{Land of Fire: Training ground 44: Forest of Death: The Tower's Arena}
July 12th
Yoroi vs Uchiha Sasuke.
Line break.
"Begin!" yelled Hayate, bringing his arm down.
Yoroi wasted no time rushing the Uchiha, his hands suddenly glowing up with chakra.
Sasuke immediately began backpedaling as Yoroi clawed and grabbed at Sasuke, the Uchiha weaving out of the way of the guy's attacks.
He didn't need his sharingan to understand that there was a gimmick to this guy's attacks. In fact, he felt disappointed that this was his opponent.
Yoroi kept up the pace, his swipes getting closer and closer until Sasuke ducked under a fist and slammed his elbow into Yoroi's chest, knocking the guy back a few feet.
Yoroi gasped in pain and received a follow-up heel kick to the jaw, which sent him to his back.
The teen gripped his cloth-covered chin and grimaced. 'W-what the hell?! He's moving with no hindrance whatsoever! Is the curse mark even working?!' he thought to himself, confused.
Orochimaru, disguised as the sound shinobi's sensei, thought the same thing.
His snake-like eyes narrowed at the boy's seal, and he tried to feel his presence through it. He found that Sasuke's seal wasn't just integrated but fully in tune with the Uchiha.
'How?' thought Orochimaru with his eyes narrowed in excitement and curiosity. 'There should have been a struggle; he was writhing in the forest! Unless... His body is more durable and adaptive than I thought.'
His narrowed eyes showed delight at the prospect, but he knew that he'd need to create a circumstance where Sasuke would need to rely on its power. The only way to do that was to either A, Drain the boy's chakra until the only thing it could pull on was the seal, which was the initial plan, or B, force its activation remotely when Sasuke needed it most. That would require the manipulation of events outside of Konoha, something he doesn't have time for. Not now.
Yoroi growled and stood back up, dusting himself off.
"Well, that was embarrassing." Joked Sasuke." What the hell were you doing anyway, swiping at me like an academy student like that," said Sasuke, causing some of the spectators to chuckle at the other teen's expense.
"screw you! You little shit," said Yoroi, getting into a different stance. "I was only testing the waters!"
Sasuke rolled his eyes, his arms crossed. "Yeah, sure. At least make this good for me. I wanted a challenge, not... whatever this is."
Kankuro snorted in the stands. 'He certainly got unlucky with that draw,' thought the sand teen as he watched.
Yoroi grits his teeth in frustration. 'I guess I'll be going all out then.'
Yoroi dashed at the Uchiha with far more speed than before and nearly caught Sasuke with a spin kick, but Sasuke bent away right on time, Yoroi's foot inches from his face when doing so.
Sasuke stumbled back, taken by surprise, and was forced to redirect a series of jabs and well-placed kicks that pushed him further and further back until he was seemingly cornered.
'Bit off more than you could-'
Yoroi's thoughts were halted when Sasuke grappled his hands and peered up at him, Sharingan eyes suddenly coming to life.
The effect was immediate; Yoroi's world became dizzy and unbalanced, and in that instant, he received a brutal combo that he could barely deflect or absorb.
Sasuke pummeled the suddenly stumbling boy, Yoroi unable to defend himself.
In an extravagant move that showed his pride and love for showboating, he sent a well-placed spin kick to Yoroi's jaw, dislocating it and sending the teen spinning away and rolling across the arena.
"C'mon, get up. I'm nowhere near satisfied. Surely you have something up your sleeve." Said Sasuke in a mocking tone.
"WOO! Way to go, Sasuke! Kick his ass!" cheered Ino, Shikamaru flinching away from the girl as she cheered.
"Damn, in my ear? Really, Ino?" said the Nara.
The blonde blushed but otherwise didn't care for what he said, far more focused on her crush.
Temari grimaced at the girl from a distance, sick of fangirls like her. 'Pfft. Look at her, jumping around like a cheerleader. What a disgrace.' she thought bitterly.
Kankuro, on the other hand, had his eyes on Gaara, noting how focused he seemed.
'So this is Uchiha Sasuke. If only I could see what he could really do. But alas, he got matched up with a weakling.' thought Gaara. There was an excitement that was stirring within him at the prospect of pushing the Uchiha to the brink in a real match. Seeing him now, it is evident that Sasuke is toying with his opponent.
Hinata and Neji were both thinking the exact same thing. Still, unlike Neji, who didn't see Sasuke's match as anything interesting, Hinata activated her Byakugan and smirked at what she saw. 'Well now, Uchiha. I'll need to watch out if I ever face you."
Why did she think this, you may ask? Only the Jonin in the room knew at that moment.
'Just like Itachi.' Thought Kakashi as he watched Yoroi stand up and start swinging at nothing.
Hayate sighed, knowing the match was indeed over.
Sasuke walked around the teen as he had an imaginary comeback, Sasuke planting the boy in a basic and subtle Sharingan genjutsu. Even Orochimaru felt some semblance of shame.
'Are you serious? He didn't break out of it?' thought Sasuke with a mix of disappointment and humor.
The genjutsu was of the Demonic illusion class in that, where over time, it becomes harder and harder to break if one doesn't recognize oneself in a genjutsu. Right now, his opponent is imagining themselves making a comeback. A false reality has been conjured.
Yoroi was suddenly laughing as Sasuke stood in front of him, and every other Genin thought he was going crazy.
Sasuke grabbed Yoroi's dislocated jaw and suddenly snapped it in an awkward position, and before Yoroi could register the pain, the Uchiha slammed his face into the concrete floor, putting him out of his misery.
"Oh! That had to hurt," said Chouji out loud as he grimaced while munching on a chip.
Ino had her hand to her mouth and cringed at the sight, yet there was a smirk. "He's such a badass..."
Hayate sighed, and after giving Yoroi a second or two to get up, he walked up to the downed boy to check on him. "Yoroi is no longer able to continue. The winner of the first preliminary match goes to Sasuke Uchiha. He will advance to the finales." said Hayate.
Sasuke nodded before sending one last glance at his downed opponent. 'I was practically handed this match. What a disappointment.' he thought bitterly before heading back to where his team was waiting for him.
The medical staff came in moments later and took Yoroi to get healed up.
Sakura looked down at the unconscious opponent with a critical eye. " Did you see that?" she asked Naruto and the blonde nodded.
"It seems our teammate knows a bit of genjutsu." Said the blonde and glanced at Kakashi.
Kakashi chuckled at that. "Indeed. Good to see you all paying attention. It was at that moment that he looked into his eyes too."
Naruto nodded and couldn't help but smirk. 'Not a fan of genjutsu. I'd hate to get caught up in one if I'd just end up looking like a raving fool. It seems you're catching up, Sasuke.' thought the blonde with a smirk.
Sasuke walked up the stairs, his hands in his pocket. Though he had won his match, his scowl showed what he thought of his opponent.
"That was terrible. I got matched with a weakling. I was hoping to fight someone worth my time," said Sasuke.
Naruto chuckled. "All is well, Sasuke. We...-"
Naruto stopped talking, and Kakashi saw why. Sasuke's seal was glowing.
Sasuke looked confused. "What?"
Sakura stood up. "Your seal, it's glowing."
Sasuke clasped his neck and winced, the curse mark spreading. 'W-what? I didn't do anything to agitate it." Sasuke said with annoyance.
Naruto walked up and peered closer to get a better look at it, all while the sound of the giant screen in the room made a noise and started shuffling through names.
Kakashi's eye narrowed. "We'll need to get this checked out; you may have agitated it using the Sharingan," he said, his eye showing a hint of worry.
Sasuke groaned as he was forced to slip away discretely.
"I might miss Naruto's match."
Naruto snorted and waved him off. "Oh please, go get yourself checked out and stop acting like a baby."
Sasuke looked at the blonde, annoyed, and Sakura pointed to the back entrance, a scowl on her face that brooked no arguments. Sasuke frowned but did as told.
The two disappeared down the hall, and Naruto noticed the worried expression on Sakura's face.
"He'll be fine. Sasuke is tough." said the blonde, causing her to nod.
'He is... But that's not what I'm worried about,' she thought to herself, the image of Orochimaru appearing in her head.
The sound of the board going off distracted her from her thoughts, so she looked up to see the names on the board shuffling around.
She was nervous about her fight, but given what she'd been forced to face in the forest, she wasn't as afraid as she would a few weeks ago.
The screen stopped shuffling and stopped and displayed the next matchup.
[Shino vs Zaku]
Zaku raised a brow and looked to the other side of the arena to see who he was fighting.
"That guy? No problem!" he said with a chuckle.
