Chapter Six: Rookie Resultant
When Baki saw he was lined against Choji in the round of sixteen, he stopped caring about the other matchups altogether. His mind focused solely on the upcoming fight. Baki's longstanding disdain for incompetence and laziness made facing Choji a personal vendetta. He detested everything Choji represented—the excess weight, the perceived folly - he was the antithesis to Baki's own image.
Meanwhile, Choji had his own grumblings about Baki, making this more than a simple match. It was a battle of personal creeds, both young men being opposite sides of the same spectrum.
To belong to a stereotype or to break the norm: a war of philosophies.
Two matches unfolded before the clash of calories.
First, Sasuke faced a civilian girl named Tsuno. The match was over almost as quickly as it began, with Sasuke overpowering her with remarkable ease. It was like a lion pouncing on a baby deer. Nobody had expected anything different either, but it did seem a little rude that the Uchiha broke the girl's jaw to beat her.
Sasuke was clearly not a fan of fangirls.
Next, Shino faced Ami in what turned out to be a tediously long fight. Shino's patience and calculated attrition eventually outlasted Ami's lack of energy, securing him the win by sheer endurance rather than skill. In regard to all the bouts preceding it, the fight was the most lackluster of them all. Neither Shino nor Ami claimed to be Taijutsu specialists, but their performance was nigh impossible to be satisfied with.
Finally, it was time.
Baki and Choji stepped onto the sparring grounds, the tension palpable. Both bore the weight of unspoken rivalry and the sharp sting of comparison.
The blonde gave Choji a disdainful look noticing the boy still had crumbs on his face as he prepared for their fight. He grimaced and grunted, "Wipe your face, Choji. I know you're fat, but how sloppy can you be for god's sake."
The moment the 'F' word came from Baki's mouth, Choji's whole demeanor changed. His chubby cheeks rippled as his beady eyes went wide, a clear mask of anger boiling over his features. The clan heir practically screeched in rage, "What did you call me?!"
Baki was not intimidated by the tubby tantrum. He doubled down with a mean look on his face, "Do you have shit between your ears, fat-ass? Have some damn decency."
Choji's face burned crimson as his chakra churned with his emotions. Several people watching found the insults funny, but a few didn't. Shikamaru called out from the side, "Don't let him get you riled up Choji! He-"
Shikamaru's words died in his throat as his longtime friend screamed at Baki, "I'M BIG BONED! If anyone here is fat, it's you!"
The blonde tilted his head tauntingly and gestured to his flat stomach, the implication blatant that Choji was far off the mark.
Iruka frowned and instructed sharply, "Enough insulting each other. Focus and begin!"
The moment Iruka uttered the command, Choji's right arm expanded to gargantuan proportions as he threw it like a missile. The multi-size technique raced towards Baki with unmistakable bad intentions behind it.
Baki sidestepped and spun, the enlarged knuckles only catching some fabric on the back of his shit. He bent his knees and tugged on his chakra pool, focusing the energy to his calves.
An immediate boon to his skills from practicing chakra-sense, Baki's control of his chakra improved considerably, allowing him to actively use the energy in a myriad of different ways. One in particular was this: enhancing his physical abilities beyond their normal limits by a decent margin.
Like a bullet, Baki lunged towards Choji as the boy tried to retract his large fist. Baki was much faster, reaching him with a superman punch that took Choji off his feet.
Choji, to his credit, recovered into a roll and was soon enlarged like a balloon. The Akimichi heir had transitioned into the notorious Human Boulder Technique seamlessly, rolling around the courtyard with shocking speed.
Baki narrowed his eyes and stayed on his toes, he didn't have anything in his small repertoire of techniques to deal with a jutsu of that caliber in a conventional manner.
Choji made a guttural war cry as he spun and charged at Baki, fully intending on flattening him into the dirt. Baki pushed more chakra to his feet as he jumped out of the way, his mind quickly calculating a way to exploit Choji's offensive charge.
From what he recalled of the few fights Choji had in the series, the Human Boulder Technique was a jutsu that typically failed more often than it succeeded. He didn't have the convivence of a sound based ninjutsu to use like the Oto Shinobi from the Chunin Exams did; however, there was one reoccurring weakness that he could exploit.
