Author's Note: Welcome back, everyone! As this is my first story I welcome constructive criticisms, flaming and trolling will be ignored.

Disclaimer: Naruto and Inuyasha belong to their respective owners.

Dialogue Legend:

"Unforgivable" – Normal dialogue

'Unforgivable' – character's thoughts/speaking to Inner Demon/Inner Spirit

"Unforgivable" – Jutsu name

'Unforgivable' – Inner Demon/Inner Spirit/Supernatural Being speaking

Review Corner:

God of Wind 200: Agreed 100% that Naruto needs to learn that lesson, but Anko's death would have been a far less impactful circumstance for him to learn it than what I have in mind down the road.

Borello: While those ideas are interesting, I have no intention of incorporating Youkai that originated from creepypastas and/or urban legends into this fanfic. My knowledge of stories like that is extremely limited and looking into the subject is not feasible; this story is research-intensive enough as it is.

Chapter 17 – Preliminaries: Part 1

Hokage Tower

"You encountered Orochimaru after realizing that an illegal Iwa team had infiltrated the Chuunin Exams? Anko-san, how are you still alive?" Jiraiya's presence had been requested for Anko's debriefing once Hiruzen learned of Orochimaru's involvement. The Toad Sage knew that Orochimaru wouldn't hesitate for an instant while killing his former apprentice.

"Naruto-kun saved me; with some help from his ancestor's memories - courtesy of his Youkai sword - he remade me into a Youkai." Anko answered the Sannin.

"A Youkai?" Hiruzen suppressed the urge to gulp. Though he knew Anko's loyalty was above reproach, it was disconcerting to hear that she was no longer human.

"Yup; let me show you!" Anko closed her eyes in concentration, and her Youki core hummed to life. She retained her humanoid build, but violet snake scales covered the top layer of her skin. Her tongue became forked, and her light-brown, pupil-less eyes shifted to royal purple and gained golden slit pupils. "You like? I can also turn into a giant snake, haven't tried that yet." Venom from Anko's new fangs dripped onto the floor. "Sorry about that; my new instincts treat most humans as food." Anko focused on not eating her superiors, and the venom stopped leaking from her fangs.

"And this transformation has no effects on your psyche aside from the instincts you just mentioned?" Hiruzen waved for one of his Anbu guards to carefully wipe the venom off the floor.

"That's right, sir, I'm still me!" Anko shifted out of her Youkai form. "Now, what actions are we going to take regarding Orochimaru?"

"At the moment, there's little we can do beyond maintaining constant vigilance." Hiruzen sighed. "My former student almost certainly has, at least, one hideout within Konoha's walls that has evaded detection. With Chuunin Exams still in progress, we cannot search the village without alerting the other nations, and delaying or canceling the Exams risks destroying the fragile peace we've managed to cultivate after so many years of conflict."

"Iwa's already destroyed it, Hiruzen-sensei." Jiraiya rebuked. "That illegal team was a blatant violation of the treaties between our nations, and the eight legal Genin teams went out of their way to attack only Naruto. We must assume that they know he is a Jinchuriki; they've declared war, and I would lead a Konoha hit squad to the Tsuchikage's manor right now if not for Orochimaru!"

"Onoki's actions will not go unpunished," Hiruzen promised, "but the timing of Orochimaru's return implies that our alliances are not as secure as they seem. For all his power and forbidden knowledge, my former student is not capable of destroying Konoha on his own. Your spies have indicated that the newly-christened Otogakure was founded by him, but a brand-new Shinobi village has no chance of conquering a long-established one without assistance. Only once Orochimaru's ambitions are halted, and we are sure of whom Konoha can count as friends, may we turn our eyes to Iwa. Anko-san, return to the Forest of Death. The second Exam is still over three days from completion, and your subordinates should know that you are well."

"Yessir!" Anko Shunshined out of Hiruzen's office.

