Ino looked across the way and found herself facing Shizuka. The short, green-haired girl looked dangerous, and Ino wasn't about to back down. She wanted to prove that all the work she had put into becoming a skilled kunoichi had paid off. She wanted to show Kaza how much she had grown and to make sure everyone knew she was no longer just a fangirl. As she prepared herself, she looked into her green-eyed foe's determined gaze.
Shizuka, the shortest person in the class, had long, unkempt green hair that flowed across her back. Despite her small stature, she exuded a formidable presence. Her green eyes glowed with energy as she bowed and readied herself for the fight.
As the match began, Ino moved forward, narrowly avoiding capture by vines that erupted from the broken stone tiles. The vines twisted and darted at her, attempting to ensnare her. Ino sidestepped one and cut down another with her kunai. She hadn't known that Shizuka could use vines to attack. Respect for her foe grew within her; Shizuka was another talented kunoichi from Konoha.
Ino dodged and cut through the vines, though a few thorny strikes managed to cut into her skin. She couldn't afford to remain on the defensive; if she did, she would be slowly overwhelmed. Plus, she didn't have the time or space to use her Mind Transfer Jutsu.
Her movements were graceful and impressive, showcasing her improvement. Everyone in the arena noticed it. Her work with Kaza after her defeat had been invaluable. Thinking about what Kaza would do, she devised a plan of her own.
As she moved, she dropped a series of smoke bombs over the area, working her way up to get a clear view of the arena from atop the hands of the seal statue. Smiling, she performed a complex set of hand seals before declaring, "Mind Transfer Jutsu!"
Shizuka, about to fire more vines, froze as Ino took control of her body. Ino's body hung from one of the statue's hands, her belt tied to it and her foot.
"I surrender," Shizuka declared, raising her hand as Ino controlled her. Ino had won the fight with as much cunning as anything else. However, as the belt began to tear, her body was about to fall to the ground when she returned to it.
In mid-fall, Ino braced herself for impact but didn't hit the ground. She was caught in mid-air, finding herself in Kaza's arms. He had moved quickly to save her, using all his speed to reach her in time.
"That was good, Ino. Tricky, but you found a way to win. Next time, please be a bit more careful," Kaza said, holding her for a moment longer before gently setting her down.
Ino smiled, feeling a mix of relief and pride. "Thanks, Kaza. I'll be more careful next time, I promise."
"Good work, Ino. Creating the distance and using the smoke bombs as a diversion was really smart," Kaza added as he returned to their side, looking at the others. He could see the smirk on Ace's lips, knowing his brother wasn't going to let Ino get hurt.
Sakura smiled as well, elbowing Ino in the side. "So, you won and got Kaza to hold you. You're playing big brain mode today, aren't you?" Sakura teased, grinning at her friend.
Ino blushed slightly but smiled back. "Just doing what I needed to win," she replied, glancing at Kaza, who was still smiling proudly.
"Well, you did great. Now let's see who's up next," Ace said, looking towards the arena with anticipation.
The group waited and watched as the next foes were shown, it was going to be another big fight, another match up between Konoha ninja, and this time between family. Both Kaza and Ace were glad they didn't need to worry about this. They were both very glad for that fact too.
The next match was Neji vs Hinata, the two of them getting into the arena as they would go at it. The two Hyuuga members squaring off against one another.
"Wow, this is going to be interesting," Ace commented. "A match between cousins. Let's see how this plays out."
"Yeah, I don't think Hinata has the form to keep up, sadly," Kaza mused. He was soon proven right, but it was also obvious that Hinata had a lot of heart and guts to keep going in a fight she was completely outmatched in. However, those guts would only take her so far, and she was eventually knocked out, allowing Neji to advance.
The next match was announced: Amara from Sunagakure vs. Sakura Haruno. Sakura headed down to the arena, seeing her opponent—a graceful brown-haired teen her age with long, lush hair and soft green eyes. Sakura smiled, sensing that this would be an interesting and challenging fight. "Good luck, Amara. I wish you the best," she said, preparing for the match.
"Likewise, Sakura. I've heard about you, and I must admit I'm curious to fight such a ninja as yourself," Amara responded with a bow before taking up her fighting stance. "I want to stay here as long as I can and go as far as I can to prove myself and my path."
"I see. Let's put on a show then," Sakura said as she waited for the match to start.
The match began with both girls attempting to use genjutsu. Each time Sakura tried, Amara countered, and vice versa. They moved quickly, their hand seals a blur as they dispelled each other's genjutsu or countered with their own.
To the crowd, it wasn't an impressive fight at first glance, but those who understood the high level of strategy and skill involved appreciated the intense mental battle between the two girls.
After a while, both girls realized they were evenly matched and wouldn't win through genjutsu alone.