Choji's defense did not improve because his body got larger, he was still just as easily damaged as before. If he was forced to change direction, the technique would slow considerably and leave him vulnerable, a perfect time to strike.
Committing to a plan of counter-offense, Baki kept a steady flow of chakra to his limbs as Choji rebounded and rolled towards him again. Waiting until the last possible moment, Baki stepped out of the way as Choji barreled past him. His sandals kicked up dirt as he dashed after the human wrecking ball.
Choji, none the wiser, began to slow his roll to change his path.
Shikamaru's alarmed call from the sidelines fell to death ears, "Behind you!"
A chakra enhanced kick smashed down on the top of Choji's skull, the brief moment of slowed momentum left him exposed long enough for Baki to target the barely visible tassel of hair on the human sphere.
Choji's brain rattled as he was forced out of the jutsu, collapsing to the ground in concussed confusion. Before he could get much of a footing to rise, Baki was on him again with a brutal knee to chin. The Akimichi heir expelled blood as he rocketed to the dirt on his back.
Baki did not show any restraint as he jumped on the rotund boy, smashing harsh elbows to his defenseless face. Choji was unconscious after the first blow but suffered three more for good measure. Iruka called the match just as Baki got off the boy, not fast enough to prevent Choji from receiving more damage than necessary.
The blonde gave the now bloody and unconscious boy a mild look of respect as Mizuki carried him off to be treated by the nurse. Choji had been a harder opponent than expected, he had fully anticipated walloping the clan heir without much in the way of resistance. He had been wrong, as any of the attacks Choji threw would've been devastating had they landed.
If anything, it served as another reminder to keep his arrogance in check.
After delivering a brutal defeat to Choji, Baki returned to the sidelines, barely paying attention as the remaining matches played out. He stood with a nonchalant demeanor, his mind drifting as the other combatants took to the ring.
The next bout featured Masashi Ryu against a boy named Ken. It was a competitive fight, with both opponents showcasing impressive skills. However, Ryu managed to edge out a win with a well-timed counter, securing his place in the next round.
Kiba followed, facing off against a determined opponent named Yusuke. The match was intense, with both boys refusing to back down. Kiba's tenacity ultimately prevailed, allowing him to claim victory by the narrowest of margins.
Ino squared off against Shikamaru in what turned out to be a lackluster fight. Shikamaru's mind seemed elsewhere, likely preoccupied with the sight of his bloodied and beaten friend, Choji. Ino took advantage of his lack of focus, securing a win with a forfeit after a few minutes of landing glancing blows on the boy.
The next match pitted Sakura against Naruto. To the shock and disappointment of many, Naruto refused to defend himself or attack her, resulting in a pitifully one-sided fight. Sakura took the win, but the victory felt hollow to anyone watching.
To finish the round, Hinata faced Sango, a girl who barely had time to react before she was utterly demolished by Hinata's swift and devastating Juken. The match ended faster than any of the previous ones, solidifying Hinata's reputation as a favorite to win the tournament.
With the round of sixteen concluded, the stage was set for the quarterfinals.
The first match saw the top seed, Sasuke, facing off against Aburame Shino. The anticipation was palpable, yet there was an underlying sense of foreboding defeat.
As Sasuke stepped into the ring, his gaze was ice-cold, a predator eyeing its prey. Shino, ever stoic, stood his ground, his expression as unreadable as ever. However, the disparity in their auras was evident to everyone watching.
Iruka announced the start of the match, and Sasuke wasted no time. He moved with a fluid grace, his movements precise and calculated. Shino unable to summon his insects, threw up a solid defense, hoping to gain some advantage over the formidable Uchiha, but Sasuke's speed and prowess quickly overwhelmed him.
It was as if Shino were a mere practice dummy, a guinea pig for Sasuke to test his maneuvers and combinations on. Sasuke's strikes were relentless, each one a spectacle in itself. Shino's defenses began to crumble under the onslaught, his attempts to counter futile against Sasuke's superior skill.
Sasuke's expression remained detached, almost bored, as he continued to dismantle Shino's efforts. It was clear to all that the match was a foregone conclusion, a lamb led to slaughter. In a final, decisive flurry, Sasuke executed a combination of punches that left Shino sprawled on the ground, defeated.
