(Chapter 46: A Preliminary Beatdown Begins)
It would soon be that following week and a half later as everyone after having taken time to recover and regroup thanks to the medics dispatched to patch up anyone who had lingering injuries during their stint in the Forest of Death were more than ready to have things get started…After all the sole thing on everyone's minds at that moment was making it to the finals, and at long last gaining that one further step closer to the rank of Chunin.
(July 9th, 998 S.E, Forest of Death, 12:00 Noon)
It would be the long-awaited day of the Preliminaries at hand, as all genin teams and their senseis were in attendance waiting for the 1st match to begin as the proctor for it soon arrived.
"Of all the things to happen in the Exams, Lyoto-sensei as the proctor for this was not one of them." Sasuke said in surprise of seeing his master down below as the designated proctor
"On the bright side, its someone who knows what their doing. I would rather have my brother than some dickhead that doesn't know what the hell they're doing." Kazushi spoke being rather happy to see her brother as part of the Exams
"Hello, everyone. I am Lyoto Senju and I will be your proctor for the Preliminary Round of the Chunin Exams." Lyoto spoke as he turned toward a large screen
"As it stands with so many participants here, we will begin a series of randomized matches to decide who will be fighting whom. Furthermore, the rules for this are simple as there is only one allowed. No killing of any participant, any of that and it will be grounds for immediate disqualification…That being said, however, let us begin with our 1st match." Lyoto further spoke as the screen flashed through a pair of names in bright green
"Who do you think is going to be 1st?" Naruto asked Sasuke
"I don't know, but hopefully it will be at least somewhat entertaining. The last thing I need is to be bored to death before my match begins." Sasuke answered back before the names flashed as to who would be battling it out
"I don't know about you, Sasuke. But getting a sibling battle is gonna be something else." Naruto remarked as the names flashed to have Temari and Gaara fighting each other
"...Ooohhh, you are so screwed Temari. This just really isn't your week isn't it?" Kankuro said as Gaara simply leaped down from the railing with such force that the ground cracked beneath her
"I don't want to fight her, she'll kill me!" Temari replied as Gaara looked up expectantly at Temari
"I'm pretty sure she's going to do a lot worse if you forfeit. She already doesn't like you, do you really want to push it with her?" Kankuro asked as Gaara glared at Temari with nothing but lethal intentions that were far more malicious than what she would inflict on her regular victims
"Temari, if you are not down here within the next minute, then I use my sand to drag you down here whether you want to fight or not...Either way you will come down here and face me, right this second." Gaara told or rather ordered of Temari as the sands around her began to swirl and thicken between it's sand state and sharpening into jagged blades of sandstone and quartz
'It looks like I don't have choice then.' Temari said to herself as the look Gaara gave her said 'You will no longer have the ability to walk if you keep me waiting'
So with a nervous gulp and steadying of her nerves, she reluctantly walked down the staircase towards the wide expanse of the arena-like floor below to face her sister who was forming her sand into a pair of wicked-looking butterfly knives in both hands. Wherein Temari held her fan aloft ready to combat against her younger sister who held nothing but lethal intentions in her aquamarine colored eyes, whilst all Gaara had on her mind was slashing her supposed sister to ribbons.
Hence why in the very moment Lyoto told them to begin, did Gaara come rocketing towards Temari with a concussive burst of sand propelling her with both of her butterfly knives ready to slice open Temari like a Thanksgiving ham. The fan wielder in question was quick to open her fan to 2 moons in order to blast Gaara away from her with a gale of power winds that shredded the ground beneath her as it raced towards the redhead, yet Gaara was able to evade it by summoning a Sand Clone to grab her by the wrist and throw her out of harms way.
The sand-manipulating redhead quick using her sand to push off and fly towards her at great speeds, landing a short flurry of slashes across Temari's back, causing a yelp of pain to come from her as she swung her large fan to bludgeon Gaara, but the more lithe Gaara was much more agile as she ducked under the blow and used her right blade to stab into Temari left thigh. All before extending her left knife to the size of a kodachi to stab into ribs before yanking it out as a spiked blade of quartz that tore out parts of Temari's lower ribs as though they were a trout caught on a fisherman's hook.
Temari once again went for another swing of her war fan, but was stopped when an unexpected headbutt to her nose stunned her briefly, but it was enough for Gaara to trap her legs in sand and use it to break both of them in 3 places, before jamming both of her blades into her stomach up to the hilt. The redhead in question then grabbed her elder sister by her buns and using them as handholds to launch a rising knee strike into her nose so hard that you could hear cartilage and bone-crunching, as it was shifted an unnatural 120 degrees to the left.
Yet Gaara was quick to follow by summoning sand around her left hand to turn into a sandstone-covered cestus, and with as much strength as she could muster struck her with a massive left hook to the temple that sent her flying some 60 feet with a large blackish purple welt on the side of her face, and blood pouring down the side of it. Lyoto announced Gaara the winner via knockout given how Temari was out cold and twitching from the clear-as-day concussion she was sporting from her nearly caved in skull, as medics came rushing forward to cart her out on a stretcher.
'That takes care of that.' Gaara said to herself as she then summoned a sand cloud to float toward Naruto's team on
"That was a helluva show you put on there Gaara. That was absolutely incredible!" Naruto said to Gaara who floated up towards Team Kazushi
"Thank you for the compliment, Naruto. However, it wasn't as hard as you would think to defeat her. All it was, was a simple matter of being able to close the distance between us. After that, any of her best wind jutsu were really useless…unless she has the chance to swing it; then it is hardly any more useful than a cudgel." Gaara replied as the screen once again flashed through opponents
"At the very least, we were able to see that your skills were not for show…Naruto was right, you certainly are powerful." Sasuke said back as Gaara's face lit up upon hearing Naruto talk about her in a positive light
"I-I appreciate that. However, I think that we should turn our attention towards who will be fighting next." Gaara spoke as the screen flashed through matches
What with the following matches being Hinata vs Ino whom the former won via a landslide due to Ino being incredibly lackluster against Hinata's Gentle Fist, Yoroi forfeiting against Toshiro due to knowing full well that the rather emotionally unhinged jinchuuriki was a death-match waiting to happen. From there Shino while fighting near close match against Zaku and his use of sonic airwaves, he was penultimately forced to give up when the Aburame clogged his air ports with his insects…after that the next match led to Sasuke fighting against Tenten.
"This oughtta be good, our kickass swordsman vs a literal Kumo Army Knife. This is gonna be a heck of a show for the history books; to see whose better with a blade." Naruto remarked as Sasuke held a confident smirk on his face
"It matters not how many weapons she wields, she will still fall to my swords like anyone else." Sasuke said before his smirk widened into a grin
"Better yet, she just might be the perfect test subject for one of my 3-Swords-Techniques." Sasuke added
"Just remember to take your own advice alright? She's still a threat to you if you aren't on your A-game." Naruto advised to the Uchiha who began heading down to face her
"Don't worry, someone like her will never catch me off-guard. Not in this lifetime, Naruto" Sasuke replied as he headed down with his hands on his swords
From there Sasuke whose left hand rested on the handles of his swords approached Tenten who held a confident look on her face, while by contrast Sasuke's was a steel mask of indifference as he drew his chokuto and jian against Tenten. As such Tenten was quick to dash away and leap into the air before unsealing one of her scrolls to throw a litany of shuriken, daggers, scythes and other various sharp weapons at the Uchiha who remained unphased at the barrage of sharp weapons coming his way.
Given that as far as Sasuke was concerned, that even with his eyes in their base state, all of Tenten's weapons were headed towards him with the speed of a 3-toed-sloth, hence his ability to deflect the barrage of weapons with the greatest of ease. The fact that he did so with an almost casual level of ease in his defense against it, especially since he semi-cheekily reflected a kunai to essentially bitch-slap her in the face with the blunt end of it, as such she did the only thing she could think of in anger.
Which was attempting to use her Twin Rising Dragons technique to show him that she meant business, however the moment she went to bring out her scrolls to utilize the technique; Sasuke had closed the distance and slashed her twiceover across the stomach with his Jian…The weapons mistress fell to the ground before the Uchiha slashed across the collarbone with his chokuto, sending her skidding away from him for 15 feet; said swordsman having an indifferent look on his face.