Konoha – Orochimaru's Hideout

"Orochimaru-sama, have you recovered?" Kabuto's concern was evident on his face, a rare departure from his typical mask. His team for the Chuunin Exams was the second to finish, having entered the tower just one hour after the team from Suna. Minutes after being shown to the room allotted to him until the five-day time limit ran its course, Kabuto had been telepathically ordered to his master's side and discovered that the Snake Sannin was in extreme pain. The cause was shocking; a backlash from having two Cursed Seals forcibly purged. It should not have been possible, especially since both were Cursed Seals of Heaven – the strongest variant of the Cursed Seal – but the evidence was undeniable.

"Not entirely, but it's nothing some rest can't resolve." Orochimaru grimaced. "The snake summons Anko so generously scattered throughout the Forest of Death say that this year's batch of Genin is rather talented. Enough should pass the Second Exam to necessitate a preliminary round for the Third Exam. The one-month grace period between the Preliminaries and the Finals will be ample time for me to fully recover. What concerns me is how Anko managed to purge her seal. As infuriating as it is, I can understand Sasuke-kun's case; no doubt Danzo placed a countermeasure on the boy to ensure I couldn't manipulate him. A momentary setback, to be sure, but how did that worthless apprentice of mine escape her fate? Something is amiss; there is a power in Konoha that is unknown to me. If Danzo knew of its existence, then his knowledge of the subject died with Root!"

"And with the Yondaime Kazekage already dead at your hands, it is too late to abandon our invasion." Kabuto lamented. "With this unknown factor in the works, how are we to proceed?"

"By deploying Experiment 9-X!" Orochimaru answered. Kabuto nearly fell in shock.

"Orochimaru-sama, that subject is nearly uncontrollable! Please reconsider; if we dispel the seals suppressing its power then we may never be able to reapply them!"

"It matters not," Orochimaru countered, "the beast is not capable of defeating me, but its presence all but guarantees this invasion's success!" The Snake Sannin's eyes gleamed with bloodlust. "Return to your team, but quit the Third Exam when the offer is made. Your presence is needed to ensure the seamless delivery of Experiment 9-X."

"As you command, Orochimaru-sama. What of Yoroi-san and Misumi-san?" Kabuto inquired.

"They may proceed to the Preliminaries. If they survive, they shall be granted the honor of becoming sacrifices for Sarutobi-sensei's 'reunion'. If not, then the test subjects shall be utilized instead." Orochimaru turned his gaze upwards, salivating at the carnage he would soon unleash.

Forest of Death – Central Tower, 2 days before the deadline

"Anko-san, how are doing?" Naruto beamed with relief at seeing the torture specialist alive and well. Of course, he knew she was fine from his Kage Bushin's memories, but it wasn't the same.

"Never better, Naruto-kun!" Anko rubbed her neck where the Cursed Seal used to be. "From now on, drop the '-san'. Bringing me back from the brink of death puts you firmly in best-friend-ever territory as far as I'm concerned."

"If you say so, Anko-chan." Naruto couldn't stop a shit-eating grin from spreading across his face.

"Cheeky brat! Ah, hell, I'll allow it! Come here!" Anko swept Naruto into a bear hug. "When the next Exam is over, you and I going to start having those conversations we agreed to that night back in the mansion. Rest up while you can, things are about to get wild!" As Anko left the room that had been allotted to Team 7, Naruto barely had time to catch his breath before feeling Hinata stare into his soul.

"Naruto, dear fiance, ANSWERS, NOW!"

Start of the Preliminaries

'So Orochimaru's errand boy has bailed out, huh? Good riddance, but whatever he's doing for the snake-teme can't be good!' Naruto glared at Kabuto's retreating back as he left the Central Tower after Hayate Gekko – proctor for the Third Exam – explained that anyone who did not wish to continue after learning the true purpose of the Chuunin Exams could leave without consequence. The gray-haired Genin's scent was nearly identical to Orochimaru's. With a herculean effort, Naruto turned his thoughts towards his competition for the Preliminaries. Of the twenty-six teams that had passed the First Exam, only seven had passed the second. Aside from Konoha's four teams, Kabuto's team, and the team from Suna, a team from Kiri had also made it to the Central Tower before the time limit was up.

