasuke was pulled out of his bitter thoughts when he heard Naruto's voice, and he turned to him. "Huh?"
"Where's Sakura?"
Sasuke looked back out at the field. "She left to talk to sensei."
Naruto nodded and leaned forward. "I'm a clone, by the way."
Sasuke looked at Naruto and really couldn't tell the difference. "What?"
"It's starting, so act natural. The real me is skulking around somewhere. If things don't go to plan, you know what to do."
Sasuke sighed and didn't acknowledge the comment too much, not wanting to draw attention to them.
Naruto was glad for it. More importantly, he was hiding his smile. In the backround, Gaara was having an episode, both Temari and Kankuro past the point of being able to do much other than watch his brother mutter to himself about giving blood to his... mother.
Line break.
{Land of Fire: Konohagakura: Third outpost.}
{Pakura Pov}
Konoha's outposts are huge strategic points of defense for the outer territories and the first gateway for large groups of people to get into Konoha's inner border.
The Sound Shinobi claim that they have disrupted the sensing barrier of Konoha, and with the word given from Kabuto to move forward, that's exactly what she did. She pushed her unit forward.
Now, she stood outside the barrier's limit. At least where they claim the barrier's limit is at this point and time. They are running on a clock. The further the disruption barrier gets, the closer they are to meeting the requirements to attack. With this pace, they have a couple of hours before they can raze the village to the ground.
"Ok. Summoning division. Pull out the first of Orochimaru's summoning scrolls. We're close enough where it makes no difference now." Said Pakura to the Otogakure-nin.
They obeyed and spread out, throwing out the summoning scrolls for the giant snakes to appear when the time was right.
Pakura nodded to them and inspected them halfheartedly. She isn't versed in this kind of stuff, so she didn't know to look for any inconsistencies in the patterns, no matter how minor. No one did. She was just making sure that it was an actual Oto summoning scroll.
When she was done, she nodded and got on her coms to the division behind her, letting them know to begin spread out and hide. Soon, they'll be close to the Anbu's patrol route. That's when things will get really stressful.
Not one noticed half of the scrolls having the Kanji for toad instead of snake. Jiraiya's toads had indeed left their mark.
Line break.
{Naruto POV}
"Put this on," said Yugao sternly as she handed the boy a cloak.
Naruto took it and put it on, sighing in exasperation at the thing being too big for him.
"I look stupid."
Under her mask, Yugao smiled and shook her head. "Just keep your face down, and it should be fine. Here." She handed him an earpiece, and he took it.
"Don't talk into it unless you're in trouble. You're sharing a channel with the Anbu Commander and me."
Naruto once again nodded and rolled up his sleeves, wincing at the terrible bruise on his side. There was only so much the medic-nin could do for him on such short notice. "How long do I have?"
"An hour."
With that, Yugao stepped out of the cramped room they were in, and Naruto took a breath, his nerves getting to him. 'Ok. This is happening. It's now or never. Let's hope my clone plays the part it's meant to. The sooner I get this done, the better.'
Line break.
{Kage box}
"I think we've kept the people waiting long enough, don't you think, Hokage-dono?" asked Rasa.
Hiuzen had received word that Naruto was now an available unit and nodded. "Now is the perfect time for things to kick off. I believe our two Hyuga prodigies are next."
Rasa nodded and leaned on the arm of his seat. "Hopefully, this will be as entertaining as the last match."
Hiruzen chuckled. "They'd be hard-pressed to emulate what came before, but as you can see, just about anything is possible here in Konoha."
Rasa rolled his eyes under his hat and took a sip of his drink. 'That arrogance of yours will be your downfall, old man.'
Orochimaru was thinking the exact same thing from behind him.
Line break.
{Daimyo's box}
Upon Hinata's name being shown on the large stadium screen, Masuda sat up, leaning forward to see the girl fight. He's been wanting to see her all day, to talk to her about... Well, just about anything, really.
"Father! Hinata is about to fight!' The boy yelled excitedly.
Hisaki, who was having a not-so-interesting conversation with the Wind Daimyo, took this as the perfect opportunity to pry himself away and entertain his son. "Is that so? This should be interesting. She's fighting her brother, it seems."
"Cousin, father. She's fighting Neji Hyuga."
Hisaki scratched his chin at that. He's not sure who's who in all of this. The Hyuga clan is a big family with a ridiculous number of members. It's no wonder they want to expand outside of their confined space, as expressed in their meeting.
He chuckled at that and shook his head. "Ah. Forgive me. They look alike, so I figured they must've been siblings."
Masuda shook his head. "They don't look alike at all! Hinata has lavender Byakugan eyes and is much prettier, I can assure you. Her features stand out immensely."
'Well, someone is more than a little smitten. She's a catch indeed, but maybe I should've slowed down on the betrothal. He can't see past her beauty.'