"Be careful, Zaku. Don't let your guard down." Said Dosu.
"Tch, please. I've already won this thing; watch." Zaku said with a smirk.
Kin shook her head at the boy's arrogance, her gaze landing on his opponent. 'he'd better not screw this up.' She thought to herself, wary of the consequences.
Shino heard his opponent's confidence, but Aburame's attention wasn't on him. It was on Hinata, who had just given him advice and a warning.
"His jutsu works in through those implants. I know how to exploit that, so don't worry, Hinata. This match has already been decided." Said Shino, a smirk under his collar.
Hinata sighed, nodded, and leaned on the rail. "I know. Just make it quick and be right back here. I wish for my entire team to pass this."
Kurenai smiled at the interaction, and Shino bowed, thanking the girl for her encouragement before jumping off the balcony with Zaku doing the same on the other side.
It was when they got to the proctor that Shino gave a respectful bow, and Zaku scoffed at Shino's manners. "Such a loser, yet fitting, bowing like that in the presence of a superior."
Shino crossed his arms. "It wasn't a simple bow of respect but a future apology. When this match is over, your future as a shinobi will no doubt be put into question."
Zaku grimaced. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean? You trying to be smart with me? Or are you trying to impress that girl up there?" questioned Zaku while eyeing up Hinata and liking what he saw.
"Ignore this punk, Shino! Kick his loser ass and show him who's boss!" yelled Kiba.
Zaku whirled on Kiba from the stands and pointed up at him. "I'd be more worried about yourself! When I'm done with him, I'll come for you next! That is if you even make it past your match."
"Enough. I'd like to start the match now." Spoke Hayate, annoyed at the back and forth.
Zaku crossed his arms and glared at Shino.
"Alright... Begin!" yelled Hayate, bringing his arm down.
Zaku wasted no time, jumping back and pointing his arms out toward Shino.
"Ninja art: Decapitating soundwaves!" he yelled, and a blast of wind rushed out his palms and straight for Shino.
Shino displayed a speed that caught anyone who didn't know him off guard, the boy slipping past the concentrated jutsu and toward Zaku.
The jutsu slammed into the stadium wall just beneath Kurenai's team, and Shino was already in striking distance.
Zaku sent a hook to the boy, and Shino blocked it, but the moment he did, Zaku's palm went off and, at point-blank range, sent a blast of wind to the side of Shino's head, sending the boy stumbling and rolling away.
"Tch. If only its output was higher. I would have won the match there." Zaku commented as he waited for his implants to suck in more air.
Shino stood up and rubbed his shoulder, the jutsu having been weak since it was rushed. 'Indeed. It's as you said, Hinata. He's hasty and, because of that, has already lost this match. You really are good at reading people.' Thought Shino.
Shino's attention was brought back to Zaku, who pointed his arms out again. He rushed out of the way of another blast of wind, this time closer to its mark.
Shino was sent stumbling away again, and Kiba grimaced.' C'mon, Shino! You can't get knocked around after making a cool comment at the beginning of the match! You've gotta back up those words!' he thought to himself.
He looked at Kurenai and saw her smirk, then at Hinata, who didn't seem bothered by what was happening.
'And as usual, I'm completely out of the loop. I hate being on the back burner.' thought Kiba, crossing his arms in annoyance.
Shino sighed, having been grazed with another attack from Zaku. At this point, his rookies were cheering him on and telling him to stop letting him knock him around. Well, there was a reason for his behavior. He wasn't hurt; it was just wind, after all. He only needs to avoid a full-power blow directly to keep its effects off of him, and he's fine.
The buzzing in his ear from his hivemind wasn't as subtle when telling him the match was now over, and the Aburame chuckled. "Well, I suppose this is it. It's over now."
"Wha?! Yelled Choji from the stands. "You can't be serious! Don't give up!"
Shikamaru once again flinched at his volume and shook his head. 'The way Shino was acting. It's obvious to me that he's already found a path to victory. I just wish I could relay this without anyone hearing,' he thought to himself as he watched on.
'Well, now. What have you done to earn this victory?' thought Kurenai from the sidelines.
Zaku smirked. "So you yield this match to me?" he asked.
"No," Shino said bluntly.
"Good. I get to make you regret your words about my ninja career!" he yelled, and Shino noted how much air was going into his palms and felt regret build up.
"Wait a second! Don't!" yelled Shino, knowing what was about to happen.
"Too late to beg! Ninja art: Decapitating air blast!" Zaku yelled, putting everything he had into this attack.
The room heard the sound of a flesh-like pop, like a massive balloon going off.
Everyone's eyes were dinnerplates at what they saw.
'Holy shit!' thought most of the Jonin in the room.
Ino had to look away at the morbid sight, Shikamaru closed his eyes and sighed, and Choji stopped eating.
The sand genin shook their heads at the sight, except for Gaara, who looked amused at what he was seeing.
The sound Genin were mortified, Kiba was in awe, and Hinata let out a sigh, the same for Kurenai.
Sakura looked away at the sight, and Naruto flinched. 'Holy crap, Shino. brutal'
Hinata was the only one aside from Gaara to wear something resembling a smirk. 'Between me, Shino, and Kiba, Shino has the most potential of all. From parasites to even microorganisms, the Aburame are like the reapers of death, and everyone looks down on them. I'm sure that'll be a lesson for these ignorant geniuses.
Zaku's arms were blown apart from his forearms, blood pouring from his bloody stumps as what looked like micro insects crawled out in droves. Shino's promise was kept. Zaku's future as a shinobi is now in question.
After that, a horrified scream rang out, and the medical staff sprang into action. "EEEEEEAAAAAAAH! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?!" Zaku screamed in horror and pain.
Shino backed away from a screaming Zaku and let the medical staff take care of his opponent. He himself was covered in blood thanks to that and felt disgusted with what happened. It was a threat, simple banter. He didn't account for Zaku forcing his jutsu out as he did; it was supposed to clog up and give him time for a taijutsu bout.
The winner of the match was obvious; Hayate only called it for professional reasons.
Shino planted his metallic-eating bugs on Zaku, and they ate away at his implants. It happened the moment Zaku was forced to block his attack. All it takes is one puncture to ruin such a delicate procedure, and Zaku trying to go full power just then is what truly did him in. It was a shame.
Shino walked up the stairs after getting cleaned off, and Hinata could already tell what was on Shino's mind.
"Shino. Come here," she said stoically.
Shino sighed. "I'm fine, Hinata. I just wasn't expecting such an abrupt end to the match, not like that.
Hinata rolled her eyes and sat him down next to her anyway, not caring for his protests. "Yes, well, I'm not forcing a pep talk onto you. Just relax.
Shino nodded, and Kiba tried not to feel jealous.
'This girl is basically doing my job here,' thought Kurenai in amusement. She's just glad Hinata cares for her team as she does. She was afraid Hiashi completely transformed her into his mini-me, but it seems she has retained her kindness. Whatever is left of it, anyway.
Line break.
{Back room of the Tower}
{Kakashi POV}
Kakashi had Sasuke sit on a seal of his and Jiraiya's making. Well, sort of.
It was ink-based, so he had to write it manually. Thanks to his Sharingan, he could even memorize this, but even while doing so, he felt like he was on autopilot, so he wasn't sure if he was getting it all right. It was such a complex thing, way more than it should have been, but given what Naruto had done to Sasuke's curse seal, it's allowed to run rampant completely, so it requires a stronger seal. Hence, their current situation.
"There. That should do it," said Kakashi before placing a palm on Sasuke's curse mark. "OK. Now, brace yourself, Sasuke; this may sting.
Sasuke sighed. "Do you want me to bite onto something?"
Kakashi chuckled, "A little. Sealing art: Curse seal: stage two," he said, and Sasuke yelled out as the Ink receded from around the floor and into a concentrated glyph that surrounded the curse mark.
Steam came off Sasuke's neck, and the boy shivered in pain, his vision blurry.
Orochimaru, who was standing in the dark, looked at the process with fascination.
'A new sealing technique I don't know about? And all for the curse mark I only just placed on Sasuke? Well, well. Has Kakashi suddenly become a sealing expert? It seems a lot has changed since I've been gone.' Orochimaru thought to himself.
"Come out. I know you're there, Lord Orochimaru," said Kakashi with an edge in his voice.
Kakashi slowly turned to the Sannin; his headband pulled up to reveal his Sharingan as the Sannin stepped out into the light.
"How did you do it? Hm? It was you, wasn't it? You're the reason Sasuke's body accepted the curse seal so beautifully; you must be. Seeing the boy now, I know it wasn't due to his adaptability." Orochimaru said with curiosity.