'I'm not worried about Team 10 or Team 8; Shino is the biggest threat in that bunch and I can move faster than his bugs can crawl or fly now. But Lee has Neji and Tenten on his team; all three of them are going to be problems and the Suna team is almost certainly led by a Jinchuriki. If all that weren't enough, there's no way Kabuto's teammates aren't also spies for Orochimaru. Plus, something about those three Kiri kunoichi set my teeth on edge.'

"Since no one else has elected to quit the Third Exam, the Preliminaries will begin immediately. The computer behind me – " Hayate gestured toward the large screen taking up most of the arena's back wall " – will randomly select the combatants for each round." For roughly five seconds, the names of all twenty Genin still taking the Third Exam flashed on and off the screen while the computer made its decision.

"Preliminary Round 1: Sasuke Uchiha vs. Yoroi Akado, both of Konoha! Everyone else, go to the upper galleries." Hayate ordered.

"Kakashi-sensei, I'm sorry to say that Sasuke will need to redo the tree-climbing exercise once we're done here." Naruto whispered to his commanding officer.

"Oh, and why is that?" Kakashi raised the brow of his good eye.

"We ran into Orochimaru in the forest, and he put some sort of seal on Sasuke's neck. I had to change him into a Hanyou to get rid of it, so Sasuke's Chakra is now imbued with Youki. It's much stronger than it used to be but it's also more volatile, more chaotic."

"At least he knows how to use the Kage Bushin no Jutsu. That will accelerate how quickly he regains his former level of control." Kakashi sighed. "Thank you for ridding Sasuke of that seal, Naruto-kun. Sasuke being a Hanyou is far more preferable to the influence Orochimaru would have been able to exert over him." With their conversation now complete, Kakashi and Naruto turned to observe the match.

"Combatants, begin!" Hayate commanded.

"Shall I start?" Yoroi inquired

"By all means!" Sasuke smirked.

"You're too kind!" Yoroi's right hand glowed with Chakra while he launched a volley of shuriken at Sasuke with his left. Sasuke deflected them with his kunai and barely dodged Yoroi's follow-up strike.

'Grr, fighting like this is a pain!' Sasuke mentally moaned. While waiting for the Third Exam to start, Team 7 decided to low-ball Sasuke's physical abilities. Hinata had even gone so far as to strike several Tenketsu in his limbs to induce temporary muscle weakness. Since he had just become a Hanyou, Sasuke was having difficulty controlling his movements. His newfound superhuman strength and speed would take time to get used to. Rather than having him struggle with it during the exam, Naruto and Hinata thought it would be better if his body was crippled enough to limit the force his limbs could exert.

Sasuke agreed with the concept, but Hinata had done her work too well. His movements were currently lowered well below the level he was capable of before his conversion to a Hanyou. At best, he was at half his former strength and speed. Ninjutsu was also off the table since his Chakra control was shot. With these handicaps, Sasuke barely managed to keep up with his opponent. Yoroi grabbed the last Uchiha's chest and maintained his grip for several seconds before Sasuke succeeded in shaking him off.

"Heh, guess the mighty Uchiha clan isn't all they were cracked up to be. Or, are you just a particularly weak specimen?" Yoroi gloated.

"Easy to say when you're stealing my Chakra." Sasuke retorted.

"Noticed, did you? Well, no matter! You could barely keep up with me before I took some, now you have no chance." Yoroi charged at Sasuke again.

"You're right, but you're overlooking one very important thing." Sasuke stretched out his arms.

"And what's that?" Yoroi grabbed the offered arms, and Sasuke grabbed back.

"These days, my Chakra is rather spicy!" Sasuke's Chakra-Youki surged into Yoroi's Chakra Network.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH" Twenty seconds later, the enormous amount of demonic Chakra Yoroi had stolen burned his Chakra Network to cinders, taking most of his body with it.

"Like I said, spicy." Sasuke spat at the now-ashen remains of his opponent.

"Winner by lawful death: Sasuke Uchiha!" Hayate declared. Sasuke limped up the stairs to the upper gallery while the spectators of the match got over their shock.

