Chapter 52

Defeat wasn't a feeling Team 7 could say was particularly foreign. Fighting someone who was far above them in terms of skill was common, and death had been a constant companion in the last 2 years, even if it wasn't ever permanent. Hell, it was practically a rite of passage into their careers as Shinobi.

But this? This was different.

The three of them were currently idling in the lobby inside of the Forest Tower, each doing something to distract themselves, be it swinging a broken sword, meditating, or casually flipping a kunai in the air. Turns out, they were meant to open the scrolls at the tower—a fact Sakura had been able to seduce before either of them.

Much to their surprise, it was Iruka-sensei who greeted them upon opening them. She looked just as surprised as them, though also proud, conversing with them briefly before taking his leave.

And thus, here they were, four days later with nothing to do but wait for the remaining time to expire. To their knowledge, only nine other teams had arrived out of the 50 or so that were left.

The first was a Suna team, technically being the only team to have beaten them to the tower. Behind them was the loud-mouthed Takigakure girl's team, yet oddly enough, she hadn't been present with her team since day one. Next were Team Ino-Shika-Cho and a Kumo team led by a buxom blonde, each of whom stood clear of the Suna team as if they were the plague. Next was Lee's team, of which Team 7 had no particular interest in interacting with, even if the boy seemed to seek Sasuke out at any and every chance he got.

An Oto and Iwagakure team were next, arriving sometime during the night and speaking to absolutely no one—not that anyone was particularly interested in speaking to the two teams that were practically glaring daggers at any and everything with a Leaf insignia.

The last two were Kiba's team, followed closely by another Konoha team that Team 7 didn't recognize. All of them were older, each wearing purple, the two wearing sunglasses obviously being twins, while the last similarly wore glasses but with silver hair. All of them looked as if they had been through hell and back, yet Kiba still had the energy to boast about their victory.

There were still 4 hours until the deadline, so the likelihood of more teams arriving was slim, but not impossible.

Footsteps alerted Team 7, garnering each of their attention to the doorway at the other side of the room. Blessed relief filled them as Kakashi waved his usual lazy wave, his single eye smiling in amusement.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura exclaimed, running up to their Jonin-sensei with her broken sword on her shoulder.

"It's good to see you all well," the silver-haired man said, his tone as nonchalant as ever. "How are you all faring? Not to shaken up I hope."

Hinata walked forward, her expression serene despite her inner turmoil. "We are well, Kakashi-sensei," she said softly, though there was a quiet weight behind her words.

Kakashi's eye crinkled in response, though whether it was out of amusement or concern was difficult to tell. "That's good to hear," he replied. "Though from the looks of it, I'd say you've had it rough." His gaze flickered to Sakura's broken sword, the dirt and wear on their clothes, and the subtle tension in their shoulders.

"Yeah. Rough." Sakura snarked, aimed particularly at an Uchiha who hadn't acknowledged their sensei.

Sasuke caught his kunai one last time and stood, slipping the weapon back into his holster and staring at his sensei with furrowed brows.

And he wasted no time in getting straight to the point.

"Who was that woman?"

Kakashi sighed.

"As much as I'd like to tell you, I'm afraid I must keep you in the dark for now."

"You mean you can't tell us how a Jonin-level Shinobi entered the exams, nor why they were after us specifically? I think we have a right to know if someone is after our lives." Sasuke refuted.

"I can argue that there is always someone after your lives…but that would be semantics." Kakashi quickly added the last part upon seeing the Uchiha's glare dip into a snarl.

"Is she dead?" Sakura asked.

"It's complicated," was Kakashi's retort.

"Kakashi-sensei," the Copy-nin's eye went to Hinata. Reflexively, an image of her lifeless form flashed in his head, an image he had to mentally shut out as he was met with a rare look of pleading that made him want to tell them everything despite the risks.

"Listen-"

BAM

The front door suddenly exploded inward. Standing in the crevasse with a foot extended was a girl, one who they all knew from various experiences. Her green hair was messy, her face was dirty, and the clothes on her back were all torn and hanging by threads. She was breathing hard, and the way her eyes scanned the room like a hawk, the wild, frantic, and crazed look in her eyes, made her look like a madwoman.

