When they arrived at the arena, Kiba and Naruto still had not started the fight yet. When Naruto saw her, he smirked and gave her a nod.
"You done with your damn stalling now that your girl's here or what?" Kiba growled. For the last few minutes, he had been spouting off absolute nonsense in order to ensure that Hinata did not miss a single second of his match.
"What stalling?" Naruto said innocently with a shrug.
"Tch, I'm not even gonna argue with you," Kiba said as he took Akamaru out of his jacket and set him down. "Ready to get your ass whooped?" Naruto looked behind himself briefly. "What the hell are you looking at?"
"Oh, I was just checking to see if there was a mirror behind me because there's no way you were saying that to me," Naruto said.
"Ugh, shut up! You're so damn annoying," Kiba huffed out before turning to his dog. "You can sit this one out, Akamaru." The small dog barked and obeyed.
"You're not getting in my way, Kiba. So, sorry, but it looks like you'll have to retake the exams!"
Kiba smirked. "We'll see about that, you little squirt." Kiba made a common hand sign. "Ninja Art of Beast Mimicry: All-Fours Jutsu!" His chakra swirled around him as he dropped to all fours. "Ready or not!"
Then, Kiba was moving faster than he could see and he was being elbowed in the stomach before flying back, nearly hitting the wall. But then he caught himself on his hands and twisted back up onto his feet, shocking his opponent.
"Is that really all the strength you have?" Naruto asked with a taunting tone. "You might as well bring Akamaru in!"
Kiba glared. "So be it, then!" He looked at his dog. "Let's go, boy!" The dog barked and they took off running toward him. Naruto prepared to defend himself and then attack but was shocked when Kiba pulled out another tool and tossed it at him.
"Smoke bombs?" Naruto mumbled. They went off and covered the arena with a thick smoke that prevented him from seeing. "Damn it!"
"With my keen sense of smell," Kiba suddenly spoke. "I can smell you wherever you are, especially with that flowery crap you're wearing!"
At that, Naruto's eyes widened and he suddenly had a plan but then Kiba began attacking him from different directions very quickly. He hissed, constantly knocked off balance as he reached into his pouch and pulled out the container of ointment Hinata gave him. He created a shadow clone and let it twist off the cap before it dipped its fingers in it and flung it in all different directions.
"What the hell?" Kiba exclaimed. "You're—You're everywhere!" He sent the clone out of the smoke and listened with a smirk as it was sent flying. "Gotcha!"
As Kiba rushed out of the smoke, Naruto heard him running loudly now that he thought Naruto was out of the smoke. He pulled his fist back and landed a punch directly in the center of Kiba's face, causing the boy to get a massive bloody nose. His clone popped.
The smoke quickly cleared to reveal a downed Kiba with Naruto standing over him, and Akamaru growling and ready to move in and protect his fallen companion.
On the upper level, Hinata was smiling proudly and thankful that her salve could help him in any situation. However, while she knew Naruto was going to win this match, there was no doubt that Kiba had also gotten a lot stronger and she hoped Naruto wouldn't get overconfident. She looked over to Minato and he looked up to catch the gaze he felt on him. They shared a proud smile before returning their eyes to the match.
Back in the arena, Kiba had struggled to his feet. "Fine," he hissed, wiping the blood from his face. "Looks like it's time to get serious." He whistled and called Akamaru over, who was almost immediately at his side.
Naruto jumped back, putting distance between them. "Good. That's what I want."
Kiba pulled a couple of pills out of his pouch and smirked. "You're gonna regret that." He shot one into Akamaru's mouth before popping the other into his. Instantly, the dog's fur turned an angry red while Kiba looked even more animal-like. Naruto got ready to defend himself, knowing Kiba was just as crazy as he was and that he shouldn't be taken lightly. The Uzumaki watched as Kiba crouched down low and Akamaru hopped onto his back. "Ninja Art of Beast Mimicry: Man Beast Clones!"
Naruto barely had time to dodge as both of them came at him from different directions and didn't let up. He kept dodging and weaving as Kiba and Akamaru continued overwhelming him. Naruto flipped until he was standing on the wall and ran through a series of hand seals. It wasn't much longer before Kiba was running up the wall himself.