'What was that Chakra? What it even Chakra at all?' Neji hadn't deemed it necessary to watch the fight with his Byakugan active until Yoroi started screaming. By then, most of the damage had already been done and Sasuke's Chakra-Youki was dissipating harmlessly into the surrounding atmosphere. What little of it Neji could see reminded him of the Kumo Genin he had encountered in the Forest of Death.

"You weren't kidding when you said his Chakra's more volatile now." Kakashi whispered to Naruto. "Did you know it would be like this before turning him into a Hanyou?"

"I suspected, yes, but just how chaotic it would get in comparison to human Chakra depended on which type of Hanyou he became. That was determined during the conversion process." Naruto whispered back. Before Kakashi could inquire further, the computer began its selection process again.

"Preliminary Round 2: Choji Akimichi of Konoha vs. Tetsuisshi Umino of Kiri!"

"Yahoo! Let's do this! Remember your promise, Asuma-sensei!" Choji all but skipped down the stairs.

"Of course: my treat to an all-you-can-eat buffet if you win!" Asuma answered with a smile. 'Hard to believe now that you were only using your clan's most rudimentary Jutsu before you graduated. Win or lose, I know you'll make me proud today Choji!'

In contrast to Choji's fanfare, Tetsuisshi descended the stairs in silence.

"Choji's got his work cut out for him." Naruto said to Shikamaru.

"You noticed as well, huh? That girl has 'troublesome' written all over her; for that matter, so do her two teammates." Shikamaru agreed. The three Kiri Genin wore a combat uniform consisting of navy blue pants with matching shirts and black combat boots. Curiously, they did not wear Shinobi pouches.

Tetsuisshi was extremely lithe, and not an ounce of superfluous movement was seen during her descent into the arena. Her black hair barely reached her shoulders, and her cerulean-blue eyes almost glowed with determination. She reminded Naruto and Shikamaru of several apex predators, animals that embodied the perfect economy of movement.

"Combatants, begin!"

"Before we start, I would like to say that I'm envious of your mass." Tetsuisshi said.

'Uh-oh' Shikamaru cringed.

"Are you calling me fat?!" Choji yelled.

"As a compliment, yes. I have been graced with an exceptionally high metabolic rate. Therefore, I cannot gain excessive weight regardless of how many lipids I consume. While this is ideal for our profession, my high metabolism makes frequent meals a necessity. It is irritating at the best of times, and a liability at the worst of times." Tetsuisshi sighed.

'Fat is a compliment?' Choji was flabbergasted. His clan weaponized their metabolism for their signature Jutsu, so he could sympathize with Tetsuisshi's plight of never feeling full, but he had never considered what it would be like to have a body that was incapable of storing fat. "W-well, maybe you're just not eating the right foods to get fat. After I beat you, I'd be happy to recommend some."

Ino's jaw hit the floor. Choji, using his taboo word? Would the sun not rise tomorrow?

"I accept your offer," Tetsuisshi lightly bowed, "but it is you who will lose this day!" The Kiri Shinobi launched several kunai at Choji.

"That won't work! Bubun Baika no Jutsu!" (Partial Multi-Size Technique) Choji's right arm expanded to nearly five times its normal size. He swung his enlarged limb with enough force to displace the air around him, causing Tetsuisshi's kunai to miss. He then rushed at the fifteen-year-old girl, who promptly dodged his punches with the grace of a cheetah. "You're fast, but let's see you keep up with this! Baika no Jutsu! Nikudan Sensha!" (Multi-Size Technique; Human Bullet Tank) Choji's entire body bloated to the size of a boulder, and he rolled in place for two seconds before launching himself at Tetsuisshi with a speed incomparable to before. The young woman channeled Chakra into her legs and managed to stay a few steps ahead, but she knew her efforts were not sustainable.

'How does he keep track of his opponent's movements while in that state? Perhaps by Yang Release?' Tetsuisshi hypothesized while wall-running to avoid Choji.

"YOU'RE NOT SAFE FROM ME UP THERE!" Choji stopped for a moment to rev up his speed, which turned out to be a dire mistake.