"I'M HERE!" Fū bellowed, panting heavily as her crazed eyes landed on Kakashi. In the blink of an eye, she was in front of him surprising even the Jonin with her speed. "I'm OK, right?! I'm not late, right?! Please tell me I made it on time!"

Kakashi blinked down at the girl before he gave her an eye-smile. "Seems you made it just in time."

"YES!" She pumped a fist into the air, jumping from one leg to the other in a celebratory dance. "I was so caught up in kicking ass that I nearly forgot I was supposed to be here! The lack of competition here is seriously disappointing!"

"It's good to see you too, Fū-chan," Hinata's soft voice called, catching the greenette's attention. Her mouth instantly split into a wide grin.

"Hina!" the greenette cried, throwing the concept of personal space out of the window to envelop the Hyuga in a bone-crushing hug that took even her by surprise if her widened eyes were anything to go by. "I knew you'd make it through! All of you! You guys are badass! Not as badass as me, but still badass!"

"Gee, thanks," Sakura drawled, not particularly amused by the comment.

Fū finally released Hinata, who let out a small breath, composing herself quickly despite the unexpected embrace. The green-haired girl turned back to Kakashi with an expectant look, bouncing on her heels. "So, what now? Do we fight? Test our strength one last time to see who's the best? Is Naruto gonna be there?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Not quite yet. You're nearly done with this stage. Now you simply wait till dawn."

"Booooooo!" Fū groaned loudly, dragging her feet to the nearest bench before flopping dramatically onto the structure, her head resting against the wall. A yawn escaped her as she stretched. "I guess I'll rest my eyes then. Wake me up when it starts..."

Her words trailed off as they were closely followed by steady breaths and soft snoring, an indication that she had fallen asleep; impressively quick at that.

Kakashi blinked slowly. "Someone's not a morning person."

"She's an idiot," Sasuke droned, his expectant gaze turning back to his sensei. Unfortunately, they were interrupted once again, this time by footsteps coming from the side door of the lobby. The Oto team walked in, their gazes locking onto Team 7. Though it was hard to discern the expression of the one with bandages wrapped around his head, the other two's glares were a clear indicator that their presence wasn't welcomed.

"How about we leave this till after we are out of here?" Kakashi said, much to the annoyance of his Genin. In an act he knew would irritate them, he placed a hand on Sasuke's and Sakura's heads, not doing the same to Hinata only due to the lack of an extra appendage. As expected, their glares turned murderous, which amused him greatly. "You think focus on the exams for now. I promise, once you're out of here and safely in the finals, I'll tell you everything. Deal?"

They still glared at him, yet Sasuke and Sakura's scoffs, followed by Hinata's serene smile, told him that they understood. Good, because they would have a lot to talk about later, and it was better that they did it all in one sitting.

Dawn

Forest of Death: Tower

"What a pain."

"Quiet, Shikamaru."

The Nara yawned, ignoring his companion's comment. His gaze was focused solely on the Shinobi in front of them, each sporting distinct uniforms for their respective villages. Naruto stood in the middle next to the Hokage, expressionless and looking wholly out of place amongst the line of adults.

Shikamaru found it hard to believe that they were the same age. In Konoha, the public had mixed views of Uzumaki, not knowing whether to call him a demon or a genius. The only mutual consensus most seem to agree on was that he was definitely not natural.

They found that out firsthand on day one of his tutelage at the academy. It was hard not to with such a perpetual monotone and placid expression. He'd give in to the rumors that he was some sort of artificial intelligence project Konoha was testing if not for the amusement the blonde seemed to find in tossing them around.

Despite his lack of enthusiasm, he had the skills of a Jonin, which was likely the reason not one Genin in the hall disrespected him upon giving his congratulations to their success in completing the second portion of the Chunin Exams. They may not have had the misfortune of running into even one of him in the forest, but they've seen the aftermath of teams foolish enough to not listen to their instincts and wanted no part in the dismantlement.