Iruka's voice cut through the tension, "Winner: Uchiha Sasuke!"
The crowd cheered, though the enthusiasm was tempered by the one-sided nature of the match. Sasuke barely broke a sweat, his mind already shifting to the next challenge. Shino, ever composed, accepted his defeat with quiet resignation.
As Sasuke left the ring, his icy gaze swept over the remaining contenders before settling on Baki. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he caught the transmigrator's attention, a subtle smirk making way onto his lips.
Baki narrowed his eyes right back - arrogant little bastard.
Sasuke knew he'd face Baki in the next round if he won, and clearly, he still held some animosity for Hinata breaking his nose.
Baki spat on the ground in distaste as he stepped forward again, his match set to begin. His opponent: Masashi Ryu.
Ryu lined up on the opposite side of the ring, his eyes focused and expression stone-like. Apparently, he was one of the few students who recognized the threat Baki possessed when it came to a battle of pure Taijutsu. Something that was becoming harder to deny, if his dismantling of Choji said anything.
Baki did not feel the same level of alertness as he locked gazes with the short boy. Unlike Choji, Ryu was fundamentally very skilled in traditional hand to hand combat. He did not have clan jutsu to supplement a lack of technique, so he was forced to be perfect and poised at what he knew.
While that usually meant he should be a more formidable opponent, that was not the case in this instance. Ryu had a glaring weakness that Baki was able to see just from watching the boy fight a couple times: he was extremely predictable due to a limited skillset. He was great at the barebones Taijutsu the academy taught. A solid foundation, sure, but there was nothing inherently special about it.
Like the traditional martial arts of his old world it resembled, Kung-Fu, Akido and the likes, it was an inefficient and obsolete style that paled in comparison to other disciplines. Ryu was not blessed to have a specific Taijutsu style, like the Hyuga's Juken or Might Gai's Goken, that were leagues above the norm. Nor did he practice a proven combination of techniques from several disciplines like Baki himself.
To put it plainly, it was a mismatch in everything but paper.
As soon as Iruka's call for them to start was heard, Ryu paced forward hesitantly, waiting for Baki to commit an action first. Baki bounced a few times, displaying his footwork before he struck forward with an overhand right.
Ryu raised his guard up to block, but it was only a feint. A vicious hook crashed against his exposed stomach, causing the chestnut-haired boy to lose the air in his lungs. One, two, three, four more brutal shots broke through his defense, sending Ryu lurching backwards with a look of pain and panic on his face. Baki's sandaled foot barely missed his cheek as the boy managed to get enough distance to avoid the follow-up head kick.
Baki did not give pursuit as Ryu stumbled backwards, trying to gather his bearings and regain some breath in his lungs. Instead, the blonde just bounced in place with a blank look on his face, ready to fight whenever Ryu decided to reengage.
He kept at it for a good twenty seconds as Ryu fought to reclaim his poise.
Iruka urged from the sidelines, "Ryu, engage or you will forfeit! Nobody will give you time to catch your breath in a real fight!"
Ryu, a discouraged grimace on his face, clenched his teeth and heeded the warning. The boy sucked in some air and moved forward with remarkable speed, diving into a six-strike kata he had memorized better than the back of his hand.
Baki dipped his head away from an open palm strike and brought up his knee to check a kick sent at his midsection, blocking Ryu's initial offense. As the boy followed up with an over exaggerated double-fist, Baki swatted Ryu's strike away and stepped forward into a spin.
The back of Baki's elbow cracked against Ryu's exposed skull with a heavy thud, sending the boy to the ground face-first.
Ryu's eyes had already rolled into the back of his head before he touched the dirt.
The blonde relaxed from his fighting stance and backed off, allowing Iruka to call the match and provide assistance to his unconscious peer. He stalked out of the fighting space and gazed around at the other students who were looking at him with varying expressions. Many were outright glaring at him, but quite a few had some respect in their eyes at his performance. Namely Hinata and Naruto, his only friends in this world, and oddly enough Ino who was looking at him in a new light.
Disregarding the others, Baki pointed his gaze at Sasuke who appeared to be stuck between an expression of vexation and surprise. His lips twitched upwards into a smirk as they stared at one another.