"Wind Style: Gale Palm!" He caught one of the Kibas head-on and pushed him down into the ground, cracking the concrete underneath him. He was thrown off balance by the remaining Kiba and knocked down onto the ground, barely catching himself. He put more distance between them as he made another series of hand seals—tiger, ox, dog, rabbit, and snake—and inhaled as he gathered a bunch of chakra in his lungs while Kiba came after him. 'Wind Style: Devastation!'
A large gust of wind blew from his mouth, knocking the remaining Kiba back into the wall with much force.
Due to the large amount of chakra he used, Naruto fell to his knee and clutched his stomach as his mind immediately went to what Orochimaru did to him in the forest. He glanced up at his teammate and noticed her byakugan already activated and zeroed in on his abdomen.
On the balcony, Hinata turned to Kakashi. "Something seems…off with his chakra," she told him. "It's like he doesn't have as much control as he usually does. It almost…reminds me of when we were younger and he was having difficulty due to the abundance," she explained.
Kakashi tilted his head. "Did something else happen in the forest?" He asked.
Hinata searched her mind. "I think… he might've done something to him. I remember him using some kind of seal on him and putting it on top of the other one he had," she said. "I wasn't sure what it did other than incapacitate him for a day, and nothing popped up when I was overlooking his chakra network."
"I see. We'll talk to him about it later. It doesn't seem to be causing too much damage at the moment and his fight is currently over.
From the other side, Minato had seen his son clutch his stomach and narrowed his eyes in curiosity and worry. He wasn't going to have time until later when he could introduce him to Jiraiya, but he was going to give him a thorough check-up, especially knowing that he fought against Orochimaru.
In the arena, Hayate had announced Naruto as the winner of the match. Akamaru had turned back into himself still unconscious while Kiba was currently passed out and embedded into the wall.
Rock Lee turned to Hinata. "When did Naruto learn elemental jutsu?!" He asked excitedly. "He's much stronger than I gave him credit for!"
Hinata giggled. "We all learned it while training under Hokage-sama and his wife," she explained. "He's a natural wind user, so he used his most powerful ones. It shows he was really struggling against Kiba."
"I see. You three are more impressive than I thought. I wish…to fight against all three of you!" Lee declared.
Hinata bowed her head. "I would be honored, Lee-san," she said genuinely. "Thank you."
Lee's face went red. "You're so kind, Hinata-chan!" Lee said. "Alas, first loves are always doomed, but you shall always be in my heart!" He grabbed her hands and squeezed them tightly.
Kakashi watched this exchange with an amused grin. No doubt, both Naruto and Sasuke—especially Sasuke—hated when Lee was around for this reason. He watched Hinata's face go red and found himself confused by her behavior. He continued watching.
"Thank you," she said. "I'm very flattered, but I'm sure Sakura-chan would love it if you asked her out on a date soon."
Lee's eyes lit up. "You truly think so?" Hinata nodded. "Then I shall do it soon!"
"Good luck!" Hinata exclaimed.
"Hinata!" Naruto called out as he ran up the stairs. "Did'ya see that?!"
Hinata held out her fist and he happily bumped it with his. "I did! You were awesome!" Naruto put his arm around her shoulder and nodded to the screen. "There's only a few people left, so I wonder who will be fighting next."
"Are you worried about your cousin?" Naruto asked.
She shook her head. "He's not injured. I'm sure he will do much better than me," she admitted.
"You two are on equal grounds, so don't feel bad," Naruto assured her. "You would've finished that match with Sakura in a few seconds had you not been injured, you know!"
"Thank you, Naruto," she said gently.
"The next match will now be decided," Hayate announced. Their eyes went to the screen.
Ino Yamanaka vs Neji Hyuuga
When Neji walked by her, she caught his wrist and they shared a look. "Good luck."
He smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Hinata-sama." Naruto and Hinata watched as the opponents stood across from one another. It was clear to both of them that Ino wasn't at all confident as she was barely visibly shaking.
"When you are ready, you may begin," the Proctor said before stepping back.
Neji got into his Gentle Fist style. "This is your chance to forfeit," he said, eyes hard. "I'd take it if I were you."
Ino, though shaking and frightened, glared and stood her ground. "Like I'd ever!" She took her forehead protector from around her waist and tied it against her forehead. "Defend yourself, Hyuuga."