Kakashi's eyes narrowed. 'So Naruto's seal did, in fact, save Sasuke. Not good. If this snake finds out that Naruto can lower the binding process's casualty rate, he'll definitely target him. The look in his eyes tells me that Sasuke was his primary target. I need more answers.' He thought.
"It doesn't matter, I suppose. He's shown to be so very promising." Said Orochimaru as he walked closer.
Kakashi's eyes went wide with hostility, and in an instant, the Chidori came to life, lightning cracking and whipping around in a fury of light, the light illuminating the dark room.
"That's close enough." said the Jonin in a warning.
"My my. You're rather quick to draw, Kakashi." Orochimaru said while smiling, and Jonin took a step forward, ready to strike.
"You take one more step toward my student, and It'll be an abrupt end for your little quest for power," Kakashi growled.
Orochimaru sighed. "Such bravado. It seems you need to be reminded of who you're dealing with."
Kakashi's eyes widened when the flash of killing intent hit him, the image of his head being removed flashing before his eyes.
A cold sweat ran down Kakashi's temple as his jutsu nearly faltered. 'Stand your ground, Kakashi! You aren't alone here!' he thought to himself.
Orochimaru smirked and took a few more steps until he heard the sound of a frog.
His smirk vanished, and a little green toad hopped into the spotlight, staring up at the man with a blank expression.
"Quit toying with the boy, Orochimaru." The frog said in Jiraiya's voice before it opened up wide, and that very man appeared, crawling out of its mouth. It was almost absurd,
Orochimaru's eyes widened at the sight, and Kakashi sighed in relief. 'Right when I needed him.'
Orochimaru blurred back to where he stood moments ago, and Jiraiya walked further into the dim light, arms folded. "Uchiha Sasuke is off limits. Sorry. But you can tell me the other reason for your visit to Konoha."
Orochimaru's expression betrayed the shock of Jiraiya's presence. 'Kabuto! you're slipping up more and more!' Orochimaru thought with anger. He hates surprises.
"Wouldn't you like to know? Konoha is full of wonders, trinkets, and secrets in the most unexpected places, and corruption to exploit in its very foundation. I could be here for any one of those reasons. Or even all of them. "Orochimaru said with amusement.
"You're after sensei, aren't you." Jiraiya accused.
Orochimaru's smile widened. "of course I am, but not today. Maybe I'll kill him when he's too old to stand on his own."
Jiraiya's chakra suddenly flared, and Orochimaru's did the same, and the ground beneath them cracked under the pressure of the chakra.
The two of them locked eyes, the air in the room growing tense with anticipation.
Kakashi had long since put Sasuke under the influence of his own aura to protect him from any clash of wills, and Jiraiya was grateful for it.
The air got even tenser, and both their hands twitched. But Orochimaru conceded. "Damn you, Jiraiya. For once, you are where you need to be... and at just the right time, too. If only it were the case for your beloved students, but alas, it wasn't to be. Goodbye, Jiraiya. We'll be seeing each other very soon."
With that, Orochimaru suddenly slipped into the darkness, and his presence vanished like a ghost.
"Yeah, fuck you too, you snake," hissed Jiraiya, a bitter feeling at the mention of Minato and his three students from the rain village.
Kakashi fell to one knee. Shielding Sasuke and himself had taken a massive toll on him. "Thanks. You saved us back there."
Jiraiya nodded, "Report to the Hokage this instant. I'm going to do some investigating. Something isn't right about these exams. We may need to cancel this event."
Kakashi nodded and picked up Sasuke.
When he left, Jiraiya bit his thumb and summoned seven toads, all of varying sizes.
"We have work to do. Konoha is in danger."
Line break.
{The Arena General POV}
Kankuro's eyes were wide with frustration, and Baki and Temari were also in disbelief in the stands.
"D-dammit!" whispered Kankuro, trying to get out of Shikamaru's jutsu.
Shikamaru was bruised pretty well; the blade of Crow, Kankuro's puppet, was just inches from Shikamaru's face.
The Naara gave an audible sigh of relief, having been cornered and out of options there. "S-shadow possession... complete," he said.
"Yeah! Way to go, Shikamaru! Yelled Choji excitedly, Ino slumping in relief with her sensei.
'That was close, Shikamaru.' thought Asuma. The boy really was out of options there.
"Dammit Kankuro! Get out of that jutsu!" yelled Temari.
"Urgh! What do you think I-I'm trying to do!" He said, and as a result of having no control over his body and Shikamaru being the one with the kunai, the Nara was able to walk past a disabled puppet and in Kankuro's face.
He held a kunai to Kankuro's throat, having already been holding one before even casting the jutsu. As a result, Kankuro held nothing to Shikamaru, whereas Shikamaru had a kunai to Kankuro's throat. Kankurois was now a sitting duck.
Temari growled. "Dammit! We had him! he was winning!"
Baki sighed. 'This doesn't affect the mission. Only Gaara needs to pass for any of this to work. Still... This was not expected,' Baki thought with disappointment.
"Yield." breathed Shikamaru, exhausted. He pressed the kunai deeper into the side of Kankuro's neck, and the puppet user relented.
"I yield," said the puppet master.
Shikamaru backed up, releasing the shadow possession and letting Kankuro breathe, the Naara falling to the floor, ready for a nap then and there. "Ugh! What a drag!"
Hayate nodded and raised his hand. "Winner of this match by forfeit goes to Shikamaru Nara; he advances to the finals! And I would recommend he be given medical attention!" said the man with a smirk.
Ino smiled in satisfaction. "Looks like Shikamaru pulled through! That was good work on his part."
Chouji gave an audible cheer and clapped.
Kurenai nodded in agreement. "You did well, Shikamaru," she said with a smile as he was escorted to the medical staff.
Shikamaru gave a simple wave, wishing he could just be hoisted away on a stretcher so he could pretend to be out for the count. That wouldn't do, though.
After the very small recess, the names on the screen were once again shuffling, and everyone had their fingers crossed.
[Sakura vs Ino]
Temari slapped her face at the screen. 'Oh, Kami, this is going to be embarrassing,' she thought with shame.
Ino scowled and sent Sakura a look. 'This time, Sakura. No going easy. It's time to show my prowess as a kunoichi,' she thought to herself.
Sakura, on the other hand, stared at the screen with an unreadable expression. 'I guess I got lucky. But still. Why did it have to be her?'
The feeling of Naruto planting a hand on her shoulder and giving her a smirk snapped her out of her thoughts. "C'mon. Don't tell me you're hesitating now. Show 'em who's boss."
She sighed and nodded. 'I suppose he wouldn't understand. This is personal.'
"Knock 'em dead, Ino," Said Asuma, cheering the girl on.
"Yeah, do your best. Show everyone you've got the chops for the finals," said Choji with a smile.
The two Genin walked down to the arena and stopped on opposite sides, the tension thick in the air.
Ino crossed her arms, not liking the look on Sakura's face.
"What's with that expression, billboard brow? I don't want excuses when I crush you," she said with a cocky smirk, causing Sakura to look her in the eye.
Sakura glared at her. "Don't go writing your victory before it's been earned."
She turned to the proctor, and Hayate nodded, giving the go-ahead. "Begin!"
Ino's smirk vanished when she was nearly pelted with Shuriken, Sakura's hands blurring to send her projectiles at Ino, but the Yamanaka dodged her attacks, but barely, getting scraped and cut from her poor agility.
Sakura dashed into her melee range, and Ino frantically raised her guard. The aggression from her opponent was not what she expected.
She deflected two palm strikes, but a punch to the face dazed her and allowed Sakura to sweep her from under her legs.
The blonde grunted and gasped, hitting the ground hard. She did not expect Sakura to be this capable. She rolled out of the way of Sakura's foot, coming down with a yelp.
"H-hang on!-
She didn't finish the sentence. A high kick sent her on her back again, but this time, she slid away.
Asuma winced at the scene, and Shikamaru, who'd only just returned from the medical wing, hid his face away. 'Damn, Ino. This is why you shouldn't be worried about appearances and more so about combat. Sakura's already whooping your butt.' thought the Nara.
"Come on, Ino!" cheered Choji, the only one on Ino's side who wasn't wincing.
'Well, isn't that just a wonderful sight,' thought Temari, her arms crossed as she watched Ino getting thrashed around.
Hinata was also wincing. "This match is over before it's begun," she said, and both Shino and Kiba nodded, watching Ino get punted to the side by a palm strike and go rolling across the arena.
