Chapter 9 - Match to Match
Kankuro's match was a short one.
For the most part, Kankuro's opponent appeared to have the upper hand in the battle, using his unique jutsu to coil himself around the prince like a snake entrapping its prey. He even managed to snap his neck, but it was all an act as it was soon revealed that the 'Kankuro' he was wrapped around was actually one of his puppets in disguise.
Kankuro ended up winning his bout by utilizing some well-timed duplicity, and not only did the puppeteer successfully escape a very precarious situation, but he probably permanently damaged his opponent in the process.
"Well that was easy. . ." Kankuro mumbled as he rejoined his team, watching as a medical team carried his opponent away on a stretcher. ". . . It certainly didn't take that much effort on my part."
"Don't start gloating now Kankuro. It makes you look petty!"
"Me? Petty?!" Kankuro asked, feigning offense. "What are you talking about Temari?! I'm the complete opposite of petty!"
"Yeah, keep telling yourself that. . ." The blonde grumbled. "Yeah, you won your match, but you still need to be careful. That bait-and-switch tactic you like to use isn't going to work on everyone."
"Your sister has the right of it, Kankuro," Baki added, immediately taking the elder sibling's side. "One day, someone is going to see right through your tricks and counter you soundly in response. . . What will you do with yourself then, I wonder?"
"Don't worry. I would think of something to get myself out of it," Kankuro admitted, speaking as if he were talking about the simplest thing in the world.
Instead of following up on the urge to slap him upside his head with her war fan, Temari simply rolled her eyes at Kankuro before turning away. She looked calm on the outside, but those who knew her well knew she was cursing out her brother's overconfidence in her head.
While Baki sighed, thankful that he wouldn't have to break up another brewing feud between siblings, Gaara remained silent, almost unperturbed by the conversation.
Shukaku, on the other hand, was very vocal in his disappointment, with his main complaint boiling down to how he didn't get to see them battle it out.
He already pegged Temari to be the winner, hands down.
"Sheesh, she could have slapped the paint off his face at the very least!"
". . . She could have," the redhead agreed, thoughtful. "But sometimes you just have to know when to pick your battles."
"And you don't think it was worth it for your sister to pick one now?!"
"She has to save her strength for whoever she has to face doesn't she?"
"Fuck you and the decent point you just made."
"Decent? And not good?"
"Again, fuck you!"
"You really should stop cursing. . ." Gaara mumbled, looking up to see that the next two names were already on the screen. "Sakura Haruno vs Ino Yamanaka."
"Why do I have the sudden feeling that I'm not going to like this match one bit?"
Gaara shook his head at that, looking down to see that the girl with the long blonde ponytail and the pink haired girl from Naruto's team were walking toward the proctor. Both looked determined as they eyed each other, but there was something in their body language that hinted that this was going to be more than just a simple match between them.
"Yep; just from the look of those two, it's safe to say that this match is probably gonna be a dud," Shukaku concluded, his tone hinting at his exasperation."Neither of them appear to have strong ninjutsu in their arsenals. They both may be 'iffy', at best, in taijutsu, and who the hell knows how good they are in genjutsu!"
"Are you sure you want to be so quick to judge them?" The redhead couldn't help but ask as the proctor gave the two girls the go ahead to start.
"Trust me on this one. This match hereis going to be one of the boring matches . . .Maybe it'll even be theworst of the bunch,"Shukaku grumbled as he made his prediction."In fact, I wouldn't even be surprised if this battle ended via double knockout, if they're that lucky."
"We'll see. . ."
About ten minutes later, both girls were on the ground; their bodies scratched, battered, and bruised. Each girl's right fist had connected to their opponent's cheek, which knocked them both out, to the disbelief of the crowd.
Shukaku, on the other hand, was rightfully smug as the proctor called the match, announcing that neither was moving on due to the, of course, double knockout.
"CALLED IT!"
Gaara ignored the demon's gloating, barely wincing at how loud the demonic tanuki got.
After Sakura and Ino were taken off the field, the next match commenced, which happened to be Temari's match. She was pitted against TenTen, a Fire kunoichi who was also a weapons specialist.