"If you are going to fight me as a weapons mistress, then do so as that. Not throwing weapons around like a child throws their toys in a temper tantrum…At least have the common decency to strike with actual purpose next time, and hear I thought you could make this interesting.." Sasuke said as he held his blades aloft in a high-guard stance as an insulted Tenten summoned forth a glaive
"I'm going to make you eat those words." Tenten retorted as Sasuke only looked at her with mild annoyance
"When you force me to use my Sharingan, then I will take you seriously. Until then I only see a glorified storage scroll." Sasuke shot back as Tenten could only grow more red-faced at the insult
From there Tenten dashed forward to engage Sasuke thrusting her polearm with all-out aggression, in order to prove her pride, and have the Uchiha take her seriously as an up-and-coming weapons mistress of the village. However, Sasuke was able to easily parry and deflect Tenten's swings and thrusts with the greatest of ease given how training alongside his teammates, as well as with Lyoto and his stupendously fast training partner in Naruto; made Tenten's strikes seem as though they came in slow-motion by comparison.
Which made Sasuke use this as a chance to polish up his defensive skills and use mainly counters to punish Tenten for coming towards him with her glaive, using his immense speed and precision to deflect her strikes with one blade and land punishing counter-strikes with the other that cut through her as though she were made of hot butter. What with Tenten in seeing her range advantage being overwhelmingly nullified by each attempt to slash or impale Sasuke with her glaive being parried, and met with an immediate riposte; she found herself on the backfoot scrambling to summon another weapon to her aid.
Something that Tenten was unwillingly given when Sasuke used his Aligator's Severing to slice her glaive in half and follow through with a reverse-handed slash that cut deep into her right thigh; spraying crimson all over the floor. The up-and-coming weapons mistress barely avoiding her cheek getting sliced off by Sasuke's chokuto, as she then switched to dual sickles in the hopes of being able to take on the Uchiha at his own game of dual blades.
The task of which while admirable was rendered quickly and penultimately futile, as in the same moment she whipped them out in order to face Sasuke; the Uchiha in a impressive show of speed had already dashed behind her, disarmed her of her weapons, and landed twin slashes across her back. From there Tenten was quickly forced on the backfoot as Sasuke rushed forward like a tiger in full sprint of its prey, the weapons' mistress having to duck, dodge and weave her way out of every sword swing possible to avoid getting turned to mincemeat by Sasuke; whilst everyone watched Sasuke put on an absolute clinic.
"I have to say, I am impressed by young Sasuke's display of swordsmanship, Kazushi. It truly is incredible to see such skills on display." Might Guy spoke as while he wasn't a talent in kenjutsu even he could appreciate the skill that came from
"What can I say, Guy. My dumbass kids are just that good, I mean don't get me wrong yours are pretty great themselves…Unfortunately, it looks like Tenten met her match in, Sasuke. Goes to show that being a jack of all trades, doesn't really cut it against someone who's really good at their shit." Kazushi said back wincing as Sasuke cut clean through her meteor hammer with a Great Panther's Tearing
"As much as I have been trying to get Tenten to not spread herself so thin, she insists on being as versatile as possible to fully realize her goal of being a weapons' mistress…While I admire her Flames of Youth, to be that committed to her goal. I hate that it leaves her this exposed." Might Guy replied watching throughout the bout as Sasuke sliced and pierced his way through whatever weapons she used to fight against him
"On the plus side of this little show. This is gonna be one helluva learning experience for her." Kazushi said back as Sasuke used both blades to turn her kanabo to thinly sliced hunks of wood and metal
'I think it's about time that I put an into this, as much as it's made for a light workout.' Sasuke said to himself as he gripped his chokuto and jian in both hands before taking out his 3rd blade
"Oh this just got interesting. Let's see if you can really pull this off, Sasuke" Lyoto said as he saw Sasuke put his odachi in his mouth
With Sasuke then summoning forth his reserves of physical strength and speed to the point that the ground beneath him began to crack, as his chakra became visible as he locked onto Tenten as a leopard would lock eyes onto its prey. All the while a bloodied and slashed-up Tenten decided to once again try to go for her Twin Rising Dragons technique as she leaped into the air with both scrolls aloft, as she began to enact the technique to hopefully get in an attack to at least weaken if not defeat the Uchiha Swordsman.
However, the moment that both scrolls surrounded her as though twin serpentine dragons were coiling around her did Sasuke shout ' Oni-Giri' as he bolted towards her with such lethal intent that it made her heart freeze as for that brief moment she could've sworn that instead of Sasuke launching towards her; it was a violet skinned oni. Hence why by the the time she came to her senses and realized what was headed towards her, it was too late to defend as Sasuke in that instance had sliced her scrolls in half and not only left a large gash across her stomach but also borderline shattered her lower to mid ribs as three-separate but equally large gashes appeared across her stomach and midsection.
What with Sasuke acting faster than she could blink as she began to fade into unconsciousness from the bloodloss sheathed his swords, and caught her in time so that she wouldn't land on the hard concrete littered with the shattered remains of her weapons. From there on after Lyoto named him the victor of his bout he handed her off to the medics so that they could quickly get her patched up after being utterly decimated in their contest against one another.
"Well done, Sasuke. I will be the first to admit that you put on a heck of a clinic against Guy's student." Lyoto said with pride in his apprentice
"Thank you, Lyoto-sensei. Although, even I will be the first to admit that using her as a test subject for my 3 Swords Style was a touch overkill…I hope that she makes a quick and speedy recovery in the future." Sasuke said in full admission of his Oni-Giri having been overboard as a finishing blow
"That is a fair assessment, but you made the call that you thought was necessary to finish it. Something that is neccessary if you want to become Chunin." Lyoto replied
"Fair enough. Anyways, I will be returning to the stands alongside my teammates." Sasuke said back as he walked up to join Naruto and Sakura
'Huh, Oni-Giri? Gotta say that's a new one.' Naruto said over the Mind-Radio
'Look, it was the best I could come up with at the time. Unless you have any better ideas?' Sasuke telepathically responded
'No, not really. It's just hilarious that you beat Tenten with a rice-ball attack.' Naruto spoke with a snicker
'Yes, just as the man who is named after a fish-cake is so grand at creating attack names…Give me a break.' Sasuke retorted as Naruto opened his mouth to retort but closed it
'Touche, Sasuke, Touche.' Naruto mentally replied
From there the next series of matches involved Neji Hyuga decimating Misumi with his astonishing mix of Gentle Fist, Northern Shaolin Kung Fu, and Shotokan to brutally beat down upon him, Shikamaru actually forfeiting to Choji of all things in not wanting to fight against his good friend of a decade plus. Unfortunately, Kiba met his match at a rather lopsided match-up against one of the Sound genin named Suyin who despite their taciturn nature used Steel Release to practically beat Kiba within an inch of his life after hearing him boast about being an Alpha…suffice to say that Akamaru was witnessed to his owner looking as though he'd been curbstomped by an elephant.
And so after a rather crafty match wherein Dosu beat out Kankuro via using his Melody Drill to shatter Crow and leave him at his mercy after using his sonic attacks to burst his blood vessels and break his bones like they were made of cheap glass. The match that surprised everyone came to be as it was none other than Naruto vs Mizore, what with the former although he didn't show it looked almost furious as for a brief second his 'human form' almost slipped before reapplying; while Mizore held a look of utmost confidence on her face.
"Are you gonna be good, Naruto? You look like you're gonna pop a blood vessel." Sakura asked seeing Naruto's eyes whilst still blue take on the crocodilian shape of his true form
"Yeah…Yeah…J-Just be prepared for Mizore to get her face slashed off is all." Naruto answered back as headed down the stairwell, the steps melting under the pressure he began to emit
"Is he going to be ok?" Gaara inquired as Naruto's footsteps almost seemed to smoke and hiss as the steps seemed to melt into molten slag under his heavy anger-filled footfalls
"The real question is, how long is Mizore going to survive for?" Sakura answered back as both Uzumaki's met in the middle
'Remember, Naruto. Don't kill your sister, even though every single fiber of who you are is screaming at you to do it. And even if tearing her head off her shoulders and mounting it on your wall would bring you an immeasurable joy…and oh my God I should start going to therapy.' Naruto said as he stopped himself in his murderous spiral
"Hey, why are you spacing out all of the sudden? Don't tell me your scared to fight me, then again I would be too if you had to be in the presence of such greatness?" Mizore questioned as Naruto brought forth his new and improved sword
"Why would I be scared of someone weaker than me? Besides, now I finally get to embarrass you in front of everyone." Naruto answered back his demeanor one of heavy irritation and pure wrath
"You really think you can beat me in kenjutsu? Give me a break! I'll at the very least make this quick to save you the embarrassment of looking like a total ass with that thing…Better yet, I'll take it off your hands afterwards' since you'd probably take your hands off with it on the first swing." Mizore shot back as the only response from Naruto was an inhuman growl that seemed to almost shake the tower
What with Naruto hefting his sword that by contrast to Mizore's O-katana that had a slender curved blade with a brass-colored guard and handle wrapped in strawberry red leather the same color as her hair. Naruto's by contrast was a much more heavy-duty looking blade by comparison given that its remade form; now had it go from a short-sword to the length of a full-blown broadsword, with the blade being as wide as a grown mans' hand and 2 inches shy of 3 feet in length and a knuckle and a half thick.