Stepping back in line, the Hokage replaced the Uzumaki, going on about how proud he was of their success, their potential, the reason for the Chunin Exams, blah blah blah. The only notable portion of information in the speech was the conclusion, of which he asked if anyone would like to bow out before they continued—no consequence to their team, of course.

Only three took the offer.

The first two were Taki-nin, both of whom seemed to come to a mutual agreement upon looking at their remaining teammate with a shit-eating grin on her face. He honestly couldn't blame them either. He'd hate to fight a girl who took out half the competition on her own as well. The next was a silver-haired Konoha-nin that looked to be shy of his twenties. Kiba protested loudly at his withdrawal, but a look from his Jonin-sensei kept him from doing anything stupid.

And with those three gone, there came the bad news.

There were too many of them.

It was to be expected. There were still ten teams left in the finals, and subtracting the three that withdrew, that left 27, far too many. They needed to cut that number down by at least half if they didn't want to bore the spectators in the finals, so it was only logical that they dwindle those numbers down.

And as he also predicted, it would be determined in a fight.

What a drag.

Their next proctor appeared in a swirl of leaves. Unlike his predecessor, this Jonin had no smile on his face and had an overall menacing aura that was only accentuated by his dark brown hair hidden under a bandana-style Konoha Hitai-ate.

"Allow me to introduce myself. Cough, cough. I'm Hayate Gekko, and I will be your final proctor." His voice was raspy and carried an undercurrent of fatigue. It was hard not to notice how sick he was, or how his body was frail and thin. Despite it, he stood tall and spoke with a firm, professional voice. "This portion of the exam will take the form of a tournament-style match-up. Your names will cough cough be chosen at random. In these fights, anything goes. You will use any and everything to your advantage to win. The only two rules are no outside interference, and if I say the fight is over, then it is over. Winners of the fight shall move on to participate in the finals. Does everyone understand?"

Loud and clear.

With that, he turned to look at the screen at the back of the arena, everyone following suit. More than one Genin held their breath as their names shuffled through the screen, most of them already having an idea of who they could and could not defeat. Other than Fū and the redheaded monster from Suna, Shikamaru believed he had decent odds at getting someone manageable.

The board stopped on two names.

"Match 1: Rock Lee versus Yoroi Akadō."

Lee practically shot forward, a beaming smile on his face while his sensei encouraged his behavior and his teammates did everything to look small.

Everyone else was directed to the observation area, a platform on both sides of the room overlooking the arena. Each team split to their desired side, Shikamaru simply following Ino to the side Sakura, Kiba, Fū, and the Kumo Team had claimed. The only downside to this decision was that the greenette followed, and of course, she was just as loudmouthed as she portrayed herself to be.

Naruto was also on their side, which was a bonus. Unfortunately, he stuck to the Hokage like glue, and Shikamaru didn't think it proper to strike up a conversation with a superior next to their Hokage.

Somebody clearly should have nailed that into the Taki girl, who showed not a lick of common sense as she marched right up to the blonde and began conversing like the Hokage wasn't even there. Seriously, something was wrong with that girl.

His attention was called back to the arena as Hayate's arm came down and the fight began.

It was over almost embarrassingly quick. The purple-outfitted nin charged forward with a glowing fist, aiming to grab a hold of Lee. But the taijutsu specialist was simply too fast. With a burst of speed, Lee disappeared from view, reappearing behind Yoroi in a blur.

Before the older Genin could react, Lee drove a powerful kick into his back, sending him skidding across the ground. Yoroi barely managed to push himself up before Lee was on him again, delivering a series of rapid, punishing blows that he had no chance of dodging.

The fight ended with a devastating spinning kick to the chin, launching Yoroi into the air before he crashed to the ground, unconscious.

Hayate gave a small cough before raising a hand. "Winner: Rock Lee."

The green-clad Genin straightened up, beaming proudly as he bowed toward his downed opponent. "Thank you for the match!" He said, before turning towards their platform. A thumbs-up was followed by a dazzling smile, one that oddly made both Sakura and Sasuke shiver.

Shikamaru didn't pay attention to his teammates' chatter as they discussed the fight, his mind already working on figuring out the most optimal way to beat Lee without getting his ass handed to him if they were to meet in the finals.