Unfortunately, the odango haired genin's versatility with blades was nothing compared to the crown princess' skill with a war fan. Every attack she launched at Temari was blown right back at her, and with one especially powerful swing of her fan, the wind prodigy had the fight won, game, set, and match.
The sight of TenTen's bruised and battered body being balanced on the short end of Temari's fan was bound to haunt some minds in the nights to come.
"Hmm, that was interesting," Temari mused once she rejoined her team. "I was expecting a lot more from her though."
"Sometimes our expectations are simply not met by others, princess." Came Baki's curt reply as he kept his eyes on the floor below. The blonde simply nodded at that, remaining silent as the screen displayed the next set of names.
The next match featured the lone female member of the one remaining team from the Sound Kingdom going up against Shikamaru, the heir of the Nara Clan, one of the most prominent ones in the Fire Kingdom. At face value, he didn't seem like much in the eyes of the Sand Siblings, and Kankuro was quick to voice such misgivings.
Surprisingly enough, Baki was quick to come to the boy's defense.
"Shikamaru Nara may not seem like much to you three, but don't be fooled. How he comports himself is quite common for the members of his family. . . It adds to the overall image."
"Overall image?" Kankuro asked, irritation speckling his tone.
"Every ninja clan has a way of showcasing themselves to the public . . . For the Naras, they tend to appear as lazy slackers, especially the male half," The jonin explained as the match began. "Truthfully, they're a clan of absolute geniuses. Their strong mental aptitude spans generations, almost like an unofficial kekkei genkai when you think about it. . . The current head, Lord Shikaku Nara, is a testament of the clan's ideals. Apparently, he's just as lazy as his son, but his intelligence has seen him rise to become the Fire King's Chief Advisor, a position he has held since King Minato started the second year of his reign more than a decade ago. . . In fact, Lord Shikaku is a big reason why the Fire Kingdom won the last major war they participated in, and why the Earth Kingdom has a large, yet respectful dislike of Naras ever since."
"Chief Advisor huh?" Kankuro mumbled as the Sound kunoichi threw a slew of senbon needles at Shikamaru, the boy dodging every single one. "With a father like that, expectations must be high for him."
"Many see Lord Shikamaru as the one who'll replace his father once Prince Naruto is officially crowned King," Baki added. ". . . If the predictions are correct, he will be quite the pivotal figure in the political sphere in the years to come."
Shikamaru's match was just as short as Temari's, if not shorter. Using his intellect, and little chakra, the Nara lord managed to trap his opponent with one of his clan's signature shadow jutsus, connecting their shadows together. With a simple backbend, the Sound kunoichi knocked herself out, hitting the wall headfirst behind her.
"Huh, his jutsu allowed him to control her like a puppet and forced her to move exactly how he moved," Temari observed as she watched Shikamaru return to his team. "You're right Baki. With his mind and the kind of jutsu he can use, he's going to be dangerous in the future."
"I wonder if his moves work on inanimate objects though," Kankuro mused, his thoughts going straight to his puppets.
Those thoughts soon went out the window once he saw who was up next.
The room was abuzz with whispers once it was revealed that the next match involved the Fire Kingdom's Crown Prince. He was pitted against a rather wild looking boy named Kiba, a member of the Inuzuka Clan.
"Is it just me, or does that Kiba guy look rather feral?" Kankuro mumbled. "And what's with the puppy on his head!?"
"That's his fighting partner Kankuro," Temari bit back, annoyed with his question. "The Inuzukas are known for using Cooperation Ninjutsu to work with their ninja hounds. . . As for why he looks so feral, that's just a family trait."
"This should be interesting . . .The brat's sister was mildly impressive, but if he can't match her, or deliver a better performance than she did, then I'll be sorely disappointed."Shukaku half-grumbled, half-slurred as the two opponents faced each other on the floor.
"Youhave some high expectations for this match, don't you?"
"Of course, I do, you damn redhead!" Shukaku growled."The prince is my oldest brother's walking prison! I want to see what he's exactly capable of. . . I want to see how much of his power is truly his own."
"Truly his own?"