"Suiton: Yumiya no Jutsu!" (Water Release: Bow and Arrow Technique) One hundred arrows composed of Suiton Chakra materialized in front of Tetsuisshi. Choji realized his error just in time to avoid the majority of the lethal constructs, but eight of them found their mark. Choji's speed lowered the piercing force of the arrows, but the injuries he sustained were enough to dispel his Jutsu.

"Darn, that hurts!" Choji inspected himself while Tetsuisshi leaped back to the floor.

"Surrender. You are powerful, but I can evade your technique and you lack the durability needed to survive my arrows. I have no desire to kill you." Another torrent of arrows swarmed around her, ready to fire.

"Aw, that's nice of you to worry about me during a test like this, but I can't go down without giving it my all!" Choji began weaving a series of hand seals.

"Your blood is on your own hands!" Tetsuisshi launched her aquatic arrows.

"Katon: Enetsu Suika!" (Fire Release: Caloric Heat Wave) The air around Choji shimmered as if it were in a summer haze, and Tetsuisshi's arrows evaporated mere inches from the Akimchi heir's skin.

"Impossible! We are both Genin; whatever gap in prowess exists between us should not be sufficient for your Katon technique to best my Suiton Jutsu!" Tetsuisshi's calm demeanor was broken for the first time since the fight had begun.

"You're right, but it's not just my Jutsu your water arrows were fighting against. The air around me is superheated, so they had to get through that before they could interact with the Katon Chakra itself. By the time they made contact, they had lost too much power! Baika no Jutsu! Nikudan Sensha!" Choji reassumed his boulder state, but his earlier Jutsu was still in effect. As he revved to enhance his launching speed, the floor beneath him melted.

"Mizu Bushin no Jutsu!" (Water Clone Technique) Tetsuisshi leaped into the air as she cast her Jutsu. The three water clones she created threw her toward the ceiling. Twisting in midair, landed on the ceiling and flashed through a series of hand seals. "Suiton: Yumiya no Jutsu!" Unlike before, no arrows were created; instead, a watery bow was formed in Tetsuisshi's hands.

"I TOLD YOU BEFORE, YOU'RE NOT SAFE UP THERE!" Choji's revving redoubled its intensity, and the air around him ignited.

"And you are not safe from me anywhere in this room!" Tetsuisshi drew the "string" of her aquatic bow, and three arrows composed of highly condensed Suiton Chakra formed between her fingers. As Choji erupted toward the ceiling with enough speed to break the sound barrier, Tetsuisshi released her arrows. They collided with Choji halfway between the floor and the ceiling. The arrows, having also achieved supersonic speeds, were more than capable of dispersing the superheated air that foiled their weaker counterparts and pierced Choji in both shoulders and his left calf. The arrows formed a huge puddle on the floor after exiting Choji's body.

"Suiton: Daikanketsusen!" (Water Release: Great Geyser) The puddle surged into a pillar of water that intercepted Choji's fall, slowing his descent to the ground. Once he was safely on the floor, Tetsuisshi flicked her wrist and the water filling Choji's lungs poured itself out of his trachea. She then jumped into the water pillar herself, dispelling her Jutsu after she made her landing.

"I intended to save that application of my Jutsu for the final portion of this Exam." Tetsuisshi's bow vanished. "You are formidable, Choji Akimichi, to necessitate its use here. I welcome our future conversations regarding my metabolism." Choji, unable to move three of his limbs and still catching his breath, could only cough in response.

"Winner by incapacitating her opponent: Tetsuisshi Umino!" Hayate declared.

"You did great, Choji. Against a different opponent, you likely would have won." Asuma smiled sadly as he picked Choji up and headed to the infirmary.

"Thanks, Sensei; can I still get that reward? It would be good starting point for what Tetsuisshi wants to know." Choji's eyes were closing despite his best efforts.

"Sure." Asuma gave in.

"Great, Enetsu Suika really thins me out. I need to rebuild my reserves." Choji's eyes closed fully.

"Sometimes, I hate being right!" Naruto slammed the gallery railing with his fist.

"Yeah, same here." Shikamaru looked towards the hallway leading to the infirmary.