Neji smirked. "Very well." He remained standing there to see what her first move would be. He wasn't at all shocked when she pulled weapons out and threw them at him. He easily dodged them and then made his move, coming at her directly.
Ino put her hands up in a hand seal he had never seen before. "Ninja Art: Mind Transfer Jutsu!" Neji's eyes widened and he couldn't move out of the way in time. Neji became immobile as Ino's body fell to the ground.
Hinata clutched the railing. "Neji!" She called out, leaning over it. "Neji!"
Neji looked up at her, but the smirk on his face told her that it wasn't him anymore. "Sorry, Hinata-chan. Your cousin's lost this match. No one can break out of this jutsu."
"Neji!" Hinata shouted.
"Neji" raised his hand. "I, Neji Hyuuga…"
Hinata's clenched her jaw. "Brother!" She cried out, her voice echoing loudly throughout the room.
"...Choose to...What?" Neji clutched his head and seemed to be struggling for a moment. "What's—ah!—happening?!" A few short seconds later and Ino was waking up in her own body.
"There's no way!" Ino shouted.
Neji glared down at her. "I am not some weak-minded genin," Neji hissed. "I have someone dear I wish to protect and I cannot allow myself to let her advance on her own."
Slowly, Ino got to her feet, glaring at him. "You know, that weird sister complex you got going on started to get creepy years ago."
Neji moved as soon as she said that, appearing in front of her and sending a huge burst of chakra through Ino's chest, causing her to cough up blood. "Watch your mouth, Yamanaka, or I won't be so forgiving next time," he sneered. Ino fell to the ground unconscious.
After Hayate checked her, he raised his hand. "Due to his opponent being unable to continue, Neji Hyuuga advances to the finals."
Hinata smiled proudly down at him and he met it with his own as he slowly made his way back up the stairs.
"You did great, Neji," she said.
"It was thanks to you that I was able to fight her jutsu, Hinata-sama. Thank you," he replied, bowing deeply.
From beside Hinata, Naruto snickered. "She called you out," he giggled.
Neji instantly raised his head, eyes narrowing at her teammate. "Shut it, Naruto, or I'll drag you outside and teach you the same lesson."
Naruto put his hands up in defeat. "You get so defensive that I just can't help but agree with Ino-chan," he taunted.
Hinata turned to him, putting her hands on her hips. "Naruto," she said sternly. "You're acting childish."
The Uzumaki deflated. "Aw, Hinata…" He whined.
She turned back to her cousin. "You did great. I apologize for Naruto. He just…likes to tease people," she explained. Naruto stood beside her with his arms crossed and a pout on his face.
"You needn't apologize for your teammate, Hinata-sama. It is of no fault of your own that he lacks common decency." He gave her one more smile and then moved on.
Naruto huffed. "Your cousin's such an ass," he mumbled.
With a sigh, Hinata leaned against the railing. "You're the one who started it this time," she pointed out.
Though Kakashi agreed that Neji was a really strong person, who probably only beat his team through smarts, just a bit, he agreed with Ino's assessment. He truly did seem to have a sister complex when it came to Hinata, though it did not seem inappropriate. In fact, it made their get-togethers pretty entertaining and he wasn't going to say anything about it if Hinata didn't seem uncomfortable around him.
Naruto counted on his fingers. "There's only that guy from Oto, that guy from Suna, Choji, and Lee, right?" He said.
"Yeah, that's all that's left," Kakashi said. He nodded down to the proctor. "It looks like you're going to be announcing the next."
Lee uncharacteristically sighed sadly. "I hope that I am not next."
They all watched as the screen shuffled the remaining names.
Gaara vs Rock Lee
From their left, they could hear Choji thanking the Gods that his name had not been picked and Shikamaru scolding him. Hinata giggled at the interaction before turning to Lee, who was seriously pumped up.
"Yes! I knew I would be next if I expressed a desire to go last," he said, stretching out his muscles. "The universe fell for it!"
Guy patted him on the head. "Go for it, Lee! Show everyone the true meaning of youth!"
Lee saluted him. "Yes, Guy-sensei!"
"Yeah, you got this, Lee!" Naruto cheered. "Show this guy from Suna what's what!"