Hisaki looked over to his wife and noticed the wary glance she was giving Hinata, and sighed. 'It seems this solution has more than a few flaws in it. I may need to start thinking ahead with this Hyuga match.'
Line break.
{The stands}
The elder branch members of the Hyuga clan all had been waiting for this moment, but none more than Higashi Hyuga. The old man was ready to see his surrogate son triumph over the Main family's puppet and make an example out of her. The sooner Hinata is out of the running for clan head, the better.
You see, upon discovering Hinata's marriage to Masuda, their plans changed accordingly. Allowing her to control such a key asset to all of Fire country is not in their interest, and so the only way things can work out for them is if her position is reversed, and she'd made a simple bride rather than an heiress.
The main family is fickle in nature, so all it will take is one slip-up for them to either cast her out or to question her legitimacy. Neji just needs to get into her head, as discussed, and things should smoothen out from there.
Higashi let out a breath and crossed his fingers. 'Come now, Neji. Show them how far you've come. Show Hiashi who you are.'
Line break.
{VIP box}
"Ah. Very good. Our Hinata will get to show the world the power of the Hyuga clan," said Hiroshi, the old man waving for some beverages as he made himself a bit more comfortable.
Hanabi perked up with excitement at seeing two of her favorite people in the world, Neji and her sister, go toe to toe. She wanted to watch them spar all the time, so this was a dream come true for her.
Hiashi, on the other hand, saw this for what it was. An internal dispute between his uncle and father is being fought through the youngest generation of the clan. It was a terrible feeling and a showcase of this clan's greatest flaw and failure.
He looked down at an excited Hanabi and understood why Hinata said what she said to Hiroshi. Hanabi may very well be the personification of what Hinata was actually fighting for. At least, that's what he got from their conversation.
'I didn't even have the stomach to confront her. How disgraceful.' Thought Hiashi in a sour tone.
He patted her head and stood up. "I must excuse myself for a moment."
Hiroshi gave an annoyed look at that. "Now. Hiashi? The fight is about to begin."
Hiashi nodded. "We both know the results, so I won't be missing out on much. I did train her, after all."
Hiroshi stared for a moment before waving his hand. "Very well."
Hiashi grits his teeth and makes his way out of the box and into the halls. 'He presumes to dismiss me as though he is the head. I need to take the reigns of this household before it tears itself apart and fast.'
Line break.
{The competitor's box}
Neji had been waiting for this moment for the longest, and so had Hinata.
Within the box, everyone could feel the tension between the two, and now they were having a staring contest, a glare from Neji, and something akin to smug amusement from Hinata, a look she was imposing to get under his skin. Her eyes said it all, though. She was ready to get this over with.
"After you, cousin." Neji bit out, and Hinata gave a bow and moved first, the two disappearing into the dark hall.
Naruto, however, wasn't able to see this interaction. Not with Gaara so close to him and beyond unstable. It was then that he was given a neat Idea.
"Alright. I'm leaving to use the bathroom. I'll be back, teme."
Naruto left Sasuke's side, and the Uchiha gave a simple wave, having half a mind to follow close behind in case something bad happened. But he knew better.
'Even if I can't fight Gaara, surely they'll skip him so I can fight either Hinata or Neji, depending on who wins here.'
As expected, Gaara stood from his meditating spot and followed after Naruto, sand particles circling him and making his presence even more foreboding.
'Well... It worked. Good luck, Uzumaki.' Thought Sasuke.
Temari and Kankuro looked at one another and nodded before following close behind, knowing what was about to go down.
Line break.
{The stands}
Both Hinata and Neji stepped onto the battlefield, and the crowd was going crazy. Kiba was cheering the loudest, aside from Masuda, of course.
Choji, who was trying to cook the last of his pork dumplings, was not happy with Kiba's bouncing around, his steam pot being knocked about with all the cheering he was doing.
It was when some of it spilled on Akamaru and the dog jumped up and onto Kiba's face that a chain reaction occurred. Before Kurenai or Asuma could catch the fumbling boy, Kiba had already fallen onto Choji's setup and ruined the second part of his lunch.
Ino burst out into hysterical laughter at the sight of Choji's blank and infuriated glare and Kiba's awkward yelp at the steam scalding him. Even some of the crowd had a laugh, save for the poor guy below them who was yelling in pain from having steaming water poured onto his head,
Kakashi sighed and went to help the civilian, successfully de-escalating the situation before things got ugly, all while Choji had a meltdown, going into the worst fit Ino had ever seen. It only made her laugh more.
Tenten shook her head, regretting deciding to sit with these immature brats. 'Man. Why did I have to get so unlucky with my match-up? I could be down there fighting, but instead, I'm... here.'
Line break.