Ino got up, panting, a look of shock on her face. 'Since when did she get like this?!' thought the blonde in shock.
She wiped the blood off her face and knew she needed to do something fast. A few minutes had passed, and she hadn't done a thing to the Pinkette. She can't let this slide.
She growled and knew she only had one win-con now.
She put up the sign for her mind transfer jutsu and Sakura gave her a look. "Uh. Ino? That won't-"
"Shut up! Mind transfer jutsu!"
'Oh, that fool!' thought Asuma, leaning on the rail with a look of disappointment. 'That move won't work! It's for cornered prey only because it travels too slow, and Ino's left vulnerable.'
Ino's body went still, and she was unresponsive as Sakura dashed around the obvious range of her jutsu, and she sent a charging knee at the temporarily out-of-commission Yamanaka.
When the knee connected with Ino's body, the sound of her rib breaking going off like a crack, the force of it sending the blonde sailing to the concrete floor, and before her body even made contact with the floor, her soul came shooting back, and Ino yelped in pain.
She rolled across the floor and shook to stand back up.
'Her endurance is terrible.' Thought a worried Sakura. She didn't want this match. This was the last thing she wanted to do to her once friend.
"Ino... I think you've had enough," Sakura said, her expression worried.
Ino glared at Sakura, took her headband from her arm, and tied it around her head.
The girl's eyes narrowed as she stared down Sakura. OK. That didn't work, and now my side is burning. I need a strategy, a way to catch her off guard.
Ino went through her pouch and scowled. "I don't need your sympathy, Sakura. I see that you've improved as a shinobi. But I haven't been idle either!"
Ino threw smoke bombs across the battlefield, and Sakura sighed and walked through the smoke.
The Hyuuga activated their Byakugan to see what was happening while the rest were blind to it all.
The sound of struggling, clashing, and yelping rang out, and then there was silence.
Hinata deactivated her Dojutsu and smirked. "At least it's over,"
The smoke cleared to reveal that Ino was stuck in the ground. Sakura squatted in front of her with her kunai pointed at her nose. "Gotcha." the girl whispered.
Jonin in the room was impressed. To use the hiding like a mole jutsu on such a hardened surface speaks volumes about Sakura's mastery over the jutsu. She obviously spent weeks trying to perfect it.
Asuma sighed at the sight, and Shikamaru shook his head.
'Damn, That was painful to watch. Sakura seems to have improved. Not a surprise when you have someone like Sasuke on your team.' Thought Shikamaru.
"Ino Yamanaka is no longer able to battle. The winner of this match is Sakura Haruno," said Hayate.
Sakura clasped her hands and planted them into the ground before Ino, and the ground became mud-like in texture, allowing Ino to crawl out.
She stumbled onto her hands and knees, and Sakura tried to give her a hand to help her up, only to slap it away. "S-save it! I won't lose next time, you hear?!" said a teary-eyed Ino.
Sakura nodded and watched the girl limp away with the assistance of the medical staff.
Sakura walked back up the stairs, a guilty look on her face, but when she came face to face with Naruto, her guilt lessened.
Naruto smiled softly, pride in his eyes. He wanted to joke about her opponent being a bit too easy but knew better. "Ino is as strong as you were before you really took your training seriously. You really have improved, as you can see."
Sakura scowled and shook her head. "Fighting for my life in that god's forsaken jungle was enough to show me that. I don't like using others as a benchmark," she said.
"What a wonderful philosophy, Sakura," said Naruto, his hand going through his hair as he stared up at the screen. "Sorry. I don't know how to cheer you up, nor can I give you any advice. I don't have any friends... I mean childhood friends."
Sakura frowned and shook her head. "Don't worry about cheering me up, naruto, and you can consider me a childhood friend. After all, our childhood isn't over yet."
Naruto smirked. "Thanks, but it's not the same. Anyway, on a much better note, it seems our entire team is bound to pass."
She frowned and almost said something when Kankuro chimed in. "A little cocky when you haven't even had your fight yet. Who knows. You could get unlucky with your match."
Naruto gave Kankuro an amused and cocky look, and Sakura shook her head. 'This guy has no idea who he's talking to. I don't think anyone here can beat Naruto, not Neji, not Sasuke, and certainly not him if he's implying so; not like he has the right since he lost his match,' thought Sakura.
The board shuffled through the names once more, and everyone waited for their chance to fight.
[Hinata vs Tenten]
Kankuro rolled his eyes at that. "Another kunoichi battle. great."
Neji, however, had his eyes widened in frustration, and Tenten had a concentrated look in an instant. 'Damn. I have to fight his cousin,' thought Tenten.
Neji planted a hand on her shoulder. "Tenten, listen to me. You need to overwhelm her; write her down with projectiles first. Then, use long-range weaponry. I don't need to tell you as to why. Consider her my equal, understood?"
Tenten nodded, and Lee gave her a thumbs up. "You can do this, Tenten! Show her the power of youth and determination!"
The girl chuckled and nodded. "Thanks, Lee, I will."
"That's right! Go get 'em, tiger!" yelled Gai in support.
The girl nodded, a bit bashful that they were being loud.
Meanwhile, Hinata looked annoyed, having wanted to get her showdown with her cousin out of the way. The sooner, the better. But alas, it was not to be.
A hand on her shoulder lifted her out of her funk, and Kiba gave her an encouraging smile.
She sighed and brushed the hand off her shoulder, and he stepped out of the way.
She gracefully stepped off the rail and onto the arena, walking to the center.
Kiba leaned forward, already captivated by her grace and ready to witness her firsthand.
Shino was also interested. He was seated, his feet hanging off the balcony and his arms resting on the lower rails.
Tenten also hopped off the rails and stood on her side of the arena.
Tenten watched as Hinata started to walk in the middle, and Tenten mirrored her movements, both stopping a few feet apart from each other, Tenten inching away by a bit for obvious reasons.
'let's see what the princess of the main family can do.,' she thought, her arms crossed as she eyed the girl.
Hayate was thankful for the lack of banter and brought his hand up, keeping it there for a moment as he eyed both girls. 'no banter. This will be entertaining.'
He brought his arm down. "Begin!"
Hinata's eyes widened a bit when her opponent suddenly slipped through a few hand signs at blinding speed and summoned a giant scroll, all while jumping away.
"Unsealing technique: Shuriken storm!" yelled Tenten, and Shuriken flew out of the scroll and straight for Hinata.
Hinata's hand blurred with a single thrust, Hinata using the Vacuum palm technique, and the force of her thrust caused a precise vacuum of wind to rip through the air and deflect everything in front of her, tearing the large scroll in Tenten's hands. Luckily for Tenten, she was angled right so as not to be hit directly.
Neji was against the railing instantly, with a look of worry on his features. 'That was the vacuum palm technique!' he thought in shock.
Tenten paid this no heed, her scroll having been a simple diversion to make some distance.
'She is scary.' Thought Tenten as she whipped out another scroll with a more complex storage seal pattern.
"Unsealing technique: Storm of projectiles!" yelled Tenten, and this time, what seemed to be a tidal wave of Shuriken, kunai, and blades of all kinds raced toward Hinata.
Hinata's eyes widened at the amount of junk coming out of the scroll. She was on the move in an instant, blurring and weaving around the blades, circling Tenten, who was holding the scroll in her direction wherever she went.
Tenten smirked as a large metallic ball of iron came flying out at a dangerous speed and hit Hinata head-on, but not in the way anyone expected.
Hinata actually caught it in such a way that it didn't harm her, but the weight sent her to the other side of the arena. She somehow weakened its impact, another impressive feat.
'Works for me.' Thought Tenten as she attached her chakra threads to the weapons on the ground.
Hinata dusted herself off and glared.
Tenten only then realized that Hinata had yet to activate her Byakugan.
This made Tenten glare back. 'Oh yeah. She's main family.' she thought.
"Here it is. Tenten is going all out for this match to be going for that strategy, and so early into the battle." said Lee.
Neji shook his head. "This is my cousin we're dealing with here. She's strong. Too strong to take lightly."
Gai said nothing as he watched the fight. No one said a word. This battle started off with a bang, and too much was going on.
Tenten raised her arms, and countless weapons rose up with the gesture, chakra threads attached to them. The girl then sent them flying towards Hinata. "Storm of weaponry!" she yelled, and Hinata had her Byakugan on instantly.
All the weapons raced to hit their mark, and Hinata began to rotate and spin around. That was all people saw before the weapons began mercilessly encircling her repeatedly, a cloud of countless metal shielding her from view.
Kurenai leaned forward, a bit worried, and Kiba gasped.