"Good luck," Hinata added at the end, her calmness balancing out their emotions. Lee nodded at her.
"I promise to do my best! If I cannot win against this Gaara, then I will not be worthy enough to ask out Sakura-chan," he admitted."It means I will not be worthy enough to be a shinobi."
Hinata reached out and brushed her fingers against his forehead protector that was tied around his waist. "This forehead protector means that you do deserve to be one. Against any odds, you made it here, because you're very talented. Even if things don't go the way you'd like today, you're still here. That is what is important," she said, smiling up at him as she pulled her hand back. "You've got this."
This seemed to pump Lee up exactly as he needed. "Thank you, Hinata-chan! You are right!" He said, pulling her into a tight hug before flipping extravagantly over the railing and onto the arena where his opponent was impatiently waiting.
Hinata giggled. "I don't think I'll ever get used to hold bold Lee-kun is," she said.
Naruto's ears perked up. "Lee-kun? I guess with how touchy he's been, it makes sense you'd start using that for him now," Naruto mumbled. Hinata raised a brow at his behavior but chose not to say anything and instead focused on the match.
In the arena, Hayate gave them permission to start when they were ready before stepping back.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Gaara-san! I knew we were going to battle each other one way or another, and I am glad it is right now!" Lee said enthusiastically.
Gaara stood there, staring his opponent down without a care in the world. The look in his eyes shocked Hinata and Naruto. They looked cold, lifeless…dead. But Hinata thought they also perhaps looked sad as well. To the left of them, they noticed one of the Suna nin, Kankuro, took a spot near them.
"I hope that bowl-cut kid is stronger than he looks. Gaara's never been hurt out in the field. He's impossible to touch," he said.
Resting his chin in his palm as he leaned against the railing, Naruto shook his head. "You're wrong about that. Lee's strong," he replied.
"Just watch," Hinata stated. All their eyes went back to the match as Lee made a rush for Gaara. Everyone was promptly shocked when Lee's attacks were being blocked by sand that came from the gourd on Gaara's back no matter what direction he came from and how fast he went.
"That's why," the Suna need pointed out. "That sand protects him of its own accord. Gaara can manipulate it, but it shields him with its own mind."
"It's own mind?" Naruto asked as he looked over at him for an explanation, but Kankuro did respond.
It was clear that no matter how fast Lee was, the sand was even faster at defending its charge. Lee thought to himself for a moment, trying to find a way around the sound. Gaara voiced his thirst for blood and it was clear he wasn't going to stop until Lee was completely destroyed. When it seemed as though Gaara had crushed him with his sand, they were relieved to see him standing atop the statue in the front of the room. Lee had spoken to them about his lack of ninjutsu and genjutsu skills and they had learned about it from Kabuto's info cards, but it was another thing to see it in a match where taijutsu clearly wasn't going to work.
"Lee!" Lee's eyes went to his sensei who called on him. "I give you permission to take them off!" Guy declared.
Shocked, Lee shook his head. "But you said…!"
"I know, but this will be an exception. Do it!" Guy looked so proud that Lee couldn't help but smile and nod excitedly. They all watched as Lee sat and took the orange covers off of his legs to reveal weights.
"Losing those weights isn't gonna do a damn thing," Kankuro scoffed. "It's actually kinda sad how much of a difference your little friend thinks it'll be. I almost feel bad for him."
Lee stood up feeling like a new person. "That is a lot better!" He exclaimed. He let the weights drop and it surprised everyone when they created two large craters in the floor.
"Holy crap!" Naruto exclaimed. He looked at Kankuro. "You were saying?" Kankuro only replied with a roll of his eyes.
Kakashi chuckled sheepishly when his two students instantly looked at him with flat looks. "I, um, can't believe I didn't think of that," he laughed.
"We've gotta get some weights like those!" Naruto said. Hinata agreed wholeheartedly.
"Fine. I'll go shopping later, but don't complain about it later, Naruto." Kakashi then looked at his friend with a tired look. "You're too much sometimes, you know that, Guy?"
"It's about to pay off," the other Jonin replied as he nodded to the arena.