"Next match: Hyuga Hinata versus Kiba Inuzuka."

"WOOOH!" Kiba's cry echoed in the chamber. "This is it, Akamaru!" He turned, fist-bumping his canine partner before leaping down to the arena. "You better bring your best, Hinata! Because I ain't holding back!"

Hinata's reply was only to smile before opting to take the long way down to the arena, her hands in her pockets and looking wholly unbothered. Truly, her transformation in the last year needed to be studied.

Both Genin stood ready across from each other, one shining with confidence while the other looked wholly unbothered. If he were a better man, he'd bet on the Hyuga. Though she didn't particularly show any talent the Hyuga line was known for, she was still a Hyuga. One touch was all she needed to turn the tides in her favor. Going against a clan that liked to get up close and personal, it was logical to assume Kiba stood no chance even against their worst. Guess time would tell whether or not his analysis would be true.

"Begin."

The moment the word left Hayate's mouth, Kiba was in motion. "Let's go, Akamaru!" he called, his partner barking in agreement before leaping onto his back. In an instant, Kiba hurled a smoke bomb to the ground, shrouding the battlefield in a thick, purple haze.

Most of Konoha Genin knew better than to allow a Hyuga time to react, and Kiba, to his credit, was no different. He rushed in, the sound of his rapid movements echoing through the arena as he closed in on Hinata's last position. "Piercing Fang!" he shouted, his body spinning at high velocity as he shot toward his target.

Then, just as suddenly as he struck, the air in the arena shifted.

A loud crack resounded as Hinata's palm met Kiba's spinning form with pinpoint accuracy, stopping his attack dead in its tracks. The impact sent the Inuzuka spiraling off course, his momentum disrupted as he was forced to land hard on his feet. His eyes were wide in shock.

"Wh-what?!"

Before he could fully recover, Hinata moved. Faster than most of the Genin had ever seen her, she appeared beside him in an instant, her fingers slamming into his chest with precise bursts of chakra. Kiba let out a strangled gasp as he was sent stumbling backward, the air momentarily knocked from his lungs.

Akamaru, sensing his partner's distress, lunged at Hinata with a snarl, but she was already moving. With fluid, effortless grace, she pivoted on her heel, dodging the canine's attack before countering with a quick yet controlled strike to his side.

The dog went limp almost instantly, but was saved from crashing into the ground by the Hyuga who caught him and gently placed him on the ground.

"Akamaru!" Kiba cried his partner's name, his fangs bare as he glared at the Hyuga who now stood unbothered.

"It would be wise to surrender, Kiba-san," the Hyuga spoke calmly, her expression unreadable. "I have disrupted your chakra network. I have no wish to harm you any further."

Kiba clenched his fists, his pride warring with the reality of the situation. He was losing. Badly. His usual brash confidence wavered as he looked at Akamaru, unconscious on the ground, and then at Hinata, who hadn't even broken a sweat.

"Tch," he clicked his tongue, gritting his teeth. "Like hell I'm giving up!"

Hinata sighed softly. "Very well."

Kiba charged forward again, his speed impressive, but it was nothing Hinata couldn't handle. With a graceful step to the side, she dodged his wild punch and retaliated with a quick strike to his shoulder. Kiba yelped as his arm went numb, his movements growing sluggish as she continued her assault. Precise, calculated strikes landed on key chakra points, systematically shutting down his ability to fight.

He staggered back, breathing heavily, sweat dripping down his brow. His legs wobbled, his body barely responding to his demand to keep fighting. He tried to will himself forward but fell forward a moment later.

Shikamaru watched as Hayate declared Hinata the winner while Kiba angrily smashed his fist against the ground as medical-nin almost immediately swarmed him. The Hyuga turned and ascended the stairs back to the observation platform where Team 7 stood waiting. Fū greeted her with an exaggerated thumbs-up. "That was awesome, Hina! You seriously kicked ass!"

Hinata simply smiled in response while ignoring the glare Yakumo was burning into the side of her head.

Meanwhile, the screen shuffled once more. The remaining contestants all focused on the display, tension filling the air as the next match was about to be revealed.

The screen stopped.