'Such incredible force behind those last three arrows, I'm glad I didn't have to fight her!' Temari gulped.

'Such a youthful display of fire and water! Fights like this make me jealous of those that can use Ninjutsu.' Lee sighed.

'Is this real life? Did Choji of all people just get a date in the middle of a battle?' Ino's jaw sunk through the upper gallery and hit the first floor of the arena.

"Preliminary Round 3: Kankuro of Suna vs. Misumi Tsurugi of Konoha!"

"Finally, it's my turn!" Kankuro cheered as he descended the stairs. His opponent remained silent.

"Combatants, begin!"

"Brat, you should forfeit now. I won't underestimate you like Yoroi did with Sasuke!" Misumi's eyes narrowed.

"Why bother? You'll be dead in less time than it would take for me to say 'I give up'." Kankuro set the bandaged-wrapped bundle he carried on his back on the ground.

"You asked for it!" Misumi lunged at his opponent, and his arms stretched and twisted around Kankuro's body, trapping him in a constrictor's embrace. Moments later, the boy's neck was snapped. Before Misumi could get a single word out, "Kankuro's" skin shattered, revealing the multi-armed form of Karasu. The puppet mimicked Misumi's earlier movements with its four arms, breaking Misumi's neck. The real Kankuro unraveled the bandages he'd been concealing himself with and wrapped them back around his puppet.

"Winner by lawful death: Kankuro!" Hayate declared.

"Such an incredible skill; to manipulate a puppet for combat using Chakra strings!" Hinata had activated her Byakugan as soon as Karasu started to constrict its prey."

'Indeed, cousin; was such a combat style cultivated with the Byakugan in mind?' Neji was loathe to agree with anything his cousin said, but even he couldn't deny how effective Kankuro's technique could be against an unprepared Hyuuga.

"Preliminary Round 4: Yuusen Umino of Kiri vs. Shino Aburame of Konoha!"

"Sweet, my turn!" The sixteen-year-old kunoichi practically bounced to the first floor. Shino Shunshined into the arena.

"Begin!"

"I advise you to walk away while you can. Otherwise, you'll be hurt so severely that you will never recover." Shino observed his opponent but found nothing to indicate what her fighting style would be. 'Is her attire meant to be a distraction?' Yuusen's combat uniform clung tightly to her hourglass figure. 'No, her teammates have identical uniforms and lack the anatomy to seduce their opponents in such a blatant manner.'

"You checking me out? Awesome, I got another admirer!" Yuusen's baby-blue eyes sparkled with joy. "But, Shino-kun, ya really shouldn't say something like that to a warrior you've never met!" Yuusen flashed through a series of hand seals, and hundreds of bubbles began bursting out of her skin and swirling around her like a hurricane. "Welcome to my Bubble Show! No admission fee required!"

"An impressive display, I'll admit. However, I have a performance of my own." Hundreds of parasitic insects emerged from Shino's body while a second army of equal size swarmed behind Yuusen.

"What the hell? Bubbles vs. Bugs? When did the Chuunin Exams become a carnival?!" Kankuro gawked.

"You're one to talk, Puppet-man!" Naruto rebuked.

"Shut up!" Kankuro growled.

The two swarms assaulted Yuusen, who didn't even try to move. "Snap, crackle, POP!" The Kiri kunoichi flung her hands out to either side. Her bubble-hurricane expanded to meet Shino's swarms and exploded. Each popped bubble took at least a dozen of Shino's insects with it. The Aburame heir withdrew the remnants of his swarms before they were completely decimated.

"Now that we've been properly introduced as warriors, I'll borrow your line from earlier: give up now, or else my Bubble Show will leave you in stitches!" With a single hand seal, Yuusen began reforming her bubble-hurricane. Her three back-length pigtails fluttered behind her.

"The Aburame do not surrender." Shino called forth more insects from within his body while the survivors from his original swarms regrouped. 'She's a bad match for me. Her bubbles are made from Chakra, while my insects are living beings that can only be replaced over time. I need to end this before she exterminates my entire hive!' Shino's second swarm formed several condensed "spear" formations and charged at Yuusen.