Sasuke had a fight on his hands, and the little fucker knew it.
SEMI-FINALS:
{ (1) Uchiha Sasuke vs (12) Doro Baki }
{ (2) Hyūga Hinata vs (3) Inuzuka Kiba }
Sasuke and Baki stood across the ring from one another, matching expressions of seriousness on their faces.
A palpable wave of excitement rippled through the students gathered around the ring. Whispers and murmurs filled the air, each student keenly aware of the history and animosity between the two fighters.
The atmosphere was electric, charged with anticipation and speculation. Conversations buzzed with predictions and opinions, everyone eager to see how this clash would unfold. None more eager than Iruka, who shouted with a grin, "BEGIN!"
Both fighters launched themselves into the fray, their movements swift and sharp. This was a battle of pure Taijutsu—no ninjutsu, no Sharingan—just raw skill and technique.
Baki took the initiative with a series of powerful punches, each aimed to destabilize Sasuke. Sasuke countered with superior speed, a testament to his rigorous training and prodigal ability.
The sound of their fists colliding echoed through the courtyard.
They moved with deadly grace, a dance of combat that left spectators breathless. Baki's dry humor resurfaced as he found a moment to taunt Sasuke, "Don't tell me this is all you've got, gay-boy. You're soft, like two-ply toilet paper."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed, his resolve hardening, "Keep talking, loser. See where it gets you."
Their attacks were relentless as they continued their dance, each trying to find an opening in the other's defenses. Baki's modern techniques allowed him to strike and counter with precision, while Sasuke's agility and unorthodox attacks kept him on edge.
He did not want to eat a kick carrying the momentum of a gravity defying flip.
Baki's fist connected with Sasuke's midsection, sending him staggering back. Sasuke recovered quickly, launching into a series of spinning kicks that struck Baki with surprising force, with one slipping through his guard. A growl of pain escaped from Baki's lips as he caught Sasuke's next attack, a jumping axe kick aimed at his neck, and swung the boy away with great force.
Sasuke landed on his hands and flipped across the dirt, a snarl marring his sweating face.
Baki lunged forward, his powerful frame giving him the upper hand in a close quarters blitz. Sasuke's speed and agility allowed him to deflect some of the strikes, but a few hard punches broke through, landing solidly to the ribs and solar plexus.
Sasuke retaliated with a lightning-fast combination of kicks and punches; each one delivered from extremely wild angles. Baki absorbed the blows, his larger body providing some measure of resistance to the hits as he tried to land a haymaker.
They parted after an intense flurry, both breathing heavily. Yet their eyes locked in fiery determination, neither willing to back down.
In a decisive moment, Baki saw his opportunity. He feigned a strike up high and quickly transitioned into a low shot on Sasuke's legs. Sasuke found himself caught off guard as Baki executed a perfect double-leg, driving the smaller boy into the ground with all his weight behind him.
Sasuke wheezed as the air escaped his lungs and tried to scramble away, but Baki had a hold of him. The moment Sasuke gave up his back, the blonde attached to him like glue. His legs scissored Sasuke's waist as his right bicep snaked under his neck.
Sasuke's last-ditch effort to escape found him belly-up and staring at the sky, a rear naked choke cutting off his air supply like a vice.
Squeezing the boy hard, Baki chuckled savagely, "Go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep~"
Sasuke, having never been choked in such a manner before, could do very little as the blood flow cut off from his brain.
The last loyal Uchiha was subdued to unconsciousness, a few pitiful kicks to the air being the last vestiges of his struggle.
Cries of outrage and shock exploded from the crowd as Baki pushed Sasuke's limp body away from him to get up. A shit eating grin tugged on his face, getting a blast of euphoria knowing he had just skull-fucked the pecking order of the academy.
Naruto cupped his hands across his mouth and hollered exuberantly, "YES! WAY TO GO BAKI!" He pumped a fist into the air and laughed, "You whooped that bastard's ass!"
Baki shot his fellow blonde a mock salute, relishing the animosity they were garnering from the others around them.
As Baki reclaimed his spot in the nosebleeds, the next matchup was announced. Iruka's voice rang out, calling Hinata and Kiba to the ring. The atmosphere shifted, the anticipation building once more after the major upset.