The blade itself looked to be a combination of a machete and falchion with a solid steel handle that was wrapped in well-worn reddish-orange leather that was several inches in length, as the moment he slammed it to the ground the weight of it was felt as it not only sliced through but crushed the ground beneath it…So without much left to say, Naruto was the 1st to initiate combat against Mizore who had to quickly raise her blade to defend the ludicrously strong overhand strike from Naruto's blade; the force of it sending out a large gust of wind and cratering the ground slightly as Mizore struggled against the sheer force of the attack.
Wherein Naruto then forced her on the defensive as he began launching incredibly heavy-handed attacks against Mizore that came one after the other from not only awkward angles, but also the fact that they were nothing but power shots that were thrown with near-reckless abandon made it hard to defend against. Given that his constant switching of one to two-handed swings as well as his supernatural and downright unnerving amount of flexibility, in tandem with his supernatural strength and awkward/randomized way of attacking made his sword-style a mix of cartoonish unpredictability and savage aggression.
Which had made any attempt at landing counters or attacking against the larger blonde a difficult task, given that his awkward offensive was also his defense as well; seeing as how his blade as well as his inhuman flexibility having allowed him to snap his limbs back to deliver whip-like backswings whenever he struck that would have her skid to the side. Was something that had her be on her A-Game not to get moved around like a ragdoll, as Naruto's sheer brute strength and dogged pressure made the effort of not getting staggered on contact incredibly difficult, as Naruto moved, slashed, and hacked like a cartoonish bulldozer of chaotic movement.
This was made even worse when Naruto would chain in a Psycho-Cut to break through her guard and leave deep cuts on her arms, and using Night Slash to land heavy blows across her chest and stomach, as well as his using Double Kick to land brutal leg kicks that sounded off like the cracks of a whip when they struck. Forcing her into the even more uncomfortable position of being on the defensive as she not only had to parry and block Naruto's attacks from landing flush against her, but also evade and do her best to check the rampant leg kicks that threatened to break her own.
'Hey, Sasuke. This is going a lot easier than what I thought it would.' Naruto said through the Mind Radio while batting away Mizore's counters with relative ease
'I agree with that assessment, but remember Naruto. Any and everything can happen, so be on guard for any tricks she may use.' Sasuke replied as Naruto deflected a counter sword thrust to his sternum and retaliated with a Mach Punch to the nose that bloodied it
'Gotcha loud and clear.' Naruto said before locking blades with Mizore
"Hey, so are you gonna take this seriously? Because, I'm not really getting all that much out of this…If this is the best the future 5th Hokage has to give, then the village may as well start writing its own obituary." Naruto asked as he began angling his blade towards Mizore's upper body
"You really have the gall to make fun of me? Especially, when I'm the superior one between us don't make me ACCCGGGHHHH!" Mizore said before Naruto extended his sword into a long spear that punched through her left shoulder and collarbone
"I'm sorry, but I couldn't hear that over my sword stuck inside your chest. Let me give you a lift." Naruto replied as he then delivered a harsh Sky Uppercut
The harsh blow sending her high into the air and freeing his blade from the confines of her flesh and bone, as an accompanying gash in her chest was made that burst forth with crimson, whilst jumping up into the air to deliver rapid fire Thunder Punches to her stomach that both thudded against her stomach with what felt like cannon-fire by the sound of it as well as heavily electrocuting her. Before covering his left hand with poisonous violet and marigold colored energy as he slashed her deeply across the face with a Dire Claw, shredding her face and leaving wherever it touched looking as though it were acid-eaten as she fell to the ground.
But before she could even reach the ground, Naruto used Teleport to grab his long-spear and gather a substantial amount of water around the bladed end, he then used Teleport once more to appear behind Mizore to used Aqua Cutter. The attack sending her crashing into the ground wherein she landed with a large 40-foot crescent-shaped crater appeared in the ground, as her body shuddered from the wound to her back that cut into bone as she grinded her teeth in frustration at having been unable to land an attack on Naruto thus far.
A frustration that was made all the more potent when she was flung into an adjacent wall with bone-breaking force thanks to Naruto using Ominous Wind to conjure forth a gale of sinister winds to send her spiraling into them with such force she was sent through it and knocking down a decent portion of it out…With her seeing Naruto hopping up and down with a triumphant look and smug grin across his face at being able to do what he wanted too her, was enough to cause her anger to roil over as with a furious scream she erupted into a pillar of vile scarlet chakra before dashing after him as a blur of motion.
However, to Naruto she may as well have been running at the speed of a snail smoking some 'shrooms as even in the 1-tailed cloak of the 9 tails, she was moving in slow motion, leaving him enough time to summon shadow and malefic power to cover his long-spear…So by the time she entered into range in an attempt to run him through with her blade, Naruto hefted his polearm like a baseball bat, and struck her with a Wicked Blow attack; the dark purple and orange aura of energy exploding force with such force that it sent her across the battlefield and through the tower wall with great force.
The following BOOOOOMMMM, being enough to rattle everyone and almost knock those in attendance onto their butts as Naruto stood with a bemused expression as he sensed Mizore's indignant rage, as he casually leaned on the shaft of his weapon while prepping a Focus Punch. What with Mizore after being sent some 100 feet away from the tower came racing back on all 4 like a chakra covered streak of hatred as she leaped forwards with what could've been a decapitation strike aimed at Naruto's neck.
However, Naruto easily countered it with a monstrous backfist of a Focus Punch that sent Mizore flying from the momentum of the attack; the left side of her face painted crimson as blood began to flow freely from it. Yet the tail of her cloak had grabbed onto the stands and used it to maneuver and slingshot herself at Naruto who used a Thunderbolt attack to intercept and stun her in place as she was knocked to the ground, while he sped forth to strike out at her whilst she was paralyzed by the lightning bolt.
The inhuman blonde swiftly landing several slashes across Mizore's chest and stomach before blasting her into another wall with a Scald attack; that sent out a pressurized stream of water to engulf her with the force of a full-power fire-hose. Mizore spluttered and screamed as she was both soaked to the bone and left with 2nd degree burns as Naruto kept the stream going for several seconds, before ending it with another Thunderbolt attack to electrocute her with enough strength to incinerate her wig and further the burns on her body.
"You good there, Kakashi? Your student is getting her shit rocked." Kazushi asked as Mizore launched at Naruto once again only to get another Sky Uppercut that sent her sprawling across the ground
"To be honest, this is all catharsis for me after putting up with them for the past year. So as far as I'm concerned, Naruto is free to do whatever he wants to her. It is about time someone taught her a lesson in humility." Kakashi replied as Naruto then began to use Bubblebeam to drive her back from attacking him with a flurry of sword swipes
"You know, as much as I want to say something about that. I can't really be mad at it." Kazushi said as a red-faced Mizore could only glower at Naruto
"Bubbles, you're attacking ME with bubbles?! How dare you attack your future Hokage with bubbles, you'll pay for that!" Mizore hollered as the murderous cloak chakra intensified around her
"It works doesn't it, besides it ain't all bad since I think it's pretty funny." Naruto replied with a small chortle over Mizore's growing infuriated by Naruto's disrespect
"Besides, what're you gonna do about it? You haven't even landed a single hit on me at all." Naruto further spoke as Mizore rushed him once again consumed in her rage
What with Naruto meeting her charge and cry of Uzumaki Style: Slashing Torrent as her sword blade was covered in a spiraling torrent of pressurized water to the point of it looking like a miniature whirlpool, the inhuman blonde looked at her with an unphased expression…All before he used Psycho-Cut to quite literally slice clean through her attack and bury the blade in her collarbone, as he subsequently shortened the blades' length so he could send himself reeling into her and land a heavy Poison Jab with his free hand to her already damaged eyes.
Even with her enhanced state, Mizore was unable to react quick enough to deflect the poisonous punch to her face that stung as though battery acid and vinegar had been shoved into her eye sockets, before following it up with another Dire Claw to stun her in place once more, as he slashed her across the chest; sending blood and viscera splattering the ground. All before lighting her up with a several-seconds long combination of Mach Punches and Brick Breaks to her ribs that broke them on contact, as she had to go into her 2nd tail just to prevent her ribs from being turned to dust as Naruto broke them as fast as they healed.