Tenten felt bad and a little scared that she was about to murder a main branch member of the Hyuuga clan, but she knew she had to give it her all.
When he could no longer keep up with her chakra threads, a tornado of weapons scattered in all directions, and Hinata stood in the center completely unharmed, her stance indicating that she had managed to defend herself perfectly.
Hinata stood up straight and crossed her arms, a scowl on her features. "Surely throwing projectiles isn't the gimmick here. If so, I'm terribly disappointed."
"W-what? How?!" yelled a confused Lee, Tenten ironically yelling the very same thing out loud.
Neji gripped the rail, his Byakugan eyes glaring down at his greatest obstacle. "Rotation." was all he muttered. 'To think she's this far along! It's not fair! Of course, she has direct access to this technique! If she's this caught up... then she may have already-' He cut off that thought angrily and clenched his fist.
Hinata stepped out of the very subtle crater made by her technique and began striding toward Tenten.
Tenten, on the other hand, had other plans. 'One trick pony? We'll see!' she thought to herself and made a hand signal.
Hinata saw this and blurred away right as one of the weapons to explode, shaking the battlefield and sending weapons flying about.
"Now this is action!" yelled both Kankuro and, surprisingly, Choji.
Naruto smirked at the sight and couldn't help but find this fight to be the most entertaining thus far.
"Well damn. This is pretty freakin good!" He said out loud, Sakura nodding in agreement.
Kiba was enjoying the show as well. Akamaru was barking in encouragement to his favorite female human, and Kiba was doing the same. "Keep your eyes open, Hinata!" he yelled in warning.
Shino rolled his eyes under his glasses. 'That's what she's been doing this whole time. She's even giving the false perception of arrogance to provoke her opponent. She has this fight in the bag.' Shino thought to himself, a smirk on his face.
Kurenai didn't need to say a word. Her smile spoke volumes about her confidence in her team.
Hinata scanned the battlefield and smirked. 'She armed her weapons with paper bomb tags. Smart. But useless against the Byakugan.'
Tenten smirked and held an activation sign. 'Oh, you think you have things under control, eh? Think again.'
Hinata blurred away from another explosion, weapons flying about with each one. Tenten set off,
With Hinata right where Tenten wanted her, Tenten smirked. 'There!'
she set off her paper bomb again, and this time, a chain reaction occurred, and Hinata found herself in a whirlpool of explosives.
Sakura grimaced and yelped when Naruto caught a stray shuriken for her. "yeah, this is getting a bit dangerous." He muttered to himself, his hand cut from the way he had to catch it.
Smoke covered the battlefield, and Tenten figured she had at least made a dent in her opponent.
She turned around to see if Neji was watching for anything, his expression having been an open book the entire match. When she saw his constrained look, she knew it was far from over.
She gasped when a rain of Shuriken came from the smoke, and Tenten was forced to deflect the projectiles with a kunai.
Hinata walked out of the smoke, spinning a kunai in her hand, not a scratch on her. However, she had some smudges here and there from the smoke.
'Nothing I'm doing here is working. Any of these tactics would have at least injured an opponent, but she's not affected at all! This is worse than training with Neji!' She thought with frustration.
Hinata suddenly moved, and Lee's eyes bugged at how fast she suddenly appeared in front of Tenten.
The brunette panicked and unsommoned her weapon, a bo-staff.
She spun it and struck toward Hinata, who bobbed and weaved out of the way right on time, avoiding the rather unpredictable series of swings and blows Tenten was delivering.
Tenten spun her staff with grace, swinging it out and forcing Hinata to back bend with flexibility that caught everyone off guard. 'C'mon, land a hit already!' thought Tenten, slightly frustrated.
Tenten twisted her staff and jabbed out multiple times, Hinata slapping the staff way a few times before closing the distance.
Tenten accounted for this, and just before she made contact, an explosion went off between them as Tenten activated a nearby stray paper bomb.
It didn't do any damage, but it was enough to force them away from each other.
Tenten slid back, same for Hinata, and they circled each other, getting a read on their situation.
Neji closed his eyes and breathed out. "Cool it, Tenten. Focus. It's an Illusion, a false perception of perfection. She isn't untouchable, as you saw. This arena is your playground. Use it to its fullest," he whispered, wanting so desperately to give her pointers but knowing that was impossible.
Gai nodded with approval. "Focus, Tenten. You have this."
Tenten took a breath and narrowed her eyes, searching for some kind of weakness to exploit. 'No one is perfect. I'll find your weak point eventually.'
Hinata smirked, the challenge given. It was like she could tell what she was thinking.
Hinata dashed again, and Lee, seeing it again, concluded that Hinata is indeed an opponent that would require him to remove his weights to properly combat.
Tenten gasped at the speed and swung where she predicted she'd appear, lucky enough to disrupt Hinata's flow and force her to dodge under the blow, the staff keeping her away.
Tented spun it and sent a series of swings once again, but Hinata's agility was too much, and eventually, Hinata managed to get close and slammed her palm into Tenten's side, sending her back.
Hinaa scowled. 'I missed.'
Neji let out a breath. 'She missed.'
Tenten rolled to her feet and did a self-check. ''Thank Kami, she missed."
Hinata rushed back in, and Tenten spun her staff and tried to keep her at bay, wishing she could get some distance and use her scrolls again.
This continued on for a bit, Tenten backpedaling from a dodging Hinata despite being the one attacking. 'c'mon! Hit her already!'
Hinata suddenly caught the staff, and Tented clicked a button on it, changing its form from a staff to a three-section staff/coiling dragon staff. (Think of Playful Cloud from Jujutsu Kaisen).
She spun the tip and swung it toward Hinata's head, and the Hyuuga bent back slightly, avoiding the sudden attack, and kicked her foot out, slamming it into Tenten's gut and sending her sliding back.
To Tenten's surprise, Hinata swung the weapon at her in staff form and nearly caught her head with it, the Hyuuga girl then jabbing at her neck and body.
Tenten was baffled at being disarmed so easily, and a sudden spin of the staff hit her in the head, making her stumble back.
Hinata followed up with a series of jabs at the staff, and Tented did what she could to dodge, but every attempt resulted in the girl taking damage.
This went on until Hinata swung the staff horizontally, and Tenten caught the staff and once again clicked the switch on it, releasing it in its sectioned form once again, and kicked it out of the girl's hand before jumping back.
Hinata flicked her hand, looking at it with a smirk. "You're pretty good but not good enough to match me. It was a fun match, though," she said.
"This match isn't over! I'll make you regret those words!" Tenten said as she jumped away to unseal another scroll with one hand while still holding her staff in the other, but obviously, Hinata wasn't having it.
The Hyuuga girl closed the distance instantly and ripped her hand through the scroll, forcing Tenten to once again go into a series of swings and flourishes with her weapon, trying to keep the Hyuuga at bay.
With a sudden feint, Tenten jabbed at a speed Hinata should have been caught off guard by, but the girl's hand blurred and caught it. She then spun into Tenten's personal space and backhanded her before going for multiple jabs at Tenten's tenketsu points; Tenten desperately blocked her jabs, and one by one, the jabs landed in a precise manner on her chakra points.
Tenten went stiff, her muscles having gone unresponsive. Hinata used this opening and began sending a series of punches and palm thrusts to her tenketsu points, and with a powerful thrust of her palm, Tenten was sent sliding across the battlefield, being lucky to have not landed on any of the weapon sprawled out on the battlefield.
Hinata crossed her arms and smirked.
Tenten grimaced and got up, drawing a sword this time. "N-not done yet! I'm just getting started!" She said.
Tenten swung at Hinata and missed every swing, Hinata dancing around her with ease.
She suddenly dashed under a slash and sent a non-lethal palm to her chest before dodging another reckless swing. A jab to the shoulder, the rib, and then a sweep under the legs brought Tenten down once again.
Hinata planted a foot on Tenten's back when the girl tried to get back up. "You fought well, but this is it. Yield."
Tenten glared at the ground and shut her eyes in frustration. "D-damn!"
Hayate looked at the scene, and one look from the Hokage told him to end it there.
He cleared his throat and brought his arm up. "The winner is Hinata Hyuuga."
Lee was out of his spot and over the railing in an instant. Worry and determination were etched on his face as he rushed past Hinata and to an injured Tenten.
"Are you OK?!" asked Lee.
Tenten nodded. "Yeah, just a little bruised is all,"
Lee looked up to a stoic-looking Hinata and stood up with a bowed head. "Thank you for showing mercy to my comrade."
Hinata nodded and turned around when feeling the glare of her cousin. 'patience, cousin. I'm sure we'll settle things when the time comes. That is if you manage to pass from this stage.'
