chapter 30 enjoy
Sakura and Karui stood across from each other with the proctor in the middle, waiting for the match to start.
"May the first match begin!" The proctor said with a wave of his hand.
Sakura pulled out her Kunai and made a few test throws. Karui effortlessly deflected. She then ran with unrivaled speed, intending to scare Sakura into submission.
Sakura smirked at this and did a few hand signs. Karui slashed at her, only for Sakura to fade from existence.
Karui looked behind her, barely dodging a kunai aimed at her head.
She throws a kunai toward Sakura, hitting her, only for her clone to poof out of existence.
"Shadow clone" is the collective thought from many ninjas watching the fight.
Karui barely managed to dodge another kunai before deflecting another.
"Seems Kukiko's efforts paid off," Haku said, getting a nod from Yukino.
Sakura repeated hand signs early before fading from Karui's vision. Then, she realized it was genjutsu. She immediately went on the defensive.
Using shadow clone jutsu again, Sakura and her clones circled Karui, throwing Kunai on all sides.
Karui channeled lightning chakra into her blade before spinning around several times, deflecting three kunai.
Two slipped past her defense, grazing her right shoulder and back, thankful her chainmail protected her back.
Before she could attack, Sakura changed her with Kunai in hand.
Karui met her Kunai with her sword, unknown to each other, their chakra running low.
Shadow clones and infusing a weapon with elemental chakra use up a lot.
And they both knew the other was low on chakra. Sakura backed off before going in for the attack, only for Karui to block again.
A jutsu battle quickly shifted to attacking and blocking with their Kunai and sword, respectively.
In another lock between the sword and Kunai, Karui brought her leg, pushing Sakura off her so she could get some distance.
Sakura quickly got to her feet, ready to strike once more. They traded glances, telling each other their next attack to decide the victor.
They charged once more at full speed. Karui made the mistake of bringing her sword overhead. Sakura smirked at this.
She went to her knees, sliding on the dirt. Karui was caught up in the moment to realize her mistake. Using her kunai sakura, Karui's sword was blocked.
Her Kunai dragged along the edge before the blade snapped. Sakura grabbed her leg, forcing her to the ground.
She quickly got on top of Karui and rested the kunai edge on her throat with a smirk.
"Proctor, I forfeit!" Karui said. Sakura pulled her Kunai away before putting her hand out. Karui took it, getting pulled back to her feet.
Sakura went to a room to house her fellow genin while Karui met with her sensei in the stadium seats.
Neji and Z stood across from each other, waiting for the proctor to start their match.
With a wave of his hand, they both got into a fighting stance.
Z started off throwing several Kunai and shuriken at him. Neji effortlessly deflected them. Z circled him, throwing more, not letting up as Neji deflected more.
Z did a few hand signs, causing all the kunai shuriken to float up in the air before converging on Neji. With a smirk, he used the secret jutsu of the main branch, Rotation deflecting them away.
Two of the kage have amused expressions when they see this.
"Magnet release is rare to see, let alone from genin lord Raikage!" The third said to his counterpart.
"I was surprised when he demonstrated. I shouldn't be surprised. My son is bound and determined to cast his own shadow in Kumo.
Z continuously used his magnet release to control his ninja tool, continuing his assault on Neji. With each assault, Neji deflected them one after another.
"Is this the best Kumo can offer!" Neji spat, looking at the Raikage with a look of disappointment. He effortlessly dodged another one of Z's attacks. A sends the young Hyuga a smirk as he watches his son set the stage.
Neji quickly noticed the subtle look of concentration on Z's face. He put his guard up, ready to counter his attacks.
Z slams his hand on the ground. "Earth-style hidden tomb jutsu!" Five rock pillars fold up from the ground surrounding Neji, intending to crush him.
"Rotation!" He effortlessly destroys the pillars before dodging another barrage of ninja tools.
Just when he thought Z's attack was over, he barely noticed another kunai coming down from above too fast to counter. He could move his body just enough for Kunai to graze his cheek.
Looking at Z, he sees him smirking before pointing upward with his index finger.
Looking above him, Neji quickly sees a dozen kunai floating above them. Then, all the ninja tools he deflected floated around him.