"Match 3: Samui vs. Kin Tsuchi."

Yet another fight that was over frighteningly quick.

The buxom blonde barely gave Hayate time to jump back before she was in front of her opponent, sword drawn. To Kin's credit, she was able to leap back, but it was a futile effort.

A blur of movement, and Kin barely managed to parry the first strike with a hastily drawn kunai. The metallic clang echoed through the arena, but Samui was already pressing the attack, her blade a streak of silver in the dim light. A single downward slash forced Kin onto the defensive, her movements desperate as she struggled to create space.

It was clear within moments that there was no contest in who was the better fighter.

A flicker of movement, a sudden shift in stance, and Samui's sword found its mark. The flat of her blade struck Kin's wrist, sending the kunai flying from her grasp. In the same fluid motion, Samui twisted, driving the hilt of her weapon into Kin's stomach. The Oto-nin gasped, her breath stolen before her body collapsed like a puppet without its strings.

"Winners: Samui."

"That was quick," he heard Chijo mumble between munches, showing no regard as he noisily dug into his bag of chips.

"More like anticlimactic." Ino corrected, slumping over the railing and staring down at the arena with a frown.

The next three matches weren't anything noteworthy. Yakumo defeated Lee's teammate, Ryuji, the poor guy unable to discern reality from illusion against the Kurama heir. Next was the bandaged Oto-nin Dosu versus Omoi, a more even fight with Dosu barely coming out the victor.

Last was the blonde chick on the monster's team against the Oto-nin who could literally blow wind out of his hands. Unfortunately for him, his artificial Jutsu paled in comparison to an actual wind user, something Temari took delight in proving by utterly humiliating him before using a particularly vicious gust of wind to dice the poor guy up. In the end, he was stretchered out while the Sand-nin triumphantly returned to her team.

"The next match will be a three-way between Aburame Shino versus Kyoka versus Gaara."

"I forfeit."

All heads turned to the spoken competitor. Shino had his hand held up, no one able to discern his face behind his high collar and dark glasses. Those who hadn't seen the redhead in action were understandably confused by his readiness to surrender before the fight had even started. And those who had?

They did not question it.

Hayate nodded, raising his arm. "As Aburame has forfeited, that leaves Gaara and Kyoka."

Gaara was already in the area while Kyoka was getting a pep talk from her teammates. Soon, she found her way to the arena, standing across from the Suna monster with confidence Shikamaru didn't think she should be having. Something stopped him in the forest from killing Kiba, but he wouldn't fool himself into believing it would happen a second time.

Across from her, the redheaded Suna-nin stood still, arms crossed, face blank. The gourd on his back shifted slightly as if alive, grains of sand already beginning to spill from its opening.

Hayate coughed into his fist, then raised his hand. "Begin."

Silence.

For a moment, neither of them moved. Kyoka shifted into a stance, her muscles taut with anticipation. The sand around Gaara's gourd shifted, slithering down as if it were alive, pooling at his feet.

Then she moved.

Kyoka dashed forward in a blur, closing the distance fast. A kunai flicked into her hand, glinting under the arena lights. Just as she got within striking range, she twisted her body mid-step, pivoting to the side in an attempt to catch Gaara from his blind spot.

The sand moved faster.

A thick wall of grains shot up between them, intercepting her strike effortlessly. The impact barely made a dent. Kyoka's eyes widened. She leapt back just as a tendril of sand lashed out toward her like a whip, slicing through the air with deadly precision.

She landed a few feet away, her brow furrowed in concentration. She flicked a second kunai into her other hand and launched into a series of feints, probing Gaara's defenses for a weakness. But no matter how many times she tried, the sand was always there, a barrier too thick to break.

"This is bad. She's got speed, but that defense of his..." Shikamaru trailed off, recalling the brutal way Gaara had handled Team 8.

"How the hell do you even go up against something like that?" Ino muttered, gripping the railing. "If he goes on the attack..." She trailed off, neither of her teammates continuing that line of thought.

Back in the arena, Kyoka took a deep breath and shifted her stance. If a direct attack wouldn't work, she'd have to change tactics. Her fingers blurred through a series of hand seals.