She turned around and walked up to where her team was, and Kiba's smile greeted her. "That was awesome, Hinata!"
"Indeed. You were perfect," said Shino.
She sighed and sat down, crossing her arms. "I can't wait to take a nice long bath after this... Or a trip to the hot springs."
Kiba nodded, a sight blush at the image. "y-yeah. That sounds nice."
Shino rolled his eyes, and Kurenai planted a hand on Hinata's head, expressing how proud she was of her.
Hinata was good at hiding her emotions, but this time, she couldn't help but smile. It was praise from her favorite person, after all. Aside from Hanabi, of course.
Line break.
{Spectator box}
"So? What do you think?" Asked Jiraiya to Hiruzen.
Hiruzen, who was in deep thought after being informed of what happened with Orochimaru from Kakashi,. He nodded his head. "I believe he's making a move on the village. In what way, I'm not sure."
Hiruzen faced Jiraiya directly, looking at his features seriously. "I'm going to need you to work alongside the Anbu for this. Find out what he wants because it surely extends beyond Sasuke. We both know how he is."
Jiraiya nodded. "That was already the plan. I have my toads on every potential point of interest, so don't worry. If they see anything, I'll appear through them."
Hiruzen nodded. OK. A lot will need to be done when this is over, but I'll bring it up when Naruto's match has concluded."
Jiraiya nodded and turned back to where everything was going down.
Line break.
{Kabuto POV}
Kabuto went his merry way, dashing through the forest of death and toward the entrance, when he felt something grapple onto his foot.
He knew what it was and let it happen. The silver-haired boy was yanked toward an angry Orochimaru, and his throat was nearly crushed in the snake's hands.
"You imbecile!" Orochimaru said in anger. "Jiraiya is onto us! Why was I not informed of his presence!"
Kabuto gritted his teeth and clawed at Orochimaru's hands. "I-I... D-didn't ...C-can't..."
Orochimaru let him go, the boy coughing and gasping for air.
He turned around and growled. "We are moving up our schedule. We don't have time to investigate Sasuke; we need to steer clear now. No more spying; leave it to our allies."
Kabuto nodded, gasping for air. The man had a hell of a grip on him. "I wasn't aware of Jiraiya's-"
"Obviously not!" The snake Sannin hissed. "You reported that he was still investigating the Akatsuki! Yet here he is! Roaming the village! His very presence puts the invasion at risk!" yelled Orochimaru.
The man sighed and began pacing. "Meet with Baki and deliver this to him. It's a list of things that need to be done in my absence. When that's done, disappear for a week. When you return, you'll need to disguise yourself as an Anbu if possible. I'll tell you more later. Don't fail me."
Orochimaru sunk into the tree after handing Kabuto a tiny scroll, and Kabuto scowled.
'Jiraiya is here, huh. Thanks to that, Orochimaru is cross with me. It seems I'll need to do some overachieving if I want to stay in his good graces.'
OK. Let's find someplace to meet with Baki, and then... It's off to find me a mask." Kabuto said with a smile.
Line break.
{Land of Fire: Training ground 44: Forest of Death: The Tower's Arena}
"Yo. I'm back." said relaxed Kakashi.
Sakura turned to her sensei and smirked. "You missed my match. I'm making it to the finales." She said.
"Oh? Another member, one of my Genin, made it to the Finales. Very good." Said Kakashi while ruffling her hair.
She obviously didn't like that and fixed it.
"So, how is he?" the girl asked.
Kakashi looked up at the screen as it shuffled through names. "He's doing alright. He's resting now. We placed a new failsafe on his seal so it won't go off prematurely."
"That's good." Sakura sighed, hoping for Sasuke to recover quickly.
She looked back up at the screen, and her eyes widened when she saw the results. Then she smiled.
"Well, now, Naruto. I've already seen this matchup one too many times in the academy. I suppose it'll be very different this time?" she asked playfully, and Naruto sighed.
"I was hoping for someone like Lee or Neji... But that'll do." He said with a slight smirk.
[Naruto vs Kiba]
"Oh c'mon!" yelled Lee, impatient that his match hadn't been presented next.
"Patience Lee, I'm sure the next one will be you and someone strong," said Gai, the two walking toward Team Kakashi.
Lee nodded but was visibly frustrated.
"So, Kakashi. You should have seen your student here; she was incredible.
Kakashi nodded." I heard.
The two went into conversation as Naruto walked away to meet his opponent.
Kiba stared at the screen and frowned for a moment before an almost smug look took form, and he burst out laughing. "Man, did I get lucky! You ready Akamaru-ack!"
Hinata grabbed Kiba by the ear, and there was an almost frustrated look on her face. "Uzumaki-san has already proven to be a formidable force, Kiba. Do not underestimate him, or you'll regret it."
"'O-ok, Hinata, you can let go of my ear now," said a rather red Kiba.
"Ow." He rubbed his ear. "You don't need to get all huffy on me. I'll be careful." He said.
Kurenai looked very confused. "Am I missing something?" she asked, and Shino decided to explain it to her as Kiba jumped over the railing.
"Naruto faced down six opponents on his own while protecting his team. Hinata saw it through her Byakugan, and I believe Neji and Lee can attest to this. Naruto is a dangerous opponent due to his arsenal and shouldn't be taken lightly." Shino said.
Kurenai took on a look of disbelief, and Asuma did the same, his team already scoffing at the prospect.
"Wha? No way. You're over-exaggerating," said Shikamaru, and a glare from Hinata shut him up.
Choji stopped eating and looked Shino dead in the eye. "Did you say SIX?"
Shino nodded, and Ino shook her head, not believing it. "There's no way; that's ridiculous."
Shino shrugged. "I hope it was only circumstance for the sake of my partner as well. We'll have to watch before passing judgment."
Kiba stretched himself out, Akamaru already in position and growling.
He eyed Naruto with an almost bloodlust-like stare. 'He hasn't changed all that much. All this boasting for him. Pfft. Please. I'll show you, Hinata. I know you have a talent for measuring an opponent's strength, but I have something only my mom is Privy to right now. You haven't seen me at my best. I'll win, and it'll be thanks to our training.'
Though Hinata usually isn't wrong about this kind of stuff, he also has his confidence and his ego. The interest she showed this kid in the forest, regardless of whether there was anything behind it or not, made him want to beat his face in. This match is perfect on so many levels.
He could already see Hinata giving him a smile that was only his and no one else's, maybe a rewarding kiss on the cheek for his efforts, and his ego inflated even more at the thought.
'Anything for you, Hinata,' he thought.
"This is it, Akamaru."
Akamaru barked in response, hopping off his shoulder, ready for battle.
"Good boy. Stay sharp."
Kiba did a stretch as Naruto came face to face with him and gave a toothy grin at the blonde. "Man, I've waited all year for this moment! To put you on your ass!" said an eager Kiba.
Naruto smirked and shook his head. "I was about to say the same thing, Kiba. It's about time we put this little rivalry of ours to rest."
Kiba scoffed. "What rivalry? Our matches always ended with your face in the dirt. We both know who's coming out on top. Nothing's changed."
Naruto's smirk widened, and his eyes narrowed. "We'll see."
Kiba stared at Naruto, his head racing. 'See? It's the same knucklehead from before. I get that he supposedly improved, but... I just don't see it. I can't sense the danger he supposedly presents, and I don't get why Hinata seems so cautious of him all of a sudden.'
Hayate looked between the two boys and raised an arm, looking between both boys.
"Begin!" yelled Hayate, and Kiba smirked, immediately went low, and performed his clan's hand sign.
"Ninja art of beast mimicry: all fours jutsu!" yelled Kiba and his features changed; his hands developed claws, and chakra coated his body.
Naruto found this to be interesting, as the boy had never seen this jutsu before.
Kiba moved like the wind then and there and slammed his elbow into Naruto's chest, sending the blonde flying back and sliding away.
Kiba skidded to a halt and chuckled. "Bullseye."
Naruto slid across the ground and let out a groan. "Damn. Wasn't ready for that one."
Sakura slapped her face at that, and Kakashi chuckled.
"No messing around, Naruto; please take this seriously. Said Sakura, who happened to be right above him; the girl was looking down with an amused look.
"Sure thing." drawled Naruto. In truth, he actually meant to react to it, but given how sore his body was, he was too stiff to move accordingly.
"What was that? I blinked, and it was over. That kid's pitiful!" said Kankuro, Temari nodding in confusion.
'I was given an impression of strength on our first meeting, so what's going on?' She thought to herself.