"Smart move, Shino-kun, but I've got a party trick like just like it! Bubblebeam!" Yuusen's bubble-hurricane coalesced into streams of bubbles that intercepted Shino's "spears". This exchange was much more even than the previous one, with insects and bubbles perishing at almost a one-to-one ratio. No quarter was given, and the swarm and bubblebeams savagely erased each other.

'Damn, I thought for sure I'd get through his swarm with that one! Do his insects eat Chakra or something? In that case, I'm screwed if even a handful of them get through my bubbles; gotta finish up fast!' Yuusen conjured a third bubble-hurricane.

"I consider my next technique to be a most despicable act. However, your prowess leaves me little choice." Shino summoned the entirety of his remaining insects and scattered them throughout the arena. This latest swarm cannibalized its predecessors and the residual Chakra they gained in the process caused them to glow purple with infused might.

"Bubble Shield!" Yuusen's hurricane condensed into a multi-layered barrier as she rushed at Shino. Two dozen bubbles floated just above each of her hands, more than enough to kill Shino if her gambit succeeded. Shino leaped back while his final swarm coalesced into another "spear" and flew at Yuusen. Her barrier held firm, but the force of the impact made her trip. Seizing the moment, Shino launched a trio of bomb kunai at his adversary. Yuusen leaped ahead of where they landed and continued running toward Shino, taking advantage of their detonation to catapult herself straight to Shino's position! Just as she was about to end the match, Shino's empowered insects broke through her shield and began consuming her Chakra!

"Ha-ha, your bugs are amazing, Shino-kun! My Bubble Show lost to them fair and square!" Yuusen lost consciousness and fell to the floor with a smile on her face.

"Not by much, Yuusen-san." Shino recalled his insects before they could deplete his opponent's Chakra to fatal parameters.

"Winner by knock-out: Shino Aburame!" Hayate declared.

"Incredible; I've never seen Yuusen-nee-chan's bubble barricade fail so quickly!" Tetsuisshi stared in awe at Shino.

"It's not entirely unexpected, given her opponent." Yama Umino, Jonin of Kiri, addressed his youngest daughter. "The insects used by the Aburame Clan consume Chakra as a food source. A sustained Jutsu like Yuusen's Bubble Shield is like an all-you-can-eat buffet to them. Add to it that Shino's final swarm was supercharged after eating the corpses of the first two swarms, and the final piece clicks into place. Arashi, I trust that your younger sisters' fights have proven the point I made while we traveled to Konoha?"

"They have, Otou-san," the final Kiri Genin answered. "While these Genin have not experienced the horrors of war, they are no less fierce in battle than those we have killed. If anything, they are more formidable than many of our fallen enemies."

"Exactly." Yama confirmed as the computer flashed through the remaining Genin.

"Preliminary Round 5: Tenten of Konoha vs. Temari of Suna!"

Tenten leaped from the upper gallery to the floor while Temari Shunshined into position.

"Begin!"

'I'm super psyched after watching that last battle!' Tenten smiled at her opponent. 'That said, I'm likely at a disadvantage here. Suna has the highest concentration of Fuuton specialists out of all the Elemental Nations. With the possible exception of Douton, no Nature Transformation is more suited to be used against me than Fuuton is.' Temari smirked and stepped towards Tenten, causing her to leap away.

"Trying to observe me? You lack the skill!" Temari gave Tenten a thumbs down.

"Like Yuusen-san in the last match: don't demean your opponent until you've fought them!" Tenten jumped into the air and threw several shuriken at Temari. The Suna kunoichi seemed to flicker out of sight, and Tenten's shuriken missed their mark.

'Yep, definitely a Fuuton-user!' Tenten chuckled. 'It's all or nothing then!' The weapons specialist stood two scrolls on the ground and weaved a series of hand seals. "Soushouryu!" (Twin Rising Dragons) The scrolls exploded upwards, taking the appearance of twin spiraling dragons. Tenten jumped to the apex of the scroll's flight and began unsealing and hurling dozens of small gray pellets at Temari. Before Temari could deflect them, another hand seal from Tenten saw the pellets detonate, releasing an enormous cloud of dust.