"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"

A sudden burst of wind shot forward, stirring up dust and debris from the arena floor, momentarily obscuring Gaara's vision. The sand around him twitched, reacting to the disturbance. Taking advantage of the brief opening, Kyoka circled around, flanking him from the right.

She struck, her kunai aimed at his unprotected side—only for another wall of sand to rise instantly, blocking her once more.

Then, the sand retaliated.

It surged forward in a wave, faster than before. Kyoka barely had time to react, flipping backward as tendrils of sand lashed out like whips, aiming for her legs. She twisted in midair, managing to avoid the first few strikes—until one caught her ankle.

Her eyes widened.

The sand coiled around her leg, and before she could do anything-

SNAP

Her scream cut through the arena like a blade, raw and filled with pain. The sickening crunch of bone echoed as the sand twisted her ankle at an unnatural angle.

She barely had time to process it before the sand surged again, wrapping around her other leg, her arms, creeping up to her torso. The grip was unrelenting, suffocating.

On the observation platform, Shikamaru inhaled sharply.

"Kyoka!" Lee shouted, stepping forward like he might jump in.

Down in the arena, Hayate took a step forward, seemingly ready to stop the match.

Meanwhile, Gaara looked impassively at the girl in his sand. It was completely up to him whether or not she died, and it would be so easy.

Only, he did not seem to go for the kill.

In a repeat of what happened in the forest, sand covered her mouth and nose as it began to effectively suffocate her. It took a full minute for Kyoka to go limp. When she did, the sand placed her back down to the ground, dare any of them believe it, almost gently before returning to the redhead's gourd. His gaze lingered on the body for a moment before his attention went to the observation platform.

Shikamaru's heart nearly stopped as his green eyes landed on him briefly before turning towards...

He followed the Sand-nin's gaze towards the Hokage, then stopped on...Naruto? Something unreadable passed between them, maybe a message that the Nara didn't have enough context to decipher.

Hayate took the moment to officially call the match, and the arena was filled with medical-nin once again as they stretchered out the unconscious girl, her teammates following while Gaara walked back to his side.

A relieved breath from all three members of Ino-Shika-Cho. That was one monster out of the equation. That only left one, and neither of them had yet to be called.

"Next match: Nara Shikamaru versus Fū."

"YES!"

Damn...

Shikamaru stood in the arena, hands in his pockets and looking as if he'd rather be anywhere but here—which wasn't very far from the truth. The only reason he hadn't forfeited like Shino was due to Ino's not-so-subtle threat of informing his mother, a threat that held weight once he factored in his mother's occasional trips to the Yamanaka Flower Shop.

Across from him, his opponent stood with glee, bouncing on her feet and ready to deliver the promise she gave during the first exam.

"Finally," she exclaimed, pumping a fist into the air. "This is gonna be awesome! I'm totally going to kick your ass! And everyone's gonna see how badass I am!"

'Why are all the girls around here so violent?' Was Shikamaru's passing thought as Hayate lifted his arm. Fū immediately dropped into a stance, seemingly ready to leap forward at any moment.

Shikamaru sighed, rolling his shoulders before lifting his hands slightly. "Troublesome…" he muttered under his breath.

Hayate's hand came down.

"Begin!"

The moment the word left Hayate's mouth, Fū was already in motion. A blur of green and white shot forward, her excitement fueling her speed. Shikamaru tensed, his hands forming a quick Rat seal as his shadow came to life. Tendrils of darkness shot from his shadow and at the incoming bullet, forcing her to change trajectory mischarge and leap out of the way.

Fū twisted mid-air away from a particular tendril that sought to either catch her or run her through, flipping gracefully before landing a few feet away, her grin never faltering.

"Whoa, close one!" she laughed, bouncing on her toes. "This is the first time I've seen a freaky Jutsu like that! Wanna share the secret?"

Shikamaru's shadow wrythed in response.

Fū took off again, zigzagging unpredictably to throw off his aim. Shikamaru's shadow darted toward her, but every time it got close, she flipped, spun, or twisted out of its reach. She was fast—too fast for him to catch without a strategy.