Lee was suddenly moving so fast that he was hardly visible to other spectators and the sand could barely keep up with his moves. The sheer force of the Lee's hits on the sand caused Gaara to be pushed every which way. After a series of kicks, Lee managed to land a kick on the back of Gaara's head, injuring him for the very first time. After Gaara was sent across the floor from a punch, the air turned tense.
When the Suna nin got to his feet, it was revealed that he had been encased with sand and Lee's hits hadn't been effective at all. Lee and Guy shared a silent conversation before Lee began unwrapping the tape around his arms.
Team 7 watched in shock as Lee kicked Gaara up with a series of powerful kicks—which seemed to cause Lee pain—to get him away from his protective sand and used his primary lotus to slam him into the ground at a high-speed force. When it seemed as though Lee had won, Gaara's body cracked and dissolved into sand.
"A decoy?!" Naruto cursed.
From behind Lee, Gaara resurfaced with his sand. Now there was an evil aura about him, more so than they had previously felt. Lee wasn't able to block any of the incoming attacks.
"Why isn't he moving?!" Naruto shouted.
"The Primary Lotus is a forbidden move because it puts unbelievable strain on the body. That's why it's a forbidden technique. Right now, Lee is in so much pain that he isn't able to move," Kakashi explained. It was clear that Lee was in much more trouble than they previously anticipated.
No matter the pain he was in, or how many attacks he was forced to endure head-on, Lee continued getting to his feet. Seeing his dedication nearly brought tears to Hinata's eyes and she wished more than anything to go down and help him, but she couldn't. It was his fight. It felt as though he was hanging everything on this match and it would be unfair to jeopardize that.
After watching Lee get beaten and tossed around mercilessly, something in him suddenly snapped as he looked up at his sensei's proud smile and he was reacting just as quickly as before, shocking everyone around him.
"What?!" Neji said, finally voicing his opinion.
"The Lotus of Konoha blooms twice," Guy said as though that answered everything.
Hinata turned to look at him. "What does…that mean, sensei?"
Kakashi thought for a moment before looking at Guy with something like anger. "You don't mean that…?" When Lee's sensei did nothing but smile, Kakashi sighed. "How many of the Inner Gates can Lee open then? Can he use the Hidden Lotus?" He asked, though there was anger laced in his voice.
"He can use the Hidden Lotus, Kakashi, yes. And he can open five gates," Guy answered.
"The Inner Gates?" Hinata asked.
"Hidden Lotus?" Naruto added.
After hearing a brief explanation of what it meant, Hinata looked back in shock.
"But he's… That could kill him!" She exclaimed. "If the Primary Lotus did that much damage to him, then he could seriously die."
"Lee's so determined that he is willing to risk that in order to prove himself and to fight for his right to wear that headband," Guy explained.
"You should know better than anyone that you never bring your personal feelings into play," Kakashi scolded. "If you care about this boy, you would stop this match now before he gets himself killed."
Guy glared at Kakashi. "You don't have any right to say that—not to me, Kakashi. You don't have any idea," he snapped. Kakashi went back to looking at the match, his students also on edge about what they were witnessing.
"The Third Gate of Life…open!" Lee shouted. His skin turned an irritated red and it seemed he no longer had any pupils. His chakra was so concentrated that it was stifling and creating a dent where he stood.
"Lee!" Hinata cried out, angry tears filling up her eyes. Naruto put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. She refrained from looking at her teammate as she didn't want to risk her tears falling. She wiped them away hastily and concentrated on the match.
"The Fourth Gate of Pain…open!" Lee cried.
"What?!" Kakashi exclaimed. "Through sheer willpower alone? There's no way! Is he…actually a genius?" Guy smirked but said nothing else as Lee made his move.
Lee moved so fast and so powerfully that the floor of the entire arena was upended. Gaara couldn't keep up with him in the least. Suddenly, Lee was underneath him, kicking Gaara up into the air with a brutal kick to the chin. The force of it sent chunks of rock everywhere, peppering everyone in the room.
Now suspended in the air, Gaara's sand armor began chipping away again and Lee wasn't going to make his final move until it was all gone. Lee jumped up in the air and began kicking and punching Gaara in different directions mid-air, causing Gaara pain. With their doujutsu, it was clear to see that Lee's muscles were being pushed so hard that they were ripping.