"Kurama has a nasty habit of forcing his jinchuuriki to use some of his chakra in battle, whether they want to or not."
"Just like you?"
"Pretty much . . ." The tanuki grumbled."The more he forces them to use his chakra, the better his chances are to influence his host's mind."
"So, exactly like you!"
"Oh, shut up . . ."Shukaku grumbled. "Then again, even I must admit it. You've been getting better at pushing back my advances. . . It's quite annoying, actually."
"Good to know." Gaara mumbled as he watched the battle unfold. The one-tailed jinchuuriki watched as the competitors duked it out in what became one of the longest, and most heated, matches of the day. Both proved to be quite adept at taijutsu, with Naruto having the better speed of the pair, but Kiba utilized his partner and Cooperation Ninjutsu to great effect to counter it.
By the time the battle came to an end, the floor was a complete mess, looking like a shell of what it once was. Thanks to a well-timed smoke bomb-Substitution Jutsu combo, Naruto pulled out the victory by switching places with Akamaru, who was in a henge that made him look like Kiba. With his deception, the prince sealed his win with a well-placed kick to the back of his opponent's head, sending Kiba into the tiled floor face first, knocking him out cold.
"Winner by knockout: Naruto Namikaze." The proctor finally announced after checking to make sure that Kiba was truly down for the count. Naruto simply nodded at the acknowledgement before returning to his team. He was dinged up, but not enough where it warranted any medical treatment.
"Hmm, the boy appears to have a strong will after all . . . I didn't sense a trace of my brother's chakra in that battle."Shukaku mumbled. "Maybe my brother is finally losing his clawed touch."
"Maybe . . ." Gaara mumbled. He was quick to notice the subtle look of approval that lined the Fire King's face as he watched his son rejoin his team, a look that he never saw on his father's own face.
Not wanting to linger on it any longer, the redhead turned his gaze on the son, with good reason. He was standing a couple feet away from what remained of his team with a faraway look in his blue eyes, one that Gaara quickly realized he usually took on himself when he was talking to the giant mass of chakra sealed inside him. "He's speaking to his tailed beast."
"Kurama is probably berating him about not using his chakra. . . Doesn't surprise me. That old fox is a stubborn piece of shit," Shukaku announced as he started cackling. "Now then, what's next on the agenda?"
"Nanami Otoribashi, Chojuro Toriyama, please come down!" The proctor ordered, coughing midway through his declaration. In response, the lavender haired girl from Princess Shizuka's team and one of the boys from the lone Grass team made their way downstairs. While Chojuro looked a little nervous for his upcoming duel, Nanami's face was indifferent, as if she really didn't have an opinion on the matter.
"Wait a minute. . . That's the same girl that said you had 'panda-like' eyes!"
"That she did . . . If I remember correctly, you said that if anyone else made that same conclusion, you'd kill them," Gaara mumbled, looking down at the lavender haired girl. "So, do you still plan to kill her for making that error?"
"It depends . . . Let's see how she performs in this match."
"Hold up a second: Her last name is Otoribashi?" Kankuro asked, looking slightly confused. "Isn't that clan known for their legendary blacksmiths and swordsmen?"
"That is correct. . ." Baki admitted.
"I thought the Otoribashi Clan resided in the Water Kingdom!" The puppeteer mumbled as the two combatants were given the go ahead to begin.
"That was true, but the situation is a little more complicated than that Kankuro."
"Uncomplicate it for me then."
"You're right to say that the Otoribashi Clan mainly resided in the Water Kingdom, but that is no longer the case," Baki calmly explained as Nanami dodged a kunai strike from her opponent. "Originally, the clan's main line resided in Kirigakure, the Water Kingdom's capital, while a smaller branch family lived here in Konoha. That had been the arrangement for decades, with official permission from the respective monarchies of course, however, the main line moved here once the situation in the Water Kingdom became quite . . . severe."
"Oh yes . . . Isn't the Water Kingdom still going through some sort of civil war right now?" Temari mumbled, listening in despite never taking her eyes off the battlefield. "Something about a purge?"
"Indeed. . . According to our sources, the Water King has ordered a purge of all the clans that hold a kekkei genkai within his domain."