He reached into his pouch and flung a handful of kunai at her. Fū barely spared them a glance, dodging with a graceful spin—only for several to explode mid-air in a sudden burst of smoke, creating a smog of black smoke. Immediately, his shadows shot into the smoke where he suspected the Taki girl to be.

The last thing he expected was for her to suddenly fly out of it from above. From closer inspection, wings were flapping from behind her, creating a gust of powerful wind that began blowing away the smoke.

She dove right at him moments later, somehow just as fast as when she was on the ground.

Shikamaru dodged, and for good reason too. The area he had been in was completely obliterated by the sheer force of her impact, sending debris flying. Forget about broken ribs, he'd be lucky if he was even alive if that made contact!

His mind raced as he scrambled back, barely managing to avoid the follow-up punches that made the air whistle past his ears. Creating distance, his hands came into the Rat seal once more, tendrils of shadow once again lashing out at the airborne girl whose unpredictable patterns and aerial advantage made her a difficult target. At the rate things were going, he'd be out of chakra in no time.

Dropping his Jutsu, he reached into his pocket and procured a smoke bomb, throwing it to the ground just in time to block Fū's vision and throw her punch off by inches. He took this opportunity to leap to his left before bringing his hand into his Jutsu's seal once more. His shadow stretched, but unlike before, it remained grounded, slinking along the surface towards the awaiting greenette. Whether she was waiting for the shadow to attack or was just cocky enough to think she could take it head-on, Fū did not move.

It was a costly mistake.

The shadow connected with hers, and her body immediately seized up. A smirk replaced Shikamaru's lazy expression as he straightened up, forcing Fū into the same movement.

"Gotcha," he drawled, exhaling in relief.

Fū's eyes widened as she struggled against the invisible force binding her. "H-Hey! The hell is this! No fair! Lemme go!"

"To be honest I didn't expect you to just sit there and let me tag you. Guess I should thank you for being cocky."

Fū gritted her teeth at the comment, forced to mimic the Nara's every move. He reached into his ninja pouch and procured a shuriken, her arm following his movements.

"Th-the hell is this! You're just gonna hit yourself, dumbass!"

Shikamaru twirled the shuriken between his fingers, his smirk never fading. "You talk too much," he muttered, watching as Fū's hand mimicked his movements.

Then, without warning, he hurled the shuriken. Fū's eyes widened in shock as the shuriken sailed toward her. She tried to jerk her body away, but Shikamaru's control over her was absolute. All she could do was watch as the shuriken came closer. Just as it was about to go between her eyes, Shikamaru leaned back to dodge, and she did the same, doing nothing to stop the motion.

Unlike the Nara, she was only able to go halfway before something hard hit the back of her head and her world went dark.

"And that's the problem with you hothead types. Always single-minded and never paying attention to your surroundings." Shikamaru belittled as he flipped back to his feet, satisfaction filling him upon seeing the Taki girl on her back. He was prepared to go on, explaining to her unconscious form the importance of knowing your surroundings in a fight.

"Fuck!"

Watching her hands suddenly shoot to the back of her head while she rolled on the ground cursing up a storm was an outcome he hadn't exactly expected.

"Shit that hurts!" She roared, sitting up to glare over at her opponent—tears in her eyes and bloody murder painted on her face. "You ass! When I get my hands on you, I'm gonna-"

Her words were cut off as her body stiffened once again, the Nara refusing to let her recuperate. A normal girl would have been knocked unconscious from the blunt force trauma sustained to the back of their head. Unfortunately, he should have known better. Hardheaded people typically had, well, hard heads.

He gritted his teeth, a new plan already surfacing to possibly end the fight before the monster could get her hands on him. Standing her up once more, he reached for his pouch but felt resistance. Gritting his teeth, he tried forcing his hand to move but was met with an equal, if not greater force stopping him.

On the other side of the arena, Fū had her teeth grit and a vein bulging on her forehead as she fought against the binding power of Shikamaru's shadow.

With a grunt, he attempted to reinforce his hold, pouring more chakra into his technique. Fū responded in kind, her own chakra flaring as she fought against him, eyes narrowing in concentration.

