As the names were being drawn, Kabuto stepped forward. "I'm afraid I can't continue," he said, addressing the proctor and the Hokage. "I have my reasons." The Hokage nodded, allowing Kabuto to step back from the competition.
The proctor continued drawing names, and the first match was announced. "Sakura Haruno versus Ino Yamanaka."
The two kunoichi stepped into the center of the arena, glaring at each other. It was clear there was more than just rivalry between them; there was a personal grudge. The proctor signaled the start of the match, and the fight quickly devolved into a messy, uncoordinated catfight.
Sakura and Ino traded wild punches and kicks, neither one landing any significant blows. Their movements were clumsy, and the audience could see that they were both driven more by emotion than technique.
"Come on, Sakura! Is that all you got?" Ino taunted, trying to get into Sakura's head.
"You're one to talk, Ino-pig!" Sakura shot back, swinging her fists wildly.
Ino decided to change tactics and formed the hand signs for her Mind Body Switch Jutsu. "Let's see how you handle this!" she yelled, her spirit leaving her body and aiming for Sakura.
The jutsu hit its mark, and for a moment, Sakura's body froze. However, the curse mark on her neck began to pulse and glow. Inside her mind, Sakura's willpower surged, fighting back against Ino's control. With a fierce scream, she forced Ino out of her mind, sending Ino's spirit back to her own body.
Ino staggered, her face pale with shock, before collapsing unconscious on the ground.
Sakura, breathing heavily, felt the curse mark's power spreading through her. She gritted her teeth, trying to suppress it, but it was no use. The dark markings crept across her skin, and she let out a pained cry as she struggled to maintain control.
Despite the pain and the transformation, Sakura managed to stay conscious, standing over Ino's unconscious form. The proctor stepped forward, assessing the situation before announcing, "The winner is Sakura Haruno!"
The medics quickly came to take Ino away, while Sakura, still fighting the effects of the curse mark, was helped off the field by Naruto and Satsuki. The audience watched in stunned silence, unsure what to make of the display they had just witnessed.
The preliminaries continued with the rest of the matches going as they did in canon. Then it was Satsuki's turn. Her opponent was one of the Oto (Sound) genin, a tough-looking ninja with a confident smirk.
As they stepped into the center of the arena, the proctor signaled the start of the match.
Satsuki immediately dashed forward, throwing a series of shuriken at the Oto genin. He dodged the shuriken with quick, agile movements, then countered with a punch aimed at Satsuki's face. She sidestepped the punch and responded with a high kick to his side. The Oto genin blocked the kick with his forearm, pushing Satsuki back.
Without missing a beat, Satsuki formed the hand signs for a fire jutsu. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" she shouted, sending a large ball of fire straight at her opponent. The Oto genin jumped to the side, avoiding the flames but feeling the intense heat.
As the Oto genin recovered from his dodge, Satsuki was already on him, throwing a punch at his midsection. He blocked again but didn't see her follow-up kick coming. She aimed low, sweeping his legs out from under him. The Oto genin fell to the ground but quickly rolled away and got back on his feet.
Satsuki didn't give him time to rest. She threw a kunai at him, which he deflected with his own. But this was a trick—attached to the kunai was a thin wire. Satsuki pulled on the wire, yanking the Oto genin off balance and towards her. As he stumbled, she formed more hand signs. "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" Small fireballs shot out from her mouth, each one aimed precisely at her opponent.
The Oto genin managed to dodge some of the fireballs but was hit by others. He grimaced in pain as the flames licked at his skin. Despite his injuries, he charged at Satsuki, throwing a wild punch. She ducked under it and countered with an uppercut to his jaw, followed by a swift kick to his chest.
The Oto genin staggered back, clearly weakened. Satsuki pressed her advantage, throwing another series of punches and kicks, each one landing more solidly than the last. With a final, powerful kick to the side of his head, she sent him crashing to the ground.
The proctor stepped forward. "The winner is Satsuki Uchiha!"