"I didn't see this coming. You're really good, Amara," Sakura admitted.
"Thank you. That's so nice to hear from you, Sakura, or anyone, honestly," Amara replied with a smile, her friendly nature showing through.
The two then engaged in hand-to-hand combat, each trying to find an advantage. Quick movements, attacks, and kicks were countered, dodged, and blocked. The fight was evenly matched, and both girls were slowly getting tired, worn down from the prolonged genjutsu battle and the physical exertion. It was a complete test of their abilities, will, and endurance.
Breathing hard, they looked at each other. "One more exchange," Sakura said confidently.
"Yeah, let's leave it all out here in this moment. Sakura, win or lose, thanks for the fun fight. I won't be mad either way," Amara said, moving forward at the same time as Sakura.
The two rushed at each other across the stone floor, landing simultaneous hits. Sakura rotated into her punch more than Amara, which made the difference. They both fell to the ground, but Sakura managed to get back on her feet. She walked over to the kind Sand ninja and helped her up.
"Thanks for the fight, Amara. I hope I get a chance to get to know you better," Sakura said with a smile before retreating to her own side.
Sakura smiled at her teammates. "Well, clean sweep," she said, looking at both Kaza and Ace. The three of them were moving on to the next round of the exams.
"You were pretty good out there, Sakura. I mean, that was a close fight, but you have really turned into an impressive kunoichi and you're still a worthy rival," Ino remarked with a smile, glancing at her friendly rival.
Sakura grinned appreciatively at Ino. "Thanks, Ino. You were amazing too. We've all come a long way since the academy, haven't we?"
"Yep we have," Ino replied with a nod of her head. They had both found their own paths as ninja and kunoichi outside of just chasing after Sasuke.
"Yep, have to say I am proud of you too," Ace said as he put his hand around Sakura giving her a smile, "Now, you are really impressive, you have always been able to surprise me and show me how cool you really are."
Sakura blushed slightly at Ace's compliment but maintained a confident smile. "Thanks, Ace. Coming from you, that means a lot."
"Brother is right, Sakura, we wouldn't be Team Aoba without you, you're really amazing," Kaza added in.
"Yep, we wouldn't want to deal without you at all, our team is good cause each of you bring something special to the table and I know I for one am proud to be each of your teachers," Aoba added in.
Sakura felt a surge of warmth from the praise of her teammates and sensei. "Thank you, everyone," she said sincerely, her smile widening. "I'm proud to be part of this team too. Let's keep supporting each other like this all the way through."
"That was the last fight so let us see who the finals matchups will be," Aoba said as he looked at the board as they appeared one by one. Shikamaru gets a bye, Sasuke vs Gaara, Naruto vs Neji, Shino vs Kankuro, Ino vs Sakura, Ace vs Dosu, and Kaza vs Miraju.
"Well Ino, best not hold back this month, I can't wait to see which one of us wins in the finals," Sakura said with a playful smile on her lips.
"You know it, I am going to put in all the work I can to be ready for you Sakura. I know you will do the same too," Ino added feeling excited, but ready to get to work too for the month of training.
"Team Aoba let us go get something to eat, Soba sound good," Aoba commented to which the team all nodded.
"Ino, talk to you later,' Kaza said as he held her hands for a moment and kissed her very quickly, before turning and leaving.
Ino blushed deeply as she looked at Kaza go, she had no clue he would be so bold with her. Yet, she wasn't going to complain in the least. She felt her heart beating quickly before she too was reminded of the celebration barbeque her team would be having.
At the soba stand, the four of them ordered their own plates. "Okay, I have an idea for how each of you three will be training this month," Aoba commented, looking at them intently. "Sakura, I'll see if I can get Kurenai to help you with genjutsu. She's the best, and I think she can greatly improve your skills in that area, as well as overall as a kunoichi. Kaza, there's no question your dad will be training you hard this month. Ace, starting tomorrow, you're my student every day. I'll push you hard to ensure you're fully prepared for the finals too."
The three agreed, knowing Aoba genuinely cared and wouldn't steer them wrong. Kaza understood only his father could effectively train him in light release techniques. Ace recognized Aoba's strong fire release abilities and martial skills, trusting his mentorship. Sakura eagerly anticipated working with Kurenai, renowned for her expertise in genjutsu, to enhance her skills in that area.
The meal passed quickly as they shared plans and discussed potential matchups, filled with excitement about reaching the finals. Kaza and Ryota recalled how Ryota had made it to the finals in his first attempt but had fallen ill and been disqualified before facing Minato.
That night, the four returned home, prepared for the challenges ahead. They knew there were obstacles they hadn't anticipated, but they were beginning to demonstrate their worth and emerge as the future of Konoha.