Chapter 40
"If it isn't my favorite Jonin sensei."
Kagero pulled her gaze away from the Suna-nin currently cooling the arena with Water Jutsu to glare at the incoming Konoha Jonin approaching as if he weren't currently half a continent away from his post. Her mood had already soured at his voice, but it nosedived at seeing his face (or eye).
"Why are you here, Hatake?" Kagero immediately interrogated, the slight inflection in her tone a clear sign of her annoyance.
"Same as you. I wanted to cheer on my cute little Genin."
"They are not your Genin." Kagero stated, sounding almost defensive in her statement (not that anyone could get her to admit it).
"Ma, don't be like that. I thought the 3 weeks we spent together were more than enough to solidify my spot on the team."
"Your jurisdiction does not extend to my affairs or my students'. Know your place, Hatake."
"So cold~. Keep pushing your friends away like that and no one will be there for your funeral."
Deciding not to dignify that with a response, she turned her attention back to the arena, her eyes falling on the two Genin now in the ring.
The moment the match started, the form of her student blurred as he appeared in front of his opponent.
"He's gotten faster." Came Kakashi's very much needed observation.
"Hyuga's speed and precision are his biggest strengths. I saw no reason to focus on anything else considering his opponents." Kagero stated simply. Though the almost proud way she spoke of the Genin couldn't be discerned by anyone who didn't know her, it was easily pointed out by the man beside her.
"It definitely paid off." Kakashi commented, watching the Hyuga send his opponent flying back by a palm strike that broke through his opponent's hastily built stone wall. Kakashi didn't need their Dojutsu to know the Iwa-nin's chakra system had been put into complete disarray from that one hit alone. Going from how the kid couldn't even push himself from his back, the match was over.
"He is a prodigy—one held back by the machinations of his own kin. If his temperament were better, I would have foregone these exams entirely and recommended him for ANBU."
"ANBU? At his age?"
Kagero turned to Kakashi at the remark. "You and I were younger than even he when we became ANBU."
"And it was arguably the worst decision of my life." Kakashi pointed out, his single eye never leaving Neji as he exited the arena.
"Personal feelings should never be taken into consideration when your prime directive is what usefulness you bring to your home." Kagero retorted smoothly, almost as if practiced.
"Ah, but that is where you continue to be wrong."
Conversation once again concluded, they returned back to the exam where the puppeteer and Rain-nin both prepared themselves for the proctor's arm to drop.
The Rain-nin charged first, seemingly catching the puppeteer off guard with his speed. The sword he hid under his cloak slashed up vertically, opening the puppeteer from sternum to shoulder. From there, he used the momentum to follow through with a decapitating strike. Kankuro's head was separated from his shoulders by a hairsbreadth, the puppeteer's head hitting the ground with a *thump* that was heard through the silence.
It did not last long, however.
The Jonin saw the exact moment when the Rain-nin realized the obvious missing piece to his kill—namely, the lack of blood spewing from his opponent.
Faster than he could react, his limbs were bound by arms tearing through the bodysuit of the decapitated body. They pulled him in close, restraining him completely and forcing him to drop his sword from the pressure. From behind the headless construct, the bandages moved, unraveling to reveal the Suna Genin—very much alive with chakra threads connecting his fingers to the construct.
Without delay or explanation, he yanked on the threads. In the same instances, the arms of the construct began to rotate, and the tearing of flesh reverberated along with the Rain Genin's screams. Blood splattered, painting the ground red as the arms ripped the boy apart.
It only stopped when the boy was no longer able to scream due to either falling unconscious or his untimely death. Either or, the construct released him, allowing the Genin drop onto his wounds.
"These matches are going by faster than expected." Kakashi commented between his applause for the winner. "One of yours is up next, no? The one with the cute buns?"
"Yes." Was Kagero's curt retort.
After a brief period of silence and stretching out the remains of the Rain-nin, the next two competitors appeared in the ring. Tenten, as somewhat expected, landed in the ring with a flourish, spinning multiple times mid-air and landing on her feet with her arms held up to the sky, palms open and facing the crowd.
The crowd ate it up, and for a good reason.
The last three matches were monotonous despite the violence. Not only that, but they were quick and to the point, paying no mind to the spectators. Seeing someone arrive who was clearly a crowd pleaser had to be a nice change of pace. The fact that she was a girl in a predominant male competition was a bonus despite her age.
Her opponent, Orino, was a bit more subdued. He landed and simply walked into the middle, his hands in his pockets, a katana at his waist, and his Sugegasa masking his features. It was as 'mysterious' as the word got.
"Let the match between Higurashi Tenten and Orino of Amegakure: Begin!"
Tenten didn't waste a second in creating distance by leaping back and throwing shuriken while her opponent drew his sword to effortlessly deflect the incoming projectiles.
Not willing to give him a chance to counterattack, Tenten followed up by mixing in kunai while circling her opponent, her aim precise