"Now who in their right mind would order such a thing?!" Kankuro growled, shaking his head at such an idea. "You're only asking for trouble when you order the killing of your own people on purpose! Let alone people with abilities that could only be found in a single bloodline!"
"Why King Yagura has ordered this, your guess is as good as mine," Baki mumbled, his irritation with such a decision seeping into his tone. "There have been many theories that have come about to try to rationalize such a decision. Some believe he's very paranoid, especially since his closest heir was born with two kekkei genkai instead of one. . . Others simply believe he's been driven insane."
"Driven insane?" Gaara asked.
"King Yagura was confirmed to be a jinchuuriki a long time ago," Baki announced, staring Gaara right in the eyes. "Remember, the Water Kingdom is the home of the Three and Six Tailed Beasts. The Six Tails was already confirmed to have been sealed away by the time the King was born, but the Third Tails was not . . . I think you three can figure out the rest on your own."
"Sounds like your sensei thinks my brother made the Water King go crazy. . ."
"And you don't think so?"
"Nah; that doesn't sound like Isobu to me," The tanuki admitted as Gaara returned his gaze to the battle below. "He tends to be of a gentler disposition. Isobu won't react unless you provoke him first, and there's not that much out there that can make that freaking turtle react!"
"I see. . ." Gaara mused, realizing he missed something that his sister just said. "Wait. . . What did you just say, Temari?"
"I just said that King Yagura's decision would definitely not give him any favors among his people," She mumbled. "The more sympathetic civilians would be against it, the rest would be indifferent, and he must have lost a lot of support among his shinobi when that decision was made."
"Oh, he did, but he still has some powerful supporters behind him," Baki admitted. "Those that would be victims of the proclamation either stayed, fought, and died, or escaped to other kingdoms, a decision that the other kingdoms have welcomed with open arms . . . When word got out about the situation with the Water Kingdom, the other kingdoms were quick to institute an 'open-door' policy for any refugee clans that managed to escape."
"Do you know which kingdom has benefitted the most?" Kankuro asked as Nanami pulled out a small scroll from her holster. After rolling out the paper, she unsealed her weapon: an elegant katana with an oval shaped guard and a long hilt with lavender fabric wrapped around the hilt.
"So far, both the Fire and Lightning Kingdoms are neck and neck as the top destination for the refugees. However, I've heard that the Lightning Kingdom has been 'trying' a little too hard to attract these families to its mountainous doorstep." Baki answered as the match ended in quick fashion.
His eyes, as well as those of half the audience, noticeably widened as Nanami disappeared, and then reappeared right behind her opponent, who was already halfway to the ground, collapsing in agony as a red smile stretched across his abdomen.
"Winner by total knockout, Nanami Otoribashi." called Proctor Gekko as a medical team quickly ran over to Toriyama before he lost too much blood. Nanami simply nodded and spared one last glance at her fallen opponent before returning to her group, who looked incredibly pleased with her win. . .
. . . So was Shukaku.
"I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but Ican say, with outright seriousness, that someone is safe from my wrath after I originally wanted to kill them for a slight they delivered,"the tanuki announced, sounding like he didn't even believe his own words."Sure, her technique isn't my usual cup of tea - I'm more of a rampaging destructive type of demon after all - but that precision and speed revealed a hidden bloodthirst that I can surely appreciate."
"Wow, well isn't that quite a compliment?" Gaara couldn't help but think as he watched as the Grass-nin was taken out of the room. "Nanami really made an impression on you if you're going to compliment her that much."
"Don't get used to it."
"Hinata Hyuga and Neji Hyuga, please make your way down to the floor!" The proctor declared as the two names appeared on screen. A timid-looking girl with a hime-style haircut and a stoic, long haired boy both started to make their way down, however, the girl stopped when she was mere feet away from Naruto, who quickly stepped over to speak a few quick words into her ear.
". . . So, we'll finally get to see the famed Byakugan in action." Temari announced as she looked between the two opponents. "Hold up a second; are they brother and sister?"