Hinata and Kiba stepped forward, their expressions determined. Baki watched with amused interest, knowing that this would be a battle of superior technique versus raw tenacity. The disparity between their skill levels should be very apparent from his point of view.
Naruto, still buzzing from Baki's victory, turned his attention to the new match. "Come on, Hinata! You've got this!"
The fight began, and the courtyard buzzed with the sounds of combat. Hinata's Byakugan activated, her movements elegant and precise. Kiba launched himself at Hinata with reckless abandon.
The clash was immediate and intense, each fighter pushing their limits. Hinata's strikes were calculated, targeting Kiba's vulnerabilities with surgical precision. Kiba, fueled by his tenacity, countered with crazy attacks, his wild style contrasting sharply with Hinata's controlled technique.
To Baki's utter surprise, it was actually a very evenly matched fight. Despite every node of logic telling him it shouldn't be, Kiba matched Hinata's output and made it a genuine scrap.
The crowd watched in awe, each move and counter met with gasps and murmurs of approval. Baki leaned back, observing the fight with a mix of confusion and curiosity. He knew that both Hinata and Kiba had their own strengths, but this was entirely unexpected.
A shoulder bumped into him, breaking him from his thoughts.
Ino, a cat-like smile on her face, whistled at him, "Wow, color me surprised. I can't say I expected you to be in finals, much less over Sasuke."
Baki gave her a playful smile back and crossed his arms, "You don't seem too upset that I just beat up your little boyfriend, Ino. I halfway expected a kunai to the kidney from you or Sakura."
The Yamanaka rolled her eyes and grossed, "Please, I'm not that obsessed with him. Sasuke's handsome and all, but his attitude is a real turnoff sometimes. An even bigger turnoff, though, is getting choked out in front of the whole class. Not really helping his whole 'I'm invincible' image, if you ask me."
Baki's eyebrows were raised in surprise at Ino's casual dismissal of Sasuke. He was well aware this was not an exact replica of the world he knew, but it was bewildering how many differences kept popping up. Wasn't she supposed to be head over heels for the Uchiha scion?
Naruto butted his way into the conversation, a sly grin on his face, "Oi, Baki. Be careful around her, big-sis Ayame calls girls like Ino HAR-LAWS or something."
Baki made no effort to stop Ino from punching the boy in the back of the head as she yelled, "I'm not a harlot, you pea-brained little shit!"
As Naruto nursed the rising bump on his cranium, Baki added casually, "Don't try to pronounce words you don't know, Naruto." He turned his attention to the grimacing Yamanaka and appeased her calmly, "In his defense, I really don't think he knows what that means."
Ino turned her nose upward and crossed her arms, "Here I was trying to be nice and congratulate you, and this is what I get. Called a prostitute by your mentally stunted midget."
Naruto merely let out a noise of indignation as he rubbed his sore head; Baki cracked a grin at the insult. He shrugged lackadaisically with a chuckle, "Well, thanks for the sentiment. I appreciate it, Ino. Truthfully."
The girl gave him the side eye for a moment, before she smiled coyly. Without another word, she walked away, an unmistakable sway to her hips as she went. Baki gave pause as he had to force himself not to stare.
'Get your mind out of the gutter, fucker.' He mentally chastised himself.
Naruto whined in exasperation as he pouted, "I'm telling you, big sis ain't ever wrong about that type of thing. Ino's nothing but trouble."
Baki really couldn't find the logic to disagree with him.
Ino, the girl who detested him just shy of three months ago, had made a clear pass on him for beating Sasuke, the previous target of her affections. If that didn't spell trouble, he didn't quite know what did.
The other students erupted into applause, breaking Baki from his thoughts. Turning his attention back to the fighting grounds, Kiba was laid out flat on his back - defeated. Run ragged, covered in scrapes and bruises, Hinata stood over the fallen boy. During their conversation with Ino, Baki and Naruto had missed the tail end of Hinata's fight, which resulted in her victory.
Well, at least Hinata won. Though he really wasn't looking forward having to fight his psychotic little friend.
Hinata, breathing deeply, looked to Iruka and announced, "Sensei, I don't think I can go another round. I forfeit the final."
Huh?
End of Chapter