"The Fifth Gate of Limit…open!" Lee landed a harsh punch to Gaara's stomach before delivering the Hidden Lotus and promptly fracturing his right leg and arm. Lee rolled to the ground, back to his normal state and in immense pain. Gaara, his gourd having turned into sand to cushion his fall, managed to raise his hand and direct his sand toward Lee, who was unable to move much.
"Sand Coffin," Gaara cast, his sand enclosing around Lee's left arm and leg. "Sand Burial!" His limbs were crushed by the sand and he was tossed to the ground, unmoving. As Gaara was about to kill him, Guy came in and stopped the fight making Lee automatically lose but protecting him. This move seemed to shatter something in Gaara's mind as he was confused about why Guy would protect Lee even though he failed.
"Why would you save him? He lost," Gaara questioned.
"Because he is a student that I care deeply for," Guy replied.
At this, Gaara stood up and began walking away. "I quit." They knew it didn't matter if he quit or not, as Lee had already lost.
Hayate raised his hand. "Because his opponent is unable to—huh?" Everyone's eyes moved to Lee, who was now back on his feet and in his taijutsu fighting stance. His body was wildly shaking and his limbs were bleeding, broken, and fractured.
"What?!" Naruto gasped.
Guy went to check on him but his emotions got the best of him when he saw that Lee was unconscious but still on his feet in order to prove himself. His tears fell as he apologized to his student. It was so silent in the room that Guy's falling tears hitting the ground were nearly audible.
"There's…nothing keeping him up but sheer willpower," Kakashi said, covering his sharingan back up.
Hinata's shoulders shook as she held back more tears. No matter how much she wanted to jump down there and help, she knew there was absolutely nothing she could do about any of his injuries. She wasn't that skilled yet.
Everything watched as Guy pulled Lee into a gentle hug. "You've already proven that you're a respectable shinobi," he assured him. "It's okay. You're okay, Lee."
"Gaara will be advancing to the finals," Hayate announced. Hinata and Naruto had to hold each other back from going to his side as the medics came for him. One of the medics that had checked over him pulled Guy aside.
Hinata steadied her breathing and concentrated on them as she closed her eyes and listened to the conversation. "He's going to pull through, but I'm afraid that all the injuries to his body—especially his left arm and leg—have been damaged so badly that…I'm afraid his days as a shinobi are over. I'm sorry."
Hinata gasped, clutching to Naruto's jacket tightly and moving her gaze to Lee on the stretcher. "No," she whispered.
"What is it?" Naruto asked. "What did he say?"
Hinata looked up at him with fearful eyes. "He said… Lee's life as a shinobi was over," she said, looking up at him with tear-filled eyes.
"What?!" Naruto exclaimed. "They don't have any idea what they're talking about!" They didn't even try to hold each other back as they raced down there and met Guy at the bottom as Lee was being taken away to the medical wing. Before they had even made it, Kakashi was down there with a hand on Guy's shoulder.
"I'm sorry about what I said earlier. It was…insensitive. I know that had I been in your position, I wouldn't have been able to stop the match either," he said.
"There's no way his fighting days are over, sensei!" Naruto said. "He still has to face off against Sasuke and Neji, especially Neji!" Hinata couldn't say anything but it was clear she was doing whatever she could to hold back her tears.
He approached his students and put a hand on their heads. "He sacrificed his body for the sake of his goal, to prove himself, so much so that that goal is now unattainable. But he didn't only want to fight Sasuke and Neji. He was thinking about fighting you two as well. Hold that close to your heart. Don't let his sacrifice be for nothing."
Hinata shook her head. "I need to use the restroom," she suddenly stated.
"But you're…gonna miss the last match," Naruto said, though his voice was tired.
"I won't be long. I just need to use the facilities," she clarified with a tight smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I'll be back." Kakashi and Naruto watched as she left and went in the opposite direction that Lee was taken in and was relieved.
"She probably just needs to cry," Naruto said, looking up at Kakashi.
The jonin nodded. "Yeah," he agreed although he wasn't too sure. Despite how defeated Guy felt, Kakashi led him back up to the upper level so the next match could begin.
Dosu Kinuta vs Choji Akimichi
Hinata, inside the restroom stall, allowed a couple of tears to escape her eyes and roll down her face. She vowed to do her best to ensure Lee could walk again, even if she could only do all the research and not the actual healing. She didn't care.