"No princess, they're not. . . They're actually first cousins. Their fathers are twin brothers, with Lady Hinata's father serving as the head of the Hyuga clan, while Lord Neji's father serves as the head of the clan's main branch faction." Baki calmly explained as Hinata finally made her way down to the proctor and her cousin, her timidity looking to have lessened quite a bit in the matter of seconds.
"Is it just me, or does she seem different since her talk with Naruto?" Kankuro asked as the two took up their clan's default taijutsu stance.
"From what I've heard since we've first arrived in this village, Lady Hinata has always been on the shy side despite being a clan heir. . . Apparently, her timidity was worse during her younger years, to a point that some in the clan thought it would be a better option to pass the heirship to her younger sister, Lady Hanabi," Baki answered as the proctor allowed the two fighters to begin. "That was, until she became a part of the royal children's circle of friends, that is."
"So, they let her keep her position, for now, because she got closer to royalty?" Temari asked, slightly annoyed with the politics of it all as the cousins ran toward each other, striking and blocking each other with open palm thrusts and precision strikes.
"That's a possible reason," Baki admitted. "However, it could also be a result of genuine friendship dynamics. Lords Hiashi and Hizashi were childhood friends of King Minato after all."
"If a friendship worked out between them, why shouldn't it work for their children?" Kankuro concluded as he continued to watch the match. While Neji had the better precision, using his weight and technique for more power behind his strikes, Hinata was, by far, the more flexible of the two, dodging and weaving around her cousin's hits and striking when the opportunity showed itself.
It was a neck-and-neck affair that appeared to be evenly matched, but one of them was going to slip, and when they did, it would prove pivotal.
"I gave up on seeing blood in this match once I realized two Hyugas were going to battle each other."Shukaku grumbled. "The Byakugan is a dojutsu well-known for allowing the user to see the chakra pathways of his or her opponent, and the Hyugas have used it to great effect, developing their own lethal taijutsu style in the process . . . I must give the edge to the boy at this point. He looks the freshest."
"And I wouldn't fault you for it. . . His opponent already looks like she's tiring."
And just as Gaara had this thought, Neji struck, hitting his cousin squarely in the chest when she left herself open after blocking one of his other attacks. The hit landed close to her heart, and as a result, Hinata coughed up a large amount of blood, the substance splattering all across the front of her pale jacket.
Realizing that she was distracted, Neji moved to attack even further, dealing more strikes to her torso until she finally succumbed to its effects.
"Hinata Hyuga is unable to continue in this match. Winner: Neji Hyuga!" Hayate announced.
Neji watched his cousin with a concerned look on his face as she was tended to by the medics, but the girl simply waved him off with a small smile on her face. Taking that as a sign that she would be fine, Neji nodded before walking toward the stairs as Hinata was taken out the room.
"If my calculations are correct, there are six of us that have yet to fight," Temari mumbled as she brought a hand to her hip. "There's Gaara, the brunette from Princess Shizuka's team, the last Grass genin, the Sound genin that looks like a walking mummy, the chubby one next to Shikamaru, and the bushy-browed Leaf genin wearing the green jumpsuit. . . Gaara, who do you think will be your opponent out of the remaining lot?"
"Considering that all the matches are randomized, I have no idea . . . Your guess is as good as mine," answered the redhead as he turned to the screen, which was already shuffling through names for the next match.
When the randomizer finally stopped, Shukaku let out a yell of pure relief when he saw that Gaara was finally chosen. "So, it looks like I'm going down to the floor . . . But who the hell is this Rock Lee?"
"Uhm, I think it's the guy in the jumpsuit."
At his brother's words, Gaara followed Kankuro's gaze to see the boy in green getting some kind of pep talk from his sensei, who looked like an older version of him, down to the way he dressed and wore his hair. They were loud enough that Gaara could make out a few of the words they were saying, but half of them revolved around the same word: youth.
"We get paired against the kid with the bowl cut?! He doesn't even look like a challenge!"
"I wouldn't be so quick to jump to that conclusion Shukaku," Gaara advised as he brought two of his fingers up to his face. "Something tells me that this Rock Lee is much tougher than you think."
A/N: Leave a comment if you like!