Hence why in seeing her wounds heal with the 2nd tail being out he decided to use Double Kick to land two monstrous stomp kicks to her left knee that hit with enough force that you could hear her knee cap and lower leg bones shatter like glass…Mizore howled in pain as she attempted to swing her katana at Naruto in retaliation, but it was in futility as Naruto not only caught the blade in his free hand but used it as leverage to force her onto his blade, as he impaled her by the solar plexus upon it, before crushing her blade in his hands into dust.
The inhuman blonde then grabbed her by the back of the head and used Headbutt to smash his skull into hers so hard that it not only shattered her headband to pieces, but caused a faintly audible cracking sound upon impact that left her dazed. Her dazed state only lasted briefly as Naruto landed a heavy Sky Uppercut to her liver with such force that it caused her chakra cloak to nearly dissipate as she projectile vomited, from the sheer pain she was under as she felt her vision began to blur and darken.
However, with a crack of his knuckles Naruto was about to make sure this ended in brutal display as he proceeded to rain down Mach Punches, Poison Jabs and Brick Breaks onto her chest, face and stomach with such force that the ground began to vibrate and crack with tremors from the concussive force behind them. Her chakra cloak struggled to stay active as Naruto beat her so violently that she lost control of her bowels and proceeded to unwillingly pisss herself, as he rained down punches like it was nobody's business with the fury of years' of repressed rage towards his sister.
The finisher came when he struck out at her with a heavy Dire Claw that not only flayed open the right side of her face, it also shattered her right orbital and caused sickly purplish veins to appear across her heavily swollen and bruised face, that had been pumped full of otherworldly poison. Before he reared his fist back and with an almighty Sky Uppercut hit her so hard in the stomach that she was sent flying through the ceiling and roughly 240 feet into the air above, before using Vital Throw to basically piledrive her back to the ground with such force that it dispelled her chakra cloak, as her eyes had whited out from the overwhelming amount of pain sustained.
"Before you say anything, Lyoto. She ain't dead…I may have put pure punishment on her sorry ass. But with the fox healing her, she'll live." Naruto callously told his cousin as he glared at the unconscious yet still shuddering form of Mizore
"I'll take your word for it, Naruto…Holy shit, she got fucked up…The winner is Naruto Uzumaki." Said a stunned Lyoto after watching his cousin basically eviscerate Mizore
"Eat a dick, you bald bitch." Were Naruto's final words before stomping his way up the stands to join his peers who stood wide-eyed at Naruto having punished Mizore in devastating
"Hey, Kazushi! You mind using some of your Wood Jutsu to make sure this place doesn't fall to pieces? Naruto fucked up pretty good when he went all ape-shit." Lyoto requested as Kazushi nodded and began to have various roots and vines grow from underneath the ground
"Holy shit, you put on a fucking clinic." Were Sakura's only words as Naruto finished walking towards his teammates
"I told you guys, I was gonna body her. Besides, I had a whole LOT to get out of my system." Naruto replied in feeling as though he got a good deal of rage out of his system
'I still wanna rip her goddamn guts out, but at least I feel a helluva lot better about myself now.' Naruto remarked at how his rage had lessened was still as potent as ever
"All I know is that you put on one heck of a show…Honestly, it's gonna be a tough act to follow." Sakura said as Naruto planted his broadsword into the ground and took a seat
"The only thing I know is that I got my get back against Mizore, and that's the only thing that matters right now." Naruto replied as he watched roots, vines and even Wood Clones work to repair the battlefield below
"Well, I'm proud of ya…Look at my brother being a menace." Sakura said as the two 'siblings' fist-bumped each other
Once Kazushi and her clones had finished repairing and reinforcing the Tower that looked like it had been used as a Tailed Beasts' chewtoy, the following bout between Sai and Kabuto was a relatively lackluster one considering that Sai spent no time at all using his ink ninjutsu to quickly bind and restrain Kabuto; before appearing behind with a tanto at his neck. However, the final match was one that had surprised everyone considering what it meant, as Sakura would be going head to head with the great beast of Konoha himself…Rock Lee.
The battle between the Pink Demon of the Kure and The Green Beast of Konoha was now beginning as both competitors walked down the steps, and faced off against each other with looks of interest and excitement about being able to clash their styles of Taijutsu against one another. Both getting into their respective fighting stances the moment Lyoto told them to begin as not a single sound was made as both taijutsu specialists stared each other down, waiting for whoever would make the 1st move against the other.
Seconds if not minutes passed before Sakura could not wait any longer and dashed forward like a demon out of hell ready to cause havoc, as Rock Lee was quick to meet the bounding brawler rushing towards her with almost lightning-quick speed as the two collided with each other. The two quickly meeting in the middle as Sakura blocked a roundhouse kick to her ribs and Rock Lee a right hook aimed his temple, before the two kicked off from each other and began engaging in an intense bout of taijutsu that had them darting about the area at rapid speeds.
Blows were exchanged one after the other as Sakura's heavy-handed pressure style of fighting was meeting its match in Rock Lee's while measured volume-based style of attacks that landed hard punches and kicks where ever they could find their match. What with the Green Beast having to stay on his A-Game against her, as she would feint a elbow to the face or a body blow for a takedown attempt; that Rock Lee while being able to dodge had found himself narrowly getting slammed into the ground.
However, instead of finding frustration in her takedown attempts to grapple and force him to the ground in a chokehold; Sakura found it all the more exciting, and to her perhaps in her bout with someone who was a taijutsu savant could help her in getting down the Redirection Kata of the Niko Style. However, she couldn't dwell on this too long as she was forced to parry a ferocious punch from Rock Lee and retaliate with a knee to his kidneys that forced the spandex clad young man to disengage so as to properly regain his bearings from the hard blow.
"If it's all the same to you, Lee. Can we skip the warm-up? I'm so amped right now that I really wanna get this show going in full effect!" Sakura asked as she bounced in excitement
"You an incredibly talented fighter, Sakura. To deny you the chance of fighting at my full capacity, would be to dishonor my Flames of Youth. So I will do as you wish, so that we can continue this match to the best of our ability!" Rock Lee answered back as he began taking off his arm and leg weights
"That's the way, let's get this show going!" Sakura said as she went to 10% of her Removal
Once Rock Lee had dispatched of his weights and Sakura having gone into her Removal-enhanced state, the two re-engaged in a fearsome exchange of attacks against one another, what with Sakura being more than happy to trade blows with Rock Lee at close range. The pink-haired bruiser using clinches in other to smother Rock Lee's potent combinations on the inside while punishing him with hooks and close-range uppercuts to the body, striking out against him with a dogged relentlessness that pushed him back with each power-shot landed.
What with Sakura able to land several hooks/uppercuts in solid succession before Rock Lee in an exceptional display of athleticism was able to jump up and generate enough power to launch a front kick that knocked her away from him, before he came forward and unleashed a whirlwind of high, low, and roundhouse kicks at Sakura. The pink-haired brusier tanking them head-on as she waited for the right moment to strike, as he continued his flurry of kicks against her like a spinning top of martial might…the opportunity coming when he aimed a hook kick at her temple, and before it could land had grabbed the offending limb and tackled him to the ground.
From then on Sakura wrapped herself into a leg-slicer on the Green Beast's left leg; almost coiling around it like a python would constrict around its prey as she began to try and break his leg with great brute force, as Rock Lee felt the muscles in said leg began to rip and tear from the constriction around it…Rock Lee tried to get her off of his leg that he felt began to crack and border on breaking, but Sakura's use of Ironbreaker allowed her to hold on and strengthen her near death grip on the taijutsu specialists' leg.
As such the 'Youthful' young man did the only thing that made sense in this situation as he felt his leg nearly come off…which was to activate the 1st 2 of the 8 Gates to grant him enough strength to flip over into a handstand and use the leverage to kick Sakura off his leg; albeit with a considerable amount of difficulty. However, he did not come out of it unscathed as he winced in pain from his leg having been cracked in 3 places and it being dislocated at the knee as purplish bruises covered it from where Sakura had his leg in a chokehold.
That being said, Sakura was quick to return towards him and again launch another series of attacks against him as she came in with a flying knee that was made all the more blindingly swift thanks to the use of Raging Fire to accelerate like a human bullet…Granted Rock Lee was able to defect the blow in time albeit gritting his teeth as he was pushed into the ground, yet the follow-through overhand to the forehead was enough to almost knock him over; before both of them struck out at each other with right hooks to the face and subsequently engaging in another ferocious exchange.
The pace having changed only in its further amped intensity as Sakura continued to come forward against Rock Lee's 8 Gates enhanced state by ramping things up to 20% of her Removal and using Ironbreaker-enhanced attacks to pummel him with punches and elbows at close range. With her cutting off any angle he could use to reset the range of their exchange to a more favorable one to where he could enact more of his potent taijutsu techniques, and much more so with the Primary Lotus, as even the Green Beast himself felt himself being pressured under the strength differential between them.