Satsuki took a deep breath, steadying herself after the intense fight. She glanced over at Naruto, who gave her a thumbs-up from the sidelines, and she allowed herself a small smile of satisfaction. The battle was over, but the preliminaries were far from finished.
Naruto stood across from Kiba Inuzuka and his loyal dog, Akamaru, in the center of the arena. The proctor gave the signal to begin, and Kiba wasted no time, launching himself at Naruto with a fierce determination.
Kiba threw a quick punch aimed at Naruto's face. Naruto ducked under it and countered with a low kick, but Kiba leaped back, avoiding the strike. Akamaru, in his transformed state, came in from the side, trying to tackle Naruto. Naruto sidestepped, grabbing Akamaru by the scruff and tossing him away.
Kiba quickly regrouped with Akamaru, both of them taking soldier pills to boost their abilities. "Let's show him, Akamaru!" Kiba shouted. Akamaru barked in agreement, and they both transformed into identical versions of Kiba.
"Double Gatsuga!" they yelled in unison, spinning rapidly and launching themselves at Naruto like twin tornadoes.
Naruto knew he had to act fast. He formed hand signs swiftly and called out, "Wind Style: Sakyū no Kaze (Wind of the Dunes)!" A powerful gust of wind erupted around him, creating a vortex of sharp, cutting winds.
Kiba and Akamaru, still in their Gatsuga form, collided with the wind barrier. The cutting winds disrupted their spinning attack, forcing them to stop and back away, both of them bleeding from the sharp cuts.
Naruto took the opportunity to go on the offensive. He rushed at the nearest Kiba, throwing a quick punch to the gut. The Kiba doubled over, and Naruto followed up with an elbow to the back, sending him to the ground.
The other Kiba, realizing what happened, lunged at Naruto, trying to catch him off guard. Naruto spun around, blocking the punch with his forearm and delivering a swift kick to Kiba's ribs, knocking him back.
Both Kiba and Akamaru regrouped again, but Naruto was relentless. He focused his chakra and released another burst of the Sakyū no Kaze, this time aiming to immobilize them. The wind wrapped around their legs, cutting into their skin and making it impossible for them to move without causing more damage.
Kiba struggled against the wind, but the pain was too much. He fell to his knees, Akamaru collapsing beside him. Naruto stepped forward, his eyes determined. "It's over, Kiba."
The proctor stepped in, raising his hand. "The winner is Naruto Uzumaki!"
Naruto let the wind die down, walking over to help Kiba and Akamaru up. "Good fight, Kiba," he said, offering a hand. Kiba grunted but accepted the help, acknowledging Naruto's victory.
As they walked off the field, Naruto couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. The preliminaries were grueling, but he was ready for whatever came next.
After the last match, the Hokage stepped forward to address the remaining genin. "Congratulations to all of you who have made it this far," he began. "The next stage of the Chunin Exams will be the finals, but before that, you will have one month to prepare. Use this time wisely to train and improve your skills."
He then gestured to a large board that displayed the upcoming matchups. "These are the matches for the finals," he announced.
- Sabaku no Temari vs. Neji Hyuuga
- Sabaku no Kankuro vs. Shikamaru Nara
- Satsuki Uchiha vs. Aburame Shino
- Naruto Uzumaki vs. Sabaku no Gaara
Naruto looked at the board, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. He would be facing Gaara, the mysterious and powerful sand user. He glanced at Satsuki, who gave him a determined nod. She would be fighting Shino, a strong opponent known for his use of insects.
"One month," Naruto muttered to himself. "I have one month to get stronger."
The Hokage continued, "The purpose of the Chunin Exams is not only to test your abilities but also to demonstrate the strength and potential of your respective villages. Show us your best."
With that, the Hokage dismissed them, and the genin began to disperse, each one already planning how they would spend the next month preparing for their fights. Naruto knew he had to train harder than ever if he wanted to stand a chance against Gaara. And with the finals looming, every moment counted.