Shikamaru's brow raised. "Yeah, thought as much."
Ino shook her head and crossed her arms. "Well damn. I expected Naruto to put up a decent fight, at the very least. This will be an easy win for Kiba."
Kurenai was more confused than ever, 'This kid doesn't stand a chance against Kiba, so what exactly is going on here?'
Lee flinched at the sight but knew what Naruto was capable of, and judging from the way Dosu was leaning up against the rail, like him, he wasn't fooled for a second.
Naruto got up slowly, groaning all the way to his feet, and stretched his back. "I should have asked for you to massage my back when I had the chance," Naruto said to Sakura playfully.
Sakura rolled her eyes. "If you take this seriously, I might," She said.
Naruto sighed. "I am! I just-...Hold on. Do you... You mean that?"
"Naruto!"
OK! Geez." the boy said, hands raised and a smile on his face.
He started doing stretches, and Kiba shook his head. "Give this up, please. You're wasting my time." said an annoyed and cocky Kiba.
Naruto stretched his back before sighing. "As if. I was just scoping you out, that's all. Frankly, you hit like an old lady."
Kiba's brow twitched, and he looked at Akamaru who barked. "I was thinking the exact same thing.
He got on all fours once again and smirked. OK, then, Naruto. Be that way.
Kiba moved in a blur and swiped at Naruto, only for the blonde to weave past the strike and slam a fist into Kiba's cheek.
Kiba was sent flying back, and Team Asuma was left speechless.
Kiba slid on his back, disbelief written on his face before he rolled to get up, Akamaru running to his side.
"Spoke too soon I guess. "Said Asuma.
Kibe growled and went to say something, but Naruto raised a hand. "Safe to say, I proved my point. Enough talk. I'm getting that massage."
Kiba wiped his mouth, blood, and a loose tooth on the floor.
Kiba's eye twitched, his hands curled up into a ball. 'T-The hell was that! He was on the floor seconds ago! and he knocked out one of my canines!' He thought in shock.
Kiba stood up as the Genin gossiped on the stands, and growled. "Lucky shot. You won't be so lucky next time!" he said before going on all fours once again, using the same jutsu as before.
He was upon the blonde again and swiped his claws at his face, the blonde bobbing and weaving out of the way.
One of his attacks caught Naruto's torn jacket, and Kiba gripped and pulled Naruto in for a punch. But Naruto caught the fist, resulting in a grapple, a contest of strength.
Kiba growled and pushed as hard as he could, but to his shame, he was being pushed back.
Naruto yelped when Akamaru bit his ankle, and Kiba smirked, headbutting the blonde and making him let go before kicking him away.
Naruto rolled away, Akammaru having let go of Kiba to follow up with another attack.
Naruto rolled out of the way of a stomp from Kiba, and the Iuzuka rushed for a kick but missed, Naruto flipping over him and kicking him in the back of the head, making Kiba stumble.
Kibe whirled around in anger, and then suddenly, a powerful strike to the face sent him soaring across the arena once again, Akamaru running to check on his partner.
Kiba growled and got up quickly and right on time. Naruto was already in his face, and a series of blows from the blonde made it impossible for him to keep up.
The blonde had him on the defensive, and Kiba suddenly ducked, only for Naruto to send a kick his way, this time to the stomach. The wind was knocked out of the Inuzuka, and Naruto followed it up with a roundhouse that sent him sliding on his back, a frustrated yell coming from Kiba.
"Damn!" yelled Choji. "The strength behind those blows!"
Shikamaru nodded. 'That's an understatement. Kiba's catching air with those attacks.' he thought.
Kiba held his jaw and looked at Naruto in disbelief. OK. I think I'm starting to understand the problem here.'
Akamaru barked at him, telling him to let him help, and the Inuzuka smirked.
OK, buddy, two-on-one it is."
Kiba stood back up, a new determination in his eyes, and Naruto cocked an eyebrow. "Ready for more?"
"I'm just getting started, Uzumaki," he said before the two dashed off into the battlefield once again, Kiba throwing a smoke bomb in front of the blonde.
It was the fast-acting version, and it was thick too. It covered both boys just as Kibaa went in for his round of attacks, and the spectators all leaned forward to try and see what was happening, save for the two Hyuugas in the room.
Hinata was wincing; same for Neji. Whatever was happening in there, it wasn't good for one of them.
There was the sound of a dog's yelp and a struggle. The grunts mostly came from Kiba.
"What's happening in there, Hinata?" asked Kurenai.
"Nothing good, I'm afraid," said Hinata as she crossed her arms. 'I warned you, Kiba, I really did.
Kiba was thrown out of the smoke with an unseen attack, Akamaru was thrown out as well, and the smoke suddenly cleared out with a subtle wind jutsu from Naruto.
Kiba had some new bruises and nothing to show for it. OK, I concede, we're the underdogs. Just don't hit Akamaru like that!' He thought.
He glared at the blonde as he was regarding him, and from the smile on his face, he already knew what he was thinking. "You're done already?"
Kiba growled. "piss off!"
"Akamaru. Time to get serious!" he yelled and went into his pouch.
He pulled out two, tossing one to Akamaru and swallowing one for himself.
Akamaru's fur turned red, and his appearance became feral. He barked at Kiba, the dog's voice more guttural than before.
Kiba smirked. "Agreed. Ninja art of beast mimicry: all fours transformation jutsu!"
Kiba's appearance changed once again, this time acting as a transformation. OK, Akamaru! Let's do this! Ninja art: Man Beast clone!"
Akamaru's appearance changed into Kiba's, and they launched at Naruto as fast as they could.
Naruto got into a ready stance, taking this seriously now, and dodged both Kiba's and Akamaru's attacks.
The two attacked Naruto again and again but were met with the same results: the blonde either dodged their attacks or deflected their hits. Naruto's agility and speed seemed to increase and surpass theirs, going so far as to outpace Kiba's speed for a moment to grab his foot when the boy attempted to dodge him. He threw him into a charging Akamaru, disrupting their flow.
They recovered quickly, angry at not being able to hit him, and came to the same conclusion. "This guy... isn't even winded!"
The two began to circle him, and Naruto took in their movements, smirking at this new strategy.
"That's a cool transformation. But your movements are predictable and wild. you'll need more than that if you wanna stop me." Said an amused Naruto.
Kiba's eyes narrowed at that smile. 'I see what this is. You think you're better than me! We'll see about that! Akamaru!"
"Right!" yelled the Kiba clone in broken English.
"Ultimate taijutsu: Fang over Fang!" they yelled when rushing him, going through hand signs, and suddenly becoming a vortex of limbs and sharp winds, barreling towards Naruto, who simply backflipped before they could hit him.
They didn't stop, though, performing the jutsu a second time, and Naruto quickly got tired of running away.
He dodged and rolled out of the way right on time, and both Akamaru and Kiba came out of the Jutsu, sliding back before the two beastmen ran at Naruto with increased fervor.
Naruto went through hand signs, already knowing how to slow them down. "Water style: water wave!" yelled Naruto.
Kiba and Akamaru halted, but not fast enough. The two slid rather than stopping. The water swept them up and pushed them towards the wall.
"H-Huh! Since when could you do this?!" yelled a struggling Kiba.
Naruto smirked and went through additional hand signs.
'Lightning style too?!' though most of the adult spectators.
"Lightning style! Lightning stream!" yelled Naruto, and both Akamaru and Kiba were electrocuted, enough so to disrupt their ability to move.
"D-damn!" yelled a struggling Kiba, and well before he could move his legs on time, a gust of wind slammed into him and sent him into the wall behind him. Akamaru was also hit and knocked out of the tunnel.
Naruto crossed his arms and waited for Kiba to stand up, which he did.
OK. Rushing him like that is off the table. Time to switch gears.'
Kiba seemed to get ready for another round, but Naruto shook his head. "Give it a rest. I've been going pretty easy on you. If you back down now, it'll save you a lot of pain. Otherwise, I'm gonna have to end this match quickly. I'm still sour from the forest."
Kiba growled. "Getting cocky?! Fine by me! Let's go! Ninja art of beast mimicry: All fours transformation: ultimate feral beast!"
Kiba's body transformed. Further, his teeth are now jutting out like a sabertooth tiger. "Now you've done it!"
'This is Kiba's extended transformation. In this state, he's truly a wild beast. But I doubt you care about that. Isn't that right? Uzumaki-san.' Thought Hinata.
Kiba dashed at Naruto with such speed that even Lee felt excited. Kiba's crazy grin met him as he swiped at him, missing by a hairsbreadth each time. Kiba's speed had increased tenfold, and Naruto was actually forced to go all out and dodge faster.