"Come on Sakura, knock his lights out already!" Naruto exclaimed as he saw his sister land a sharp right hook that knocked out a molar as Rock Lee was quick to retaliate with a leg kick that was quickly checked
"You are certainly confident that your teammate will be able to defeat Lee." Neji spoke as he watched the engagement with interest as Sakura landed punches and elbows with great strength and efficiency
"Trust me, Sakura's got this in the bag. Your guy might be a beast, but Sakura is a fucking demon when it comes to this stuff!" Naruto replied as despite being front kicked in the kidneys Sakura was still able to press on and counter a roundhouse kick to the ribs with a powerful overhand
"While I will give her credit where it is due. I still hold the belief that Lee will overcome, after all, it is only right for us to make it as Chunin." Neji said back as Sakura deflected a barrage of punches before getting caught with a sneaky side kick to her side
"I wouldn't hold your breath, because Sakura is just getting things in gear." Naruto spoke as both Rock Lee and Sakura landed fearsome blows against one another to bring their engagement to a brief halt
What with Sakura shooting for a double-leg takedown to bring her opposition down for a brutal ground n'pound, yet the spandex-clad martial artist countered with a swift kick to the jaw; that while it didn't pack as much power due to it still being dislocated, was still enough to momentarily stun Sakura for him to follow through with a follow-through roundhouse. However, Sakura was quick to use Phantom Pace to seemingly phase through the attack in a deft evasion to use an Ironbreaker enhanced Mountain Breaker to land dual punches to Rock Lee's temple and ribs with enough force that you could hear them crack on impact.
The spandex-clad young man felt his Flames of Youth burn into a mighty inferno despite the blood beginning to pour down his face from the harsh accompanying of a right hook, left-cross, right-hook, shove-hook combination that sent him sprawling some ways away from Sakura. All the while Sakura was in hot pursuit in using as much of her speed as possible in tandem with Raging Fire to land a massive flying knee to his sternum that sent him further flying across the ground, with him only stopping as he managed to catch himself on some of the roots conjured earlier by Kazushi.
That being said, Rock Lee found himself countering an onslaught of punches, elbows, and the occasional leg kick that in the few times he did not check; caused him to wince in pain from what felt like a shovel being slammed into it. Hence why he used his empowered physicality to retaliate with punches and kicks of his own that while Sakura was able to deflect and counter with a sharp right-hook or overhand left; still felt the power behind them as she gained a small score of accompanying bruises begin to form alongside a bloody nose she began to sport from a earlier attempt at a Leaf Hurricane.
That being said Rock Lee used as much power as he could to strike Sakura with a spinning backfist that caused her head to briefly snap back, so that he could then subsequently launch himself into a handstand and kick her into the air for a Primary Lotus attack. The pink-haired individual seeing Rock Lee soar towards her as he began to wrap her in bandages in order to piledrive her into the ground, yet she was able to flip herself around and rear her fist back in order to land the mother of all left hooks to punch her opposition away from her.
The youthful Green Beast deftly used the momentum of his fall to land on the stands and subsequently backflip onto the ground, wherein by contrast Sakura decided to simply stomp into her landing and cause a small crater in the process; before in not missing a beat charge after Rock Lee. The spandex-clad individual braced himself to counter a takedown or a Superman punch to the body, but instead Sakura used Raging Fire once again to instead spear herself into Rock Lee's gut with all the force of a runaway freight train.
Sending the young martial artist into a massive collection of roots with enough force to make an indentation of himself upon its surface, with Rock Lee staggering to his feet after the heavy blow that knocked the wind out of his sails. All the while, Sakura was grinning like a madwoman her heart racing as she found herself being able to grow more and more confident in her reading Rock Lee's movements to soon start employing the Redirection Kata in full effect.
"I must admit, Sakura. Your taijutsu is incredible, my Flames of Youth burn in excitement at having met a worthy opponent!" Rock Lee said as his chakra began to surge
"Same here, Lee. Your pretty dang good yourself…Hey, how about after the exams we go about being sparring partners? Sound good to you?!" Sakura asked the spandex-cladden young man
"That sounds fantastic. However, I must end this quickly if I am to advance to the Finals, so forgive me for not using my full strength earlier." Rock Lee said back to Sakura
"Gate of Life, Open! Gate of Pain, Open! Gate of Limit, Open!" Rock Lee shouted as he opened up the 3 Gates in rapid Succession
"Well, I guess I can do him the favor of taking this seriously myself. I think 42…you know what 50% oughtta do it for this." Sakura spoke as she began to open herself up to 50% of her Removal
'Why am I not surprised that Guy taught that kid the Gates…then again to go to 5 of 'em this young is something else.' Kazushi remarked as both chakra signatures surged to such levels that gusts of wind began to rock the stands they were on
And as the martial artists were both finished empowering themselves Rock Lee and Sakura rushed at each other with such power and speed that sonic booms erupted; shattering every window in the area as they both launched into a ferocious display of attacks. What with Rock Lee despite having to be on a counter-offensive against Sakura's incredibly heavy-handed but no less dangerous attacks, was able to land counters that flowed like wine from a bottle.
Yet despite landing attacks against Sakura who despite blocking them was instead preferring to tank them outright so she could trade with Rock Lee, had a grin on her face as she found herself able to redirect Rock Lee's own considerably immense power against him, in tandem with her own. Allowing her to punish the Green Beast for attacking her as she continued to trade attacks with him with greater and greater fervor, as the exchange eventually broke off once Rock Lee used an exceedingly fast hook kick to the skull to push her away.
However, Sakura quickly and for the first time in live combat used Weeping Willow to make it so that it wouldn't land as cleanly as he'd hoped, so that she could then use the small opening provided by it, to powerslam him into the ground at close range. From there Sakura mounted him and began to rain down punches and elbows with reckless abandon, pummeling Rock Lee with so many power blows that it felt like a minor earthquake was happening as her fists and arms began to become gradually stained by his blood.
Yet in Rock Lee's brief enduring of Sakura's onslaught that left his face torn by the large handful of elbows that opened up his already beet red face, Rock Lee was able to use his exceptional athleticism to kip himself and Sakura opwards and land a fearsome straight punch to Sakura's face. However, Sakura use of the Indestructible allowed her to harden her body to not only eat the punch, but allow her to land a counter right uppercut to the liver stunning Rock Lee from the gut check before Sakura then smashed her forehead against Rock Lee's nose in a Ironbreaker enhanced headbutt.
From there Sakura exploded forward with an absolutely savage combination of body shots that ripped into Lee's midsection like a 10-ton hammer, for what the attacks lacked in speed had more than made up for in bone-crushing power as every blow was punctuated by an almost cannon like crack on each impact. Yet the moment Rock Lee tried to hit her with his own attacks despite them leaving marks on Sakura, it was her use of the Redirection Kata and its Weeping Willow technique was able to force him on the backfoot as the power of his own strikes were redirected against him.
Evident when she countered a Severe Leaf Hurricane by using Entanglement to alter the trajectory of the kick away from her temple, and judo throw Rock Lee onto the ground and use it as a means to soccer kick him hard enough in the face to send him sprawling back; using Raging Fire to dash behind him. What with Rock Lee lancing out with another Leaf Hurricane to try and stun and stagger Sakura to set up for the Hidden Lotus before his body gave out from the strain of the Gates being active, only for him kick a afterimage made by her Flashfire technique.
As Sakura then used the multiple afterimages as cover to tackle him from behind and land a Bind of Pieces and using Ironbreaker and her immense strength to land a brutal armbar, that while Rock Lee tried to get out of; was met with immense opposition as every attempt to do so was met by a sharp kick to his jaw as she held on for dear life…For what felt like minutes of struggling were seconds to Sakura as with a great heave as her strength managed to overcome the power of the 8 Gates, had with a loud snap and a pained bellow from her spandex-wearing opposition snapped his right arm like a candy bar.
The youthful taijutsu specialist despite the pain he felt tried to attack Sakura with his one good arm, only for it to be pinned as she mounted on top of him and slammed her right knee onto his bicep with such for that it nearly dislocated his left arm out of it's socket. All before attacking with a heavy duty assault of elbows and punches from above that while he was able to partially defend with his broken arm, could only do so much as Sakura rained attacks that further battered and cut open his face like a chainsaw slashed open the trunk of a mighty oak.