"He deserves to be the one thing he trained his whole life for," she whimpered. After a few moments, she wiped her face and left the restroom after making sure it didn't look like she'd been crying. She was about to move past the designated room when she was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. She didn't have to turn around to know it was her sensei.
"The room is right here," he said easily though not unkindly. "There's nothing you can—"
"I know," she said firmly, interrupting him. "I know that. But how can I start researching if I don't know exactly what's wrong with him?"
Kakashi sighed quietly and pulled her to the side so she was completely away from the door and out of sight. "Hinata, it's okay. You don't have to fix everything just because you're a medic. You're still a long way from doing anything like surgery," he said bluntly.
"I'm under no illusion that I am capable of performing surgery, sensei, but my eyes might be able to see something that regular medics cannot. That means I have a responsibility to at least try. I'll do all the research myself and hand it over to a skilled medic if it means that Lee-kun can fight again."
"Why does that mean so much to you?" He asked seriously. "You two barely met the other day."
"That doesn't matter. He is still a comrade," she replied instantly. "And if there's something I can possibly do, no matter how mediocre of a medic I currently am, I will do it." The resolve in her eyes took Kakashi by surprise before he realized something.
"You see some of yourself in him, don't you?"
HInata's eyes moved to the floor. "I see all three of us in him. Working so hard in order to prove something to yourself…in order to protect those you love. After I was nearly kidnapped and then Shi-kun and… Well, we never wanted to feel that helpless again. We all have goals that we're willing to die for," she explained. "Just like Lee-kun. He deserves his shot to be recognized as the true genius he is, doesn't he? And if there's a part for me to play, I will do that for him."
He looked deep into her eyes for a moment and found an unshaken determination. He smiled to himself and pulled her into a hug. "That kind heart of yours is going to be your downfall one day, you know that?"
Hinata stood there, unmoving but grateful to her sensei for being there for her. "So be it."
From inside the room, they heard as Dosu was declared the winner.
"We better get back," Kakashi said, stepping away and leading her back into the room. "The final stage is going to be announced soon." When they got in there, Choji was being taken away by some medics who had rushed past them.
"This concludes the preliminaries! Congratulations to those who have made it," Hayate announced. "All finalists, please make your way down here so we can announce the final round."
"There's something I have to check, so let me know the details of the next stage," Kakashi said before disappearing. Naruto and Hinata shared a look but couldn't follow him. They all met in the front of the room, where Minato once again stood in front of them to give them the details on the final stage.
"The final stage will take place one month from now in order to allow you to learn new jutsu to surprise your opponents and to allow summons to be sent to the officials who will be attending," he explained. "Is that clear enough?" They all nodded. "Good. Now, Mitarashi-san is coming around with a box. From there, you'll draw a piece of paper and await further instructions."
Anko went to them one by one and let them draw before returning to her spot near Minato.
"So what are these for?" Naruto asked as he looked down at his number. 1.
"From left to right, tell me the number on your slip of paper," Ibiki said as he held up a clipboard.
Dosu—7
Naruto—1
Hinata—3
Temari—5
Kankuro—8
Gaara—10
Shikamaru—6
Neji—2
Shino—4
"So then that leaves Sasuke with number nine," Ibiki said, writing it all down. "I will now reveal the lineup for next month." He turned his clipboard around and let everyone get a good look at it.
Naruto Uzumaki vs Neji Hyuuga
Shino Aburame vs Hinata Hyuuga
Temari vs Shikamaru Nara
Dosu Kinuta vs Kankuro
Gaara vs Sasuke Uchiha
"May I ask a question, Hokage-sama?" Shikamaru asked.
"Of course."
"Since this is a tournament, does that mean only one of us will be promoted to Chuunin, because that doesn't make a lot of sense if that's the case?" He asked.
Minato shook his head. "Not at all. You see, this tournament is going to have several judges—myself included—and those judges will evaluate every single one of you during your matches. They can either deem some of you worthy of chuunin, all of you, or even none of you. Winning or losing doesn't necessarily matter as someone who loses a round can still become a chuunin," he explained. "But the longer you stay in, the more you can make yourself look better for the judges with your talents."