"Come on, come on," he muttered, feeling the strain of their tug-of-war. He was surprised at how well she was holding up, but it only fueled his determination to end this quickly.

"Let. Me. Go!" She gritted through clenched teeth, yet

Just as he thought he had a solid grip on her, the air changed. Killing intent began pouring from the girl, filling the room and making everyone in the vicinity tense.

Shikamaru felt a shiver run down his spine as the atmosphere shifted around them. It was as if a thick fog of rage had enveloped the Taki-nin. Her eyes flashed red momentarily with a fiery intensity as red chakra began to lash out at her surroundings. He felt her chakra surging, an undeniable force that pushed against his own, testing the limits of his control until-

SNAP

His control of his jutsu was shattered like glass, the recoil sending a sharp pain through his body. Shikamaru stumbled back, breathing heavily as he clutched his arm.

Fū let out a breathless chuckle, rolling her shoulders and shaking out her limbs, now completely free. "Phew! That was annoying!" she exclaimed, stretching her arms above her head. "That shadow trick was bullshit, but you're gonna need more than that if you wanna keep me down!"

Well damn.

Fū turned to face him fully, her grin now sharper, more predatory. "If that's all you got, then I feel sorry for what I'm about to do to you!"

Fū flew forward, wings beating and a fist cocked back. The Nara raised a hand, but it would be too late—far too late to stop her from caging his face in with her fists.

She had already made it halfway, and he still hadn't summoned those shadows. She was a fourth of the way there now, and he was closely within range. Her fist was reeled back, and she could already feel the moment her fist crashed into his-

"I give up!"

Her fist stopped mere inches from Shikamaru's face, the sheer force behind it sending a gust of wind past his cheek. Her eyes widened, caught completely off guard by his words.

"W-Wha," she mumbled, her face the personification of stupification.

Shikamaru sighed, raising both hands in surrender. "I give up," he repeated, voice completely devoid of emotion. "There's no point in continuing. I'm still low on chakra, and you're just getting started. Fighting you any longer would be… troublesome."

The entire stadium erupted in murmurs. Some were confused, others irritated—especially Ino, who was already yelling something about him being a coward. Choji, on the other hand, just sighed knowingly, while Asuma smirked, shaking his head.

"Y-you can't do that!" Fū blurted, her finger pointed indignantly at the Nara. "You can't do that! Not when I was just getting warmed up! You just can't! Proctor! Tell him he can't!" She turned pleadingly to Hayate, who stared blankly back.

"Nara Shikamaru has forfeited. The winner is Fū."

Choked gasps left Fū's throat as her arms dropped to her sides, her stupification soon twisting in sheer frustration. "That is such BULLSHIT!" she hollered, stomping her foot on the ground. "You can't just give up like that! We were having fun!"

Shikamaru shoved his hands back into his pockets, rolling his shoulders as he turned away. "Maybe you were having fun," he muttered. "I was just trying not to die."

Fū's face turned red—not with embarrassment, but with the overwhelming need to punch something—preferably him.

Not willing to let things go, she reached out and took hold of the Nara's jacket, pulling him close till they were eye to eye. Fury was painted on her face, her pupilless orange orbs intense, her lips were quivering...wait. Were those tears?

"N-next time," her words came out choked, as if she was trying to hold back a sob. "Next time, y-you better not dare quit halfway. You hear me? I wanna kick your ass fair and square!"

Shikamaru didn't know what was more concerning.

The fact that he has unintentionally gained a rival, or the poor sap that had to deal with this battle junky for the rest of his life.

...This was a terrible time to sneeze.

A/N: Back from my short break! Wish vacation was longer, but unfortunately I have to get back to adulting...

Nothing much to say on this chapter. Yes, the fights were short but that's by design. We'd be 20k words in if I wrote all of them and I don't think you guys will care for fights that isn't Naruto kicking ass. Good news is that after next chapter, Edelgard will be featured, including a bit of romance elements so stay toned!

Random question, is anyone else getting reviews and PMs from artist? Been getting those a lot lately at one time and can't tell if they are AI or a scam :/

As always, thanks for the reviews, follows, favs, and have a DAMN good day!