Yet Rock Lee in finding reserves of endurance and willpower used all the strength he still possessed to headbutt Sakura with enough strength to knock her off, and actually break her nose; bending it to the left as blood trickled down her face. However, as the pain was considerable; it only spurred her assault against a flagging Rock Lee who tried to defend with machine-gun like punches and flurries of kicks in response, but with Sakura being able to quickly counter and redirect the force of them against Rock Lee; it quickly became clear that he was fighting a losing war.
What with the damage being compounded by his body tearing itself apart to keep up with her ferocity and already enhanced monstrous strength as his kicks became slower and more labored; whilst Sakura continued to attack him with the ferocity of a enraged black bear, landing punches that flowed one after the other. As well as counters that thudded against his body as he responded in kind with kicks that struck like the cracks of whips against flesh that while staggering her briefly; only did so much as Sakura broke him down further and further.
What with Sakura in having managed to walk him down and corner him against a wall decided to end things with a full-force uppercut to the liver, after checking another Severe Leaf Hurricane that she countered with a left hook to the temple. From there she took advantage of this chance as her opposition was stunned from and on one knee from the liver shot, reared back and with a brutal reverese roundhouse kick that sent him through the wall and 40 feet out of the tower had knocked him out of his Gates enhanced state as he skidded away unconscious from the strain put on his body.
"Winner by knockout! Sakura Haruno!" Lyoto announced as Sakura raised her hand in victory albeit bruised and worn down from the intensive bout
"Holy shit, that was something else…I'll give him credit, he definitely gave me a run for my money." Sakura spoke
"I told ya, Sakura had it in the bag Neji." Naruto replied with a smug grin whilst medics rushed Lee onto a stretcher and to the medical bay to be healed
"Indeed, as I will admit that I did not expect for Sakura too put up such a fight against him. Much less, defeat him taijutsu." Neji said legitimately impressed by Sakura's prowess in combat
"What can I say, except that she's the best there is at what she does. Since your boy Lee may be a helluva fighter when it comes to the hands, but my sister is an absolute monster." Naruto replied
"That she is…However, I will not hold my breath too soon. As the finals are still underway, and THAT will be the true test of whose taijutsu is strongest." Neji said back
"Hey, I can't wait to see how it all goes down myself." Naruto said with an eager grin
So once Lee was sent off too heal and recuperate, Lyoto eventually told everyone of who would be fighting whom in the Finals as they would have from here until the final week of August to prepare and train for the final bout. What with the matches being the following; Hinata Hyuga vs Sakura Haruno, Choji Akimichi vs Neji Hyuga, Sasuke Uchiha vs Suyin Abarai, Naruto Uzumaki vs Toshiro Uzumaki, Gaara of the Desert vs Kankuro of the Desert, Sai vs Shino.
However, as everyone eventually departed after being told their opponents and the time they had left to prepare for their battles, Naruto and Toshiro couldn't help but give the other one final glare as both brothers knew that once they fought in the finals; it would be a winner take all grudge match against the other where nothing would be held against the other.
(The next morning, 10:14 Am, Senju Park, July 10th, 998 S.E)
Meanwhile, as the members of Team Kazushi had departed to train on their own to secure victory for the Chunin Exam Finals, Naruto had met with Kazushi and oddly enough had Mewtwo in attendance to discuss how he wanted to do things.
"I get why you need me here to help you train for the Exams. But why are…they here?" Kazushi asked gesturing to Mewtwo
"That's easy, Kazu. While you're gonna help me amp up my combat skills even harder, Mewtwo here, is gonna help me with some stuff that I need more 'specific' help with…Don't get me wrong, your a fantastic teacher and I appreciate everything you've done for the past year. But I need to train for things that only Mewtwo can help me with." Naruto told the amazon of a Senju
"Hey, as long as I can pitch in to help make sure you can get stronger. Then I'm down for whatever you need." Kazushi spoke happy to do whatever was needed to help Naruto grow more powerful
"Awesome! Because, I'm gonna need all the help I can get…I know I'm stronger than Toshiro, but that doesn't mean that Pervy-Sage ain't gonna teach him nonsense to counter me. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to teach him Senjutsu just so he can get a leg up on me." Naruto said back knowing that Jiraiya would do so in order to have Toshiro have some counter against him
"I doubt that will be much of an issue even if the pervert does that...The issue has been for a lack of a better them, been handled with extreme prejudice." Mewtwo spoke up
"Really, why's that?" Naruto questioned the immensely powerful psychic Pokemon
"That is because months prior Lord Arceus had sent Giratina and Darkrai to pay the Toads and the pervert a 'visit' for his transgressions against you. As such the Toads are not only left sundered, by them but their home has become corrupted by Giratina's presence as well. Making it so that the use of natural chakra there is no longer viable due to the corrosive and rather mutagenic effects it has on those in their domain." Mewtwo informed Naruto
"Huh, you know Giratina told me they were gonna pay Pervy-Sage a beating, for harassing me all the time. But I didn't think they'd go and mess 'em up that bad…Not that I'm complaining." Naruto replied in a good bit of surprise to the information
"Yes, as Giratina wanted to make sure that the perverted Sage and his summons paid for their transgressions against you…This is something that has surprised many of us, given that Giratina rarely goes this far for anyone." Mewtwo said back in regards to Giratina's protectiveness over Naruto
"In fact, Giratina volunteered to punish them firsthand. Given that in their own words 'how dare anyone manipulate someone I call a kindred spirit'. So on the strength of that alone, I would say that you are something truly special." Mewtwo added surprised to see Giratina care for a human in that regard
"What can I say, I'm just that great of company." Naruto said with a large grin on his face
"Also, to side track off my cousin being friends with a whatever a Giratina is. How bad are the toads messed up from what Giratina and this Darkrai guy did to them? I know you said that they got messed up by them, but I gotta know how bad?" Kazushi questioned out of morbid curiosity
"Good point, as I kinda wanna know too. Because if Pervy-Sage's stuff is getting messed with, then I gotta see how bad it is!" Naruto said as well
"Luckily, I can show the two of you that quite easily…One of the many perks that come with being the strongest Psychic Pokemon is that, I can use them in a variety of effects. The particular ability that will allow us to view the fate that has befallen the Toads, is my ability to scry on others at my leisure no matter how far they may be." Mewtwo spoke as with a wave of their hand the air around it, Naruto and Kazushi began to warble and shift as though a boulder had been dropped into the surface of a lake
The warbling and shifting of the area around them had soon stabilized until they were viewing a 20 foot wide by 12 foot tall lifelike viewing screen of Mt. Myoboku, wherein the atmosphere of the area had turned a combination of utterly dreadful, hopeless, and borderline misanthropic. Yet what drew both Kazushi and Naruto's attention was the barrier that kept in a considerable number of Toads…or rather what were once considered the summons of Mt. Myoboku had mutated into abominations of flesh and bone.
The mutations had turned the corpses in question into either further hulking abominations of engorge muscle that ripped from their amphibian flesh, multi-limbed abominations where their bones and muscles were transfigured into various bladed weapons, their bodies transformed into demonic flesh golems were their bones had enlarged and thickened into pseudo armor or wings made of bone and flesh. Or worse off some having fused or were in the process of fusing into nightmarish conglomarations who were multi-headed nightmares whose deadened crimson eyes and bodies covered in purplish black veins shrieked and roared in their existence as mutated horrors of flesh.
All the while a defensive force was gathered to fight against the hordes of those afflicted by Giratina, as though they were able to hold them back with blades to slice them in twain and their own strength to crush them into the ground. It was a seemingly daunting task given that those that were not utterly destroyed and burned, were able to rise up and sneak attack and drag away any defending Toads into their horde to be killed and transformed into another abomination of flesh…the most recent victim before Mewtwo ended the scrying was Gamahiro who pushed Gamatatsu out of the way from a flesh hydra.