"A smokescreen? You're even more foolish than I – " Temari balked in horror as she realized just how much danger she was in. "Fuuton: Kouka Kuuki no Jutsu!" Temari weaved the hand seals as fast as she could and poured nearly all of her Chakra into her Jutsu. Milliseconds after the Suna kunoichi conjured her defense – the same wall of condensed air that Kakashi had used during the Bell Test – Tenten threw a bomb kunai into the dust cloud and detonated it with a final hand seal. She then curled herself behind a massive shield that had also been summoned from the twin scrolls.

The explosion was gigantic, and all of the Jonin observing the fight utilized their Jutsu to contain the blast, protecting the Genin from harm. The tower shook ominously for several seconds as the explosion subsided.

"What in Kami's name was THAT?!" Sakura roared.

"A dust explosion," Naruto looked bleakly at the spot where Tenten had impacted the wall. "When sufficiently oxygenated air in an enclosed space is oversaturated with fine, flammable particles, a single spark can ignite them all in an instant."

"When did you learn the science behind combustion, Naruto-kun? I couldn't have said it better myself!" Tenten emerged from behind her shield, out of breath and exhausted, but unharmed.

"Fucking hell, that bitch is insane!" Kankuro yelled. "She could have brought the whole tower down on our heads!"

Tenten held eight kunai in her hands and glared at the Temari's last known position.

"Kamaitachi no Jutsu!" (Sickle Weasel Technique) Temari's counterattack was concealed by smoke until it was too late for Tenten to evade or counter it. The onslaught of wind blades lacked the Chakra to eviscerate Tenten but they were more than sufficient to hurl her into the air. She was slammed against the wall and slumped to the ground unconscious.

"Winner by knock-out: Temari!" Hayate coughed.

Temari, coughing up blood and nursing several cracked ribs, limped to the upper gallery to rejoin her siblings.

Chapter End

5 Preliminary matches down, 5 to go! I hope everyone likes the changes I made here. It never made sense to me that most of Konoha 12 are 1 or 2-trick ponies at this point. For some of them, it makes sense: Lee can only use Taijutsu, Sakura comes from a civilian family, canon-Hinata had major confidence issues, and canon-Naruto was an idiot (especially during Part 1) and had a terrible teaching environment during his Academy years. Aside from them and Tenten, everyone else in that group is a Clan Heir/Heiress that presumably had the full support of their clan while they were training. Sasuke was taught how to use the Fireball Jutsu shortly after enrolling in the Academy and mastered it in a week. So the other Heirs/Heiresses have no excuse for not having mastered the Nature Transformation(s) that they were born with an affinity for by the time of the Chuunin Exams.

As for Tenten, it's absurd to me that she never incorporates bomb kunai into her arsenal. Fundamentally, her fighting style is identical to Deidara's without the clay. She has an affinity for Fuinjutsu, so how hard can it be for her to make her own bombs?

Thank you for reading

Katon: Enetsu Suika: Fire Release: Caloric Heat Wave (C-rank) – A Jutsu taught to Akimichi Clan members who are born with an Affinity for Katon in addition to their affinity for Yang Release. The user massively overclocks their metabolic rate, converting their stored fat into heat energy which radiates into the surrounding air from their skin. The superheated air becomes a natural defense against Suiton Jutsu. When used in conjunction with Nikudan Sensha, the speed of the user can heat the surrounding air enough to ignite it, effectively making them a homing missile.

Suiton: Daikanketsusen: Water Release: Great Geyser (C-Rank) - The user reshapes a preexisting body of water into a large water pillar meant to slow or stop someone falling to the ground. Additional Suiton Chakra may be added to increase the size of the pillar.

Suiton: Yumiya no Jutsu: Water Release: Bow and Arrow Technique (B or C-Rank) - the user forms any number of water arrows, with or without an accompanying bow. If a bow is created, the user can condense much more Suiton Chakra into their arrows than they can without using the bow. Doing so successfully makes this Jutsu a B-rank technique.