The floating ninja tool converges on Neji once more. He counters with Rotation before barely dodging another kunai coming down hard.
"If you're smart, you'll give up this match!"
"Never!"
"Fine, have it your way." The two continued their dance, attacking and countering each other with relative ease. Z's latest sky attack was enough to knock off Neji's headband, showing the curse mark to the world.
Z's expression went from serious to confused, seeing the green mark on Neji's forehead.
"Never seen a curse mark before!" He glared at Hiashi before going back to Z.
"I suppose you have a right to know about this," Neji said before telling everyone about the Hyuga clan heritage of hatred and the curse mark!"
"Guess it's my turn now. You're not the only one living in a shadow!" Now Neji turns to adopt a look of confusion.
"I'm the son of the fourth Raikage!" Everyone witnessing their fight eyes widened.
"I spent every day since I began my ninja journey wanting to cast my shadow back home." The two got into a fighting stance, intending to end this fight.
They mutually took their fight up a notch. Z brought many of his floating ninja tools down on Neji using his magnet release. Some sank deep into the ground. Others fell flat. He levitated many on the ground, forcing them to circle the Hyuga.
Z clapped his hands together, causing all the ninja tools to stop before converging on Neji one last time. He counters with another rotation. Unlike before, they all resisted the force. Little did he know this was nothing more than a distraction.
When the last of his Rotation faded, Z was a meter away, kicking out Neji's feet and forcing him to the ground. Z follows up by placing a kunai at his throat. Not seeing away from this, Neji forfeits the match to Z.
Z held his hand out, and Neji took it. He returned to his feet and shook hands before leaving the arena.
Z returned to the contestant viewing stand while Neji went to the med bay to get his cuts patched.
When the final bandage was put on the clan head, Hiashi Hyuga stood before him with a single scroll.
Taking the scroll, he reads its content and realizes his father's last words to him. When he finishes ready, he sees hiashi bowing to him.
"This is the Truth, Neji!" he said
"You don't have to bow to me, Uncle!"
With the second match out of the way, it is onto the third match.
This one is between Temari and Shikamaru. It quickly became a battle of wits as each tried to outsmart the other. Their battle ended with Shikamaru forfeiting the match after running out of chakra.
The fourth match is between Shino and Sai. The two stand across from each other, waiting for the proctor to start their match.
"Begin!" he shouts
Sai immediately pulls out a scroll of several tigers bolting towards Shino.
They stuck at the bug handler only for Shino to be revealed as a bug clone.
Sai quickly jumps out of the way as the real shino nearly misses him with his hand.
Sai knew there was more to Shino's last attack. An ordinary genin would have thought much of it, but not him.
He runs his hand through his hair before pulling out a bug. He stairs the bug handler before flicking it to the ground and crushing it with his foot.
"Damn!" Shino said softly before jumping out of the way of another ink Tiger.
Sai didn't let up, creating more before jumping on the back of one, wanting to stay off the ground.
The two traded attacks, neither giving in. Not wanting to drag this on any longer, Sai pulled out a black and white scroll before breaking the seal and tossing it into the air.
The scroll exploded, releasing three giant lions made of ink charging towards Shino, raising a giant bug wall between them.
It wasn't even a challenge. The three lions effortlessly tore through the bugs before the lead lion raised its paw, pinning shino down as it showed off its sharpened teeth.
"Proctor, I forfeit." The lion withdrew its paw, freeing the genin.
Sai pulled out a blank scroll, resealing the three lions.
Sai returned to the viewing box while Shino got his injuries looked at.
Silence filled the stadium as the next match was between Sasuke and Gaara, but Sasuke wasn't there.
Just as the silence reached a tipping point, a few stray leaves flew past Genma, spiraling into the stadium center and revealing Sasuke with his sensei, Kakashi.
"Are we late?" The one-eyed ninja asked, rubbing the back of his neck.
"The fourth match ended two minutes ago, You're next, Sasuke!" Gemma said as Gaara walked out behind him.
Kakashi heads to the stand, leaving the two genin and chunin.
The two stared each other down with matching smirks.
sorry it took so long
fight scenes are one of my biggest weaknesses
that is for this chapter as always make sure to fav follow and leave a chapter review