"Holy shit…that is just pure nightmare fuel. I am definitely not gonna sleep right for the rest of the week." Naruto said almost stunned into silence from what he'd just witnessed
"I-I am gonna agree with you there, Naruto…Matter of fact, I don't think I'm gonna be able to sleep for the next week or two after this." Kazushi said back in agreement with the sentiment as she could only stare wide-eyed at what she'd bore witnessed too
"Trust me, I'm right there with you…Man, I honestly gotta give Mr. Giratina credit for doing damage like that, because my God is that some fucked shit." Naruto spoke still not believing what he'd just seen
"Yes…Giratina's penchant for causing terror knows no bounds. Then again, they did want to make a lasting example out of them. What better way than turning their own against them in a fight for their very existence." Mewtwo spoke as the scying 'screen' soon dissipated as they turned back towards Naruto
"Well, other than the fact that I am now scarred for life. How about we get to training as soon as possible? Sound good, Kazu?" Naruto asked his cousin
"...Yeah, sure. Just give me a few hours and we can get started on training you up tomorrow." Kazushi answered back as well as needing the day to unfuck her mind from what she'd just witnessed
"Sounds good, and I guess I'll see you later on." Naruto said before Kazushi got a running start before running off and elsewhere
"Now then, Naruto. Are you sure that you will be ready for what you have asked?...While I am more than capable of mentoring you to better use your psionic abilities. I am not sure of how much progress we can make towards overcoming your fear of the Rasengan in a single month." Mewtwo questioned as Naruto had a look of utter resolve on his face
"We won't know how much progress can be done until we try." Was Naruto's response
"Besides…I'm tired of living in constant fear of that technique. I can't go around my whole life living in fear of a damned ball of chakra that's caused me pain for so long…Not when it can cost me the chance to be at the top with my friends. So whatever we gotta do to make sure I can go forward, and not freeze up at the least when I see it. Then I'm here for." Naruto further spoke in absolute refusal to let himself be victimized by something such as the Rasengan any longer
"Very well then. I will do so to the best of my ability to make it happen. However, in the event that it cannot be done. Then nonetheless, I am proud of you for having the strength to face your fears head-on." Mewtwo spoke happy to see that their fathers' chosen was willing to overcome their own fears no matter what it took
"Thanks, but I'll feel better when I see the results in the Finals." Naruto said as he began to float in the air
"In the meantime, how about we get started on training with my psychic powers? I wanna see what cool stuff I can try and do." Naruto added as he began to ascend alongside Mewtwo
"Very well, then…Let us head elsewhere. I would rather not see this place be turned to ruin, because of our training." Mewtwo said before with a nod the two flew off and away to begin their training
(3 hours later, Senju Estate, 1:40 Pm)
Meanwhile, Tsunade was alongside her fellow Sannin in Orochimaru who in turn was meeting with Fire Daimyo Ozai regarding the scrolls of information regarding Jiraiya's treachery that had turned the Serpent Sannin into becoming a rogue shinobi for some odd 20+ years.
"First and foremost, Orochimaru. I would like to extend my sincerest of apologies toward you for Jiraiya's actions having caused your unjust departure from Konoha…As the leader of my country, it is my duty to see fit that all that falls within my purview is investigated and carried out with justice and dignity." Lord Ozai spoke to the effeminate Sannin
"Hence why, on behalf of Fire Country itself I would like to say sorry; for having failed you. My words are not enough to express the sheer guilt and disappointment in myself for not having looked into the issue beyond what was presented at face value when I heard you had gone rogue." Lord Ozai added feeling an utter fool for not having looked into the matter more personally
"You are rather fine, Ozai. It is not your fault that you did not do your due diligence…Jiraiya was virtually invulnerable at that time. The man could practically get away with murder and no one could do a thing to stop him in the village. As such I will not blame you for something you had no idea about, when Jiraiya had made so thoroughly sure that no one would be able to stop him from getting what he wanted within the villages' walls." Orochimaru said to the Daimyo knowing that at the end of the day there was little if any that could have been done about their fate at the time
"Nonetheless, you can rest assured that Jiraiya will pay for his actions. That man has played God with the lives of others for far too long…So I think it is high time that he is reminded of where exactly he stands in my realm." Lord Ozai replied in further disdain for the Toad Sannin
"What will happen to Orochimaru, if I may ask?" Tsunade questioned
"Regarding Orochimaru. I will hereby decree that all of the charges laid against them are expunged, and in addition, after the Chunin Exams are finished. I will have Jiraiya's funds, sacked for their worth to repay you for all the damages caused by his actions…This may not be much, but it is the very least I can do to make amends." Lord Ozai answered back feeling incredibly shameful of himself for having been hoodwinked by the Toad Sannin yet again
"Thank you, Ozai. All I have wanted these past few decades was too clear my name and nothing more." Orochimaru said content that their name was being cleared at long last
"I am glad that I could make that happen…If anything the thanks should go to Tsunade and her husband as well. Had it not been for them, I would have been even further in the dark about Jiraiya's misdeeds than what I already had." Ozai replied infuriated still that Jiraiya had done so much under his nose for so long
It was bad enough when he found out Jiraiya had roped Minato into this nonsense about that blasted prophecy, but to now find out he'd essentially banished and ruined the lives of one of his country's most promising scientists and as a result, had cost Fire Country and Konoha years of scientific advancements…Suffice to say that Ozai was livid with the Toad Sannin was an understatement, and as a result he would make sure that personal satisfaction would be his, and that Jiraiya's men who were involved with this conspiracy would be rounded up and executed for having worked alongside him.
"I was only doing what should have been done a long time ago. At least now I can safely make sure that no one else can fall victim to Jiraiya's ego trips." Tsunade spoke happy to put another nail in Jiraiya's coffin
"That man has gotten away with too much bullshit for too long. So as far as I'm concerned, you can throw him under the entire prison or whatever hellhole you send him off to." Tsunade further spoke
"Believe me, Tsunade. I am going to make sure that Jiraiya doesn't see the light of day for the next 60 years as far as I am concerned. The sheer nerve he has had to think he can get away scot-free with his crimes, and not face punishment; has been a constant spit in my face that I will no longer tolerate." Lord Ozai replied furious that he had been duped for so long by that loathsome pervert
"Now that my name is officially cleared. What will you do in the meantime?" Orochimaru questioned
"For now, I will continue to oversee that everything is in line for the Final portion of the Chunin Exams to continue as planned…After all, it would no do well of me to have our best and brightest fight in a lackluster arena." Ozai answered back as he stood up
"So with that being said, I will take my leave…It was nice catching up with you again, Tsunade. I can see that father time has been kind to both you and Dan." Ozai added
"Thank you, and you as well…I hope that spitfire daughter of yours isn't giving you anymore trouble." Tsunade said to the Fire Daimyo who let out a small chuckle
"Don't worry, Azula has been more than fine. Granted she is as headstrong as ever, but nonetheless she is a source of pride and joy in my life." Lord Ozai said with a proud smile of the fine warrior Azula was becoming
"Good to know, anyways I'll see you later Ozai, and don't be a stranger. You and Orochimaru both are always welcome for drinks." Tsunade told the Daimyo
"Perhaps, I will take you up on that offer after the Exams and Jiraiya's nonsense has been sorted out." Ozai replied before bowing and taking his leave of the Senju Estate
"...That went better than what I thought it would have." Orochimaru said in relief of how things had gone
"Of course, they would go well. Now that Jiraiya's chokehold on things is in the toilet, and with all the evidence you gave Dan and I, there wasn't a doubt in my mind that your innocence would be proven." Tsunade responded with a genuine smile on her face that was met with a smaller smile on Orochimaru's
"And I appreciate the confidence, Tsunade. I really do, I just never thought the day would come where my innocence would be proven…Now that it has come, I-I almost don't know what to do going forward." Orochimaru said finding themselves at a loss for words
"The best advice I can give you right now; is to enjoy every small victory you can. With how hard you have had it, you more than deserve to enjoy the limelight." Tsunade told her fellow Sannin
"I think I will do just that during this time between now and the finals…Again, thank you for believing in me when no one else would. It means more to me than what you could ever imagine." Orochimaru spoke very much thankful to have the hyper-proficient medic believe in her even after all this time
"There will never be a time when I will not trust in you, Orochimaru. You were my friend when I lost Nawaki, you were there when you saved Dan from that suicide mission in Kumogakure during the war. Most of all you were always there when the kids were born, and when Dan and I got married. So of course I would be there when you needed me, it's the least I can do when you were there when I needed a friend." Tsunade replied as Orochimaru could only let a smile spread further across their face as an unwilling tear poured down their face
"...It means so very, very much to hear you say that, Tsunade. Truly it does." Orochimaru said back
"Well, in that case how about I go in the back, grab a bottle of some special occasion liquor and celebrate?" Tsunade asked
"That sounds very nice…I could use a drink or two after everything I have struggled for." Orochimaru said as she found herself wiping more and more tears from her face
"Apologies, I am not used to feeling this amount of joy in my life. Having you alongside me reminds me of the old days…" Orochimaru said as she had to take a moment to compose herself at the flooding of positive emotions that swelled within
"Well, its about to be like the old days after we go through this bottle…I've been saving this for a special occasion and I can't think of a better one than this." Tsunade said as she returned with 2 wine glasses and a uncorked bottle of vodka that she began pouring
"...Too my good friend having their name cleared, and their continued good fortune! Long may she reign!" Tsunade exclaimed as she finished pouring hers and Orochimaru's glass
"And to my having wonderful friends. May they continue to prosper in the years to come." Orochimaru said as the two clinked glasses and spent the rest of the afternoon drinking with one another
(2 days later, Ichiraku Ramen, 1:45 Pm, June 12th, 998 S.E)
Meanwhile, it would be a few days later as Naruto was out having lunch with Mizuki; telling the silver-haired Chunin of how he made it to the finals against Toshiro.