{The arena}
Neji and Hinata made their way onto the field and stood some feet apart, both of them trying to get their nerves under control. Looming over them was the expectation of their side of the clan. The weight of a hundred years of tradition was on their shoulders.
"Do you know how long I've waited for this moment, Hinata?" asked Neji as he removed his headband, showing off his curse mark.
Hinata shook her head slowly, and Neji continued. "Since I was Six years old. I've yearned for this moment since the age of Six, the age I was when I had this ugly thing etched upon my forehead. I was six when my father died, but you know that story quite well. Don't you?"
Hinata said nothing, so Neji continued. " The opportunity to show the world who you truly are. That is why I am here today. That mask that you wear to please the main family, to hide your weak self, I'll tear it down. You haven't changed, Hinata. I see it."
Hinata gave a curious look and crossed her arms. "Oh, really? Tell me. What do you see, Neji?"
"I see someone who has already lost everything and is simply clinging on to the last vestige of strength they have left in this world. That is what I see." Said Neji.
"You're referring to Hanabi," Hinata whispered, and Neji smirked.
"Indeed. Though you managed to avoid the fate of being branded like me, we both know this clan is cruel and unforgiving. When the time comes, your sister will be branded, and you will be the one to do it."
"Higashi told you this," Said Hinata. It was a statement, More than anything, one Neji didn't want to acknowledge.
"You see, Neji. This is why you should've kept your mouth shut. You don't speak for yourself in this matter. I only hear that old man taunting me through you. If you keep it up, it'll get you killed."
Neji's eyes narrowed. "I have a voice, Hinata. I am not a simple puppet like you. I have real allies in my corner, real friends and family who want me to win and end this tyranny. Unlike you, my grandfather cares about me."
"He is good at acting like that, isn't he? If he truly does, then Lucky you. They took you in with open arms when you needed them most. A shame the same wasn't done for me when I was cast out."
"You don't get to play victim, Hinata." Neji bit out, and Hinata smirked.
"Who said I was? I was just stating a fact. I was cast out by the main family first, remember? You should, considering you were the reason it happened. I made friends in your community and made myself vulnerable to them. But because I didn't share the same brand as them, guess what they did?" asked Hinata.
Neji remained silent, so Hinata shrugged. " Higashi ordered I be cast out of the branch compound too. All because of something Hiroshi did to him. The people I looked up to and cherished turned on me without hesitation. It was as though they never cared. It made me realize that, in the end, they see me as an enemy and nothing more. Even the woman who cared for me like a mother turned against me. It was all fake." Hinata bit out. "So forgive me for harboring a bit of envy."
Neji sighed and fell into his stance. "Enough talk. They are listening."
Hinata fell into her own, and Genma, who felt out of place at the moment, was finally able to call the match. "I hope they are."
In the stands, Hiroshi was furious, and Higashi was laughing. Indeed. This was exactly what the old man wanted.
'Oh, brother. See how this generation views you?' Thought Higashi with glee.
Line break.
{Temari POV}
Kankuro and Temari were racing far behind Gaara so as not to piss him, stress written across their faces.
"Gaara!" Temari harshely whispered. "D-don't do anything-"
"forget it, Temari! We can't stop him. That's not Gaara. It's that... thing inside him. We can only... back him up."
Temari threw her arms up in the air, the girl rightfully about to have a panic attack. "I-I can't do this! I can't deal with one of his episodes at a time like this, not when we're dealing with something of this scale! It's unreasonable!"
Kankuro shook Temari's shoulders. "Listen! I know! But right now, we don't have a choice!"
"Keep moving, you two."
Both genin jumped at the voice and saw a masked figure, Kankuro bringing crow out as fast as Temari did her fan.
"Easy there. I'm an ally. Gaara is about to ensnare himself. Stop him before it's too late."
The kids nodded and ran after the boy as he turned a corner, Kabuto staying behind with Baki to observe.
Naruto had wandered into the public medical bay and was seemingly here to pick something up when Gaara appeared in the doorway.
"Uzumaki." Gaara drawled. "I know who you are. I saw it."
Naruto slowly turned around a scowl on his features. "Oh? And Who am I?"
"You... Are me."
"We are nothing alike."
Gaara chuckled, and the cork on Gaara's gourd flew off and smashed through a glass jar and into the wall like a bullet, and sand came pouring out. "Relax, Mother, relax. There will be lots, I promise, I promise!"
Naruto didn't like this at all. 'He is not stable. Is he communicating with someone? Or... wait.'
"Who're you talking to?"
"Ninetails" Gaara's voice was guttural in that instant, and his eyes yellow.
Naruto instantly felt Shukaku's demonic chakra, and as fast as it appeared, it faded, leaving Gaara holding his head in pain.
"You are just like me. Just different... But the same. Much the same. I don't know why I didn't see it before, but I do now. You represent everything that I am. I've never wanted anything more."