"I see," Shikamaru said while simultaneously thinking of it as troublesome.
"Now if there aren't any more questions, I look forward to your battles in one month," Minato said, wrapping it up. "You all fought well." They bowed to their Hokage.
Hinata stared down at her number afterward, completely getting lost in thought as her mind wandered to Sasuke and his condition. She wondered how he was doing and what they were going to do about that mark.
"You okay, Hinata?" Naruto asked, a hand on her shoulder.
"Yes, I'm all right. I'm just…worried about Sasuke," she admitted.
"Yeah, same here. He's strong though, so he'll pull through!" He assured her.
She smiled. "He will. Let's go wait for Kakashi-sensei by the door."
Naruto hesitated for a moment. "You know, when we both win our matches…we'll have to fight each other next, you know," he said.
Hinata stiffened for a second before relaxing. "That's right. No holding back, right?" She looked him directly in the eye. He smiled wide and nodded excitedly.
"No holding back!"
In Sasuke's hospital room, a boy stood over him with an evil smile on his face, mumbling to himself about who was truly better for Orochimaru. Around him, the bodies of two of the only Anbu members left were sprawled about the room.
"Honestly, if they wanted to stop me, they should've stationed more people," the boy said smugly. "It's quite sad how easy they were to take down." He pulled out a scalpel and was going to easily slice Sasuke's neck but he refrained from doing so when he felt someone else's presence behind him. His grin turned toothy as he sent the scalpel flying toward the person.
Kakashi easily caught the scalpel in his hand that was thrown his way from the boy standing over Sasuke's unconscious body and the bodies of two Anbu left in the program—he hadn't wanted to leave this up to the Uchiha Police Force as their emotions could get the better of them—that he had stationed around him for protection. The culprit didn't seem to have a scratch on him. He was powerful enough to take down two Anbu on his own.
"You really are a talented shinobi, aren't you, Kakashi?" He said. "Are you going to fight me yourself now?"
"Kabuto Yakushi, right? Son of the Chief of the Konoha Medical Corps. You're definitely no ordinary genin," Kakashi said as he walked closer. "It seems one of my students was correct about you. What is it you want with Sasuke?"
Kabuto turned around to face him with a smug grin. "Are you talking about little Hinata-chan? Though she hid it quite well, I could tell she was suspicious from the beginning, perhaps even uneasy being near me. And yet, despite her suspicions, she still healed me when I was injured. Pure-hearted, isn't she?"
Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "You're with Orochimaru, aren't you?"
"There's no way you'd be able to prove that I'm in any way linked to him," Kabuto said. "We can stand around here all day, going back and forth, but I think you'll get all your answers soon enough. So, I think I'll just take my leave."
"Leave it to Orochimaru to recruit easily manipulated little brats to do his bidding," Kakashi said. He held up a kunai. "Don't mess around with grown-ups."
Kabuto held up his own weapon, a curved kunai, as he chuckled. "Don't be so arrogant, Kakashi. It's unbecoming. Besides, things are clearly in my favor," he finished as he held his kunai to Sasuke's throat, causing Kakashi to pause.
When Kabuto made a move for Sasuke's throat, Kakashi was beside him, tossing the kunai from his hand and knocking him down. After a brief scuffle, Kabuto managed to escape out of the window by using the Dead Soul jutsu to switch bodies with one of the dead Anbu. He changed its face, stopped his own heart, and even erased his own scent in order to escape properly.
"Damn it," Kakashi hissed. "He definitely is no ordinary genin. If it turns out someone as talented as him is working with Orochimaru, I can't allow myself to fall behind. I need to work harder and protect Sasuke as best as I can."
With all of his students advancing to the finals, and with Orochimaru lurking in the shadows, he couldn't afford to relax… not even for a second.
This concludes the first two phases of the exams! There will be 4 more chapters until the final stage. We hope you're looking forward to them, and to those who enjoy Itachi and Hinata interacting, they will have another scene together coming up :) We're going to begin working on that itachi/hinata one-shot here soon but I won't be published until the entirety of Team Harmony parts one and two are finished. Unfortunately, that will take some time.
Please let us know what you think of this chapter and maybe any kind of predictions that you have for future matches! Thanks :))
-hina
NEXT UPDATE: 12/02/23