"For starters, congratulations, Naruto! I knew you could get to the finals in no time flat." Mizuki said to his former student who was devouring his 3rd bowl of ramen
"Thanks Mizuki-sensei…Honestly, it feels super awesome to know that all my hard work is gonna lead to being Chunin in a month or so." Naruto replied in excitement for the upcoming date at hand
"...I just hope that everything goes swinging my way, and I get that sweet, sweet promotion to Chunin." Naruto added hopeful that he could get that rank-up
"Naruto, you are by far one of the strongest, most talented young men I have had the pleasure of mentoring. So if anyone can beat your sack-of-shit brother, and get to Chunin, then its you." Mizuki told the superhuman blonde
"I appreciate the vote of confidence, I really do. I just don't know what it is, but for some reason I have nerves about going up against him." Naruto spoke
"I know I can beat him, I know for sure that I have everything in my toolkit ready to knock him into the next century. Yet for some odd reason, even though I know I can and should be able to beat the brakes off of him. That for some reason, I feel like my stomach is starting to knot up on me." Naruto further spoke feeling a level of unease and even anxiousness roiling deep within alongside the anger and rage
"If I were a betting man, I would say its because your going up against the guy who scarred you for life. He did make you terrified of the Rasengan, when he nearly took your arm off with it all those years ago. So I'm pretty sure that you going up against someone who traumatized you like that is gonna have you nervous as hell." Mizuki hypothesized as to why Naruto was feeling the sudden onrush of anxiousness
"You really think that's the reason why, I'm starting to come down with nerves all of a sudden?" Naruto questioned as to why it felt like he had a swarm of angry Beedrils and Scizors in his stomach
"I'm downright positive of it…Think about it Naruto, you took down Mizore just fine and had no complaints about it. But now with Toshiro, and the fact that he screwed you up that bad. Is it really that hard to rule something like that out?" Mizuki answered back in seeing that as the best possible answer
Since the more Naruto gave it some actual thought, the more he couldn't really aruge with what was being said given that no matter what Toshiro since nearly taking his arm and as such ripping away his chance to be a shinobi had been beyond Jiraiya been the main sources of rage, anxiety and even fear in his life. Considering that despite all of the power he'd amassed since becoming Arceus's champion, that there was still that niggling part of him that held fear at what could've been had Toshiro been successful had things not gone as well as they had.
"Damn…when you put it like that your right…Fuck, of all the things to start messing me up. Why is it that rotten bastard as to be the source of it all?!" Naruto wondered as he stopped eating to put his head in hands in frustration
"Look, Naruto. I didn't pick your psychotic brother to be the source of your troubles…The only thing I can say is that I know you can get through what he's done to you, and then some. You have done some pretty impossible things, and I know that you getting through what he's done to you or making it more manageable can be done…You're a good kid, Naruto and you've got one of the strongest hearts I've ever seen." Mizuki told the superhuman blonde with full confidence he could get through just about anything
"Thanks…I just want to make sure that when I do face-off against him. That I can put on a whole clinic, and put this whole shitshow behind me." Naruto said with a exhausted sigh
"All I want to do is be a menace to society, and the strongest farmer in all the world. Is that too big of an ask?!" Naruto wondered to himself
"I can't really answer that for you. All I know is that, you've got a lot on your plate and a limited time to get it done. So good luck and godspeed Naruto." Mizuki said to his former student
"Believe me, I know…By the way, how have things been going for you and your recovery?" Naruto asked as Mizuki finished up his bowl of roasted shrimp ramen
"They have been going pretty well actually. By the time the finals start, I should be about a notch or two from being fully recovered…I don't what strings you pulled to have Lady Tsunade give me some good shit, but whatever it was I appreciate it." Mizuki answered back happy that Naruto was able to ensure that his recovery was being sped up with a vengeance
"Like I said, Mizuki-sensei. I've got you covered, there was no way I was gonna let you rot when I could do something about it." Naruto replied
"Well, I definitely appreciate it. Because, between my health being a crap-ton better than it has been since last year. On top of things working out pretty well with Pakura, I'd say things are starting to come up my way again." Mizuki said back with a happy grin on how his luck was changing for the better
"Wait a sec, you and Miss. Pakura have a thing going on?" Naruto questioned
"We're still friends and all, but we aren't an item…or at least not yet." Mizuki answered back
"Oooohhh, I gotta hear about this. Tell me everything, I want details!" Naruto said with vested interest
"Hold your horses, Naruto. I'm fine with telling you about my personal business, but I'd rather wait until things go further along with us; before I start blabbing about it any further…You understand right?" Mizuki told the superhuman blonde
"I do…I just wanna wish you good luck on everything, and see you win at life is all." Naruto spoke
"And I appreciate, I just wanna save my wins for when they actually do happen…But until then, let's enjoy me being healthy as a horse again…Well, almost." Mizuki replied in wanting to save his more 'personal' wins for later
"Fair point, Mizuki-sensei. Great to have you back in one piece." Naruto said back as the two continued eating
'Well, I've got a whole month to figure out how I'm going to overcome my fear of the Rasengan, and beat Toshiro's ass into the next century so I can get my promotion to Chunin.…No pressure…right?...Fuck me, why do I have to have so much baggage in my life.' Naruto thought to himself as he continued to enjoy the rest of the day with Mizuki
And as the Preliminaries end, the Finals and stakes that now come with it begin in full effect as Orochimaru clears their name of Jiraiya's misdeeds and Naruto's training to overcome his fears of the Rasengan; things are looking rather interesting for preparations of the Chunin Exams Finals. How will all things go as everyone prepares to earn their shot for a promotion to Chunin? Stay tuned for the next installments of, Naruto: The PokeSage to find out!
Alright, that'll do it for this one as we conclude the preliminaries and begin the Finals prep/section of the Chunin Exams…and oh boy are their gonna be some changes to say the least for what I have planned; so I hope you guys will stick around to see what comes of it. Furthermore, I hope you guys will continue to stick around and support the story for all of the shenanigans I have planned for it going forward, as oh boy there are a lot of shenanigans I still have up my sleeve and I can't wait to share it all with you guys.
As such and without further adieu, as I want to again express my thanks to you guys for all of your continued support. What with the next chapter diving into some of the preparations are finalists are going through, among some other things that are happening in the aftermath of the Prelims, so stay tuned for all of that good stuff.
Part 3 Theme Song: Themata by Karnivool
Random End Song: Ten Ton Hammer by Machine Head
Now then, onto some of the reviews from the previous chapter.
Kourtney Uzu Yato: What can I say, now that I'm back in action I feel better than ever with what I'm able to come up with for future chapters in my stories. Oh trust me Naruto's gonna do a lot more than having them begging for mercy, because that's one thing but to break their pride and drive them crazy from defeat...that's a whole different beast I wanna try and pull off. Also, expect for Kazushi to help Tsunade get in shape and get jacked because as we've seen, she's definitely bringing some guns to the show from how strong as shit she is on a physical level. Furthermore, Gaara and rightfully so now that she can better articulate her thoughts properly can now say how she feels to people, and in regards to her siblings and as you've seen she really, really does not like them given how bad she jacked up Temari for being a two-faced wench for a sister. Also, I am glad you liked the talk with Orochimaru as its always nice to give her her spotlights here and there with people. Lastly, if your regarded as someone with a flee on sight order; then it only makes sense that people still remember that your still HIM!
Darth Diabolos: Well, as you can see with Mizore and in future chapters she got straight up EMBARASSED! Since Naruto wanted to make a full-blown statement that she is so far beneath him that no matter what she pulled she NEVER be able to close the gap against him; despite all that she was trained with and had at her disposal...Also, I'm not gonna lie; I blanked on Karin as a person so much that I forgot to include her or her team in the Exams at all. Plus, I am loving fem Gaara as well, since she is always a ton of fun to write and having her vibe check her siblings is a blast to always put in the story.
starravenwolf: Hey, I gotta keep some of 'em close to the chest. Otherwise, it doesn't make what I come up with next any fun, but I am nonetheless happy that you enjoy it. Trust me I have a good feeling that with what happens to Toshiro is gonna be worth it, especially since it has effects for what will happen to Mizore who is out of commission for now. It has been something I've considered, its just something that I'm gonna try and work on getting into the story and see where it goes from there in regards to Naruto's combining attacks with each other.