Naruto leaned forward. "Tell me. What do you want?"
"Blood!" Gaara screamed, and sand bulleted at Naruto and smashed against the room, shaking the floor from how violent it was.
Gaara was laughing as he began to step into the room, but just then, Kankuro grabbed Gaara's shoulder.
"Gaara! Stop! He's danger-Ack!" Kankuro yelled in pain as Gaara slammed his sand into the boy, trapping him against the wall.
"Stay out of my way, or I'll crush you too!" The boy yelled, not noticing Kabuto standing behind him.
Gaara whirled and waved his hand at the man, shocked he managed to get into his personal space, but his eyes drooped, and the last he saw before falling asleep was Kabuto holding a hand sign up.
Temari, who had just caught up with them, was thankful for how things turned out and breathed a sigh of relief. "T-thank goodness," she whispered.
Baki walked past her and into the room with Naruto, the blonde sitting upside down on the ceiling, having avoided the earlier attack with ease.
"We'll take it from here. Kankuro. Take Gaara away from here. Somewhere safe so he can wake up without disturbance. Temari. Watch the entrance, please.
They nodded nervously and got to work.
Baki looked around for any traps, and Kabuto shook his head. "There aren't any. I don't think he rigged this place."
Baki looked around some more before nodding, and They both stepped into the room cautiously.
"Well, Uzumaki. We have you cornered, so don't try anything stupid." Baki said in a calm voice.
Naruto flipped off the ceiling and onto the sand-ridden table in a crouch. "Anbu-san. Are you Kabuto Yakushi?"
Kabuto chuckled under the mask and nodded. "Ah. You're a sensor. Makes sense."
Naruto looked at the two kids itching forward and got nervous.
"Temari, watch the entrance. As for you, kankuro, take Gaara somewhere safe," said Baki as he prepared a jutsu. "Looks like your master plan failed, Namikaze."
Naruto said nothing, and as Kabuto began to flank the boy, he noticed something terribly wrong. His eyes widened under his mask, and he yelled out. "Baki! Move!"
Baki's eyes widened and followed after Kabuto, only for a barrier to flicker into existence. It happened just after Kabuto got through.
Naruto gave a sigh of relief, and Baki cursed. "So? What now, Uzumaki? Are you going to take me on in this confined space?" Said the Jonin, whipping out a kunai.
"Please don't haunt me." The boy whispered.
Baki was confused at this, and outside the barrier, Kabuto remained very still. "It seems we've been outplayed.
"What?" Asked Temari, confused and worried for her sensei. "He has everything under control, right?"
"We need to find Kankuro, and fast."
Before Temari could say anything, Kabuto sped away, leaving Temari to watch what was going down.
She unfurled her fan and prepared to break her sensei out.
Meanwhile, within the barrier, Baki understood his situation better now.
"Is this Suicide?"
Naruto shook his head. "I'm a clone."
Baki grit his teeth. To be taken out by a twelve-year-old before the war even started. How ungraceful.
With a hand sign, seals all around the room went off at once, and the confined space became a hellfire instantly.
Temari resisted a scream at what she saw. In a flash, Bai was engulfed in an inferno. Seeing the silhouette of her sensei thrashing and banging against the barrier to no avail made her panic, and she started throwing wind jutsu of all kinds at the barrier to little effect.
"Baki!" The girl yelled in shock.
Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do to save him.
Line break.
{Kankuro Pov}
Kankuro had traveled onto a different floor, the same one the Competitor's box was in, and set Gaara down in the registration room, far from the chaos.
He sighed and slumped against the wall, exhausted mentally. "You stupid twerp. Getting us into all kinds of trouble like always. Stupid little brothers,"
"Yeah. I know the feeling."
Kankuro jumped to his feet and saw a cloaked Naruto leaning against the large doorway.
Kankuro was glad he chose a lobby. There were plenty of exit options, including simply leaving the arena altogether.
"How did you escape, Baki sensei?" asked Kankuro.
Naruto's expression became dour for a moment, befre his eyes started glowing with hostility, and the moment he stepped into the room, a barrier much like the one Baki and Kabuto were in flickered into existence.
"A magician never reveals his secret. I figured, being a puppet master, you'd understand," Naruto said quietly. The dreaded sound of chains hitting the marble floor made Kankuro want to throw up; the stress of his situation hit him like a train.
The lights in the room flickered on and off, leaving the only thing illuminating the space being Naruto's chains.
Kankuro, knowing he needed to act, threw out the crow and sent the puppet for Naruto. The chains moved instinctively, and the two objects collided.
"Checkmate."
Line break.
End Chapter.
{A/N}
Another 14k chapter complete.
To MaxPrime. You should be afraid. No character will be safe in my story. This is only the beginning.