Naruto, however, wasn't smiling.
They traded blows, Kiba clawing Naruto's face, scratching him from his temple and across his eye, and Naruto slamming a fist into Kiba's cheek.
Both boys slid back, and Kiba chuckled as he watched Naruto inspect the wound on his face, blood dripping from the new scar he had been gifted.
"There you go! Something to remember me by! Let that be a lesson for you, Uzumaki! Never underestimate an Inuzuka!" laughed Kiba. "End the fight in an instant? What a joke!"
Shino nodded and applauded Kiba's sudden comeback. 'Kiba needs to keep a cool head and finish this before time runs up, or it'll end the way Hinata said. But for him to gain an advantage over Naruto like that. Not bad. But that wound is superficial. Naruto can still see with that eye.' Thought Shino.
Hinata looked over with interest, not expecting Kiba to have access to an extended version of the beast transformation. "you've been holding out on us, I see."
Kurenai sighed in relief. "I have to admit, Kakashi. You really turned that kid around for the better. But things are about to get way more interesting."
Kakashi scoffed from a distance. "We'll see."
Sakura nodded, not bothered by the sudden events.
Lee was bouncing in his spot at what he was witnessing. "In this form, Kiba is approaching my top speed! Oh, Naruto! You got so lucky!"
Naruto scowled and pointed at his face. "I'm about to return the favor tenfold, mutt. And I'll have you know that I don't scar easily."
Kiba rolled his eyes and ushered Akamaru over. "Don't be a sore loser, class clown. Take this beating like a man! Akamaru, do it!"
Akamaru barked and transformed into the same mode Kiba was in, the ultimate feral beast form.
'We don't have a lot of time. I'll burn out soon. One more time!' he thought to himself.
Naruto crossed his arms and scoffed. "Let's see how you handle this then."
The blonde pointed both hands out, and golden chains lazily began to slither from his arms and sag to the floor.
Kiba watched the chains in confusion, but those who recognized them were nearly floored.
"Chakra chains!" Kurenai gasped, seeing the ability of her idol being used by the blonde. It meant his last name wasn't at all a homage to the clan but his actual lineage.
Asuma's cigar fell from his mouth at the sight. 'Oh shit'
Kiba smirked at Akamaru and nodded to him.
They dashed at Naruto as fast as they could, but in that same second, the chains reacted and raced at Kiba with the same speed, scaring the daylights out of the boy.
Kiba dodged under one of the chains and dashed away from another descending one, the chain slamming into the concrete with ease. 'What the hell?'
Akamaru had trouble getting away, too, and Naruto smirked and increased the amount of chains.
Both beastmen panicked at the sight, and when the Uzumaki increased their size as well, they knew they were toast.
"Run away, Akamaru!" yelled Kiba as he did a backflip and barely got away, the chain smashing into the floor and ripping it apart like paper.
Hinata winced as she felt her heart pound at the sight of that attack. 'I knew there was something to fear. How do you deal with such a force? It's coming out of him. He's controlling it telekinetically as well. Can he act as it does what it does? So many questions.'
She was actually excited at the sight, just worried for her teammate.
Kiba dashed and rolled out of the way, and when a yelp was heard from behind him, he knew Akamaru was caught.
What he didn't know was that Naruto was purposely playing around. In a way, he was punishing Inuzuka for trying to take out his eye.
Naruto smiled. Didn't I tell you I'd finish this fight?" asked Naruto, his chains coiled around Akamaru's limbs, keeping him immobilized and suspended off the ground.
Kiba growled, and seeing an opening, he took it. He launched off the wall and straight for Naruto, and just when he thought he had him, a chain came from Naruto's shoulder and slammed into Kiba so hard that the Inuzuka was sent flying and into a wall.
The impact was strong enough to shake the building, and everyone could feel it on their feet or through the rails.
"KIBA!" yelled Shino, worried for his friend. That hit was brutal.
Kiba's grunting and gasping could be heard from the dust and debris, and the boy was yanked to Naruto's feet.
"I won't yield! Uzumaki! You cheap asshole! Fight me like a man! Damn, you! ack!"
Naruto tightened the chains and changed their nature. They became smooth and reflective, beautiful in appearance. But In this form, it did something that truly ended things for Kiba.
It began absorbing his chakra.
Kiba felt it, and so did Akamaru.
'Shit! This is bad! I can't move! And... My chakra!' thought Kiba in panic.
Naruto did a hand sign, and the process sped up, his chains now glowing.
"C'mon, Kiba, break out of this," whispered Shino.
Hinata shook her head, her eyes wide with shock and amazement. "H-he can't. Thos are the Uzumaki sealing chains, nothing escapes those."
Shino looked down, understanding what this meant.
Meanwhile, Hinata stared at the phenomena in awe. 'I didn't know those could sap one's chakra too. How would I avoid such a thing?' she thought to herself.
"What a fearsome ability. Your Genin are all something special, Kakashi," said Gai silently as Kiba stopped struggling.
"I know. It's almost unfair, don't you think?"
When Kiba stopped his struggle, Naruto released him. He'd long since let go of Akamaru and was simply waiting for the Inuzuka to stop.
Naruto stood over the boy and waited.
Hayate walked up to a defeated Kiba and checked.
He cleared his throat. "The winner is Naruto Uzumaki!" he said.
Naruto smirked as all eyes were on him. Eyes of shock, wariness, and pride.
He walked up the stairs and received a hug from Sakura before getting flicked on the forehead. "You should hae ended it earlier, otherwise you wouldn't be dealing with that scar.
Naruto nodded. "I wanted to let Kiba get his licks in, that's all. I wouldn't humiliate a classmate like that. After all, he's a Konoha-nin, too, and showing his abilities is a good thing. And as for the massage-"
Sakura rolled her eyes. "Alright, just chill out, you knucklehead."
The boy chuckled and leaned forward on the rail, looking on as the screen once again turned on.
She leaned forward as well and smiled. "I guess we can relax now. All of team seven is going to the Finales."
Kakashi smiled and put his hands on their shoulders. "Yup, and I couldn't be more proud than I already am."
Line break.
{Spectator box}
Hiruzen smirked at how the room shifted upon Naruto's victory. Not one word was spoken, but a universal agreement was made.
They now knew Naruto Uzumaki was not to be underestimated.
'He may as well be a full-blooded Uzumaki now, seeing his abilities. It seems there are no limits for the boy. His physical strength is worrying, but it doesn't seem to come from the Ninetails. Very good.' thought the Third.
He turned to one of his Anbu with a serious expression. "It's time. Bring me, Murata. We cannot give anyone time to react to his secret, so get a move on. And tell Jiraiya to start pressing the boy's claims. And do it fast."
The Anbu agent bowed and signed for three of his fellow Anbu to follow.
"Isn't this a bit hasty, Lord Hokage?" asked Ibiki.
"No. I will not be too slow to react. Very soon, I will be guilt-free. Murata will nip the heritage situation in the bud while I deal With Orochimaru. There will be no slip-ups. Not this time." said Hiruzen.
Ibiki nodded and looked back up to the screen.
'I hope he knows what effect this will have on the village. I fear no one will be ready for such a sudden action because Danzo is right. That boy inherits too much power.'
An imbalance is coming, and with it, vultures of all kinds.
Line break.
End Chapter.
{Author's Note}
This has been, by far, the hardest chapter I've ever had to write. I was so excited to start this stage and was so naive to the complexity of writing from so many perspectives. So many times, I wanted to just skip fights and lazily explain them away, to ignore characters and their respective headspaces, but I hate lazy writing with a passion. I'd be a hypocrite if I did things that way.
I even almost left you guys on a cliffhanger to read the Naruto versus Kiba fight, but I decided against it. I won't tease you guys like that—at least not this time. The chapter was getting so long, and I was letting it get out of hand. 13,000+ words.
I want to clarify a few things: Lee is the fastest person here. Hinata is second, Kiba in his enhanced form is third, and Naruto, when in full health, is fourth.
Another thing is that there is a butterfly effect going on. Obviously, there's Sakura and Sasuke are stronger due to Naruto's presence, but Kiba is stronger than he was in canon because Hinata is his training partner. It wouldn't make sense to me for him to remain fodder around someone who's trying to elevate their team to a Higher level.
Jiraiya's presence also creates problems for Orochimaru, but you already know this.
I'm not familiar with these kinds of chapters, so Hopefully, it turned out alright. I thought I was ready for a tournament chapter, but evidently, I wasn't. And I'm only halfway done. There are four more fights to cover.
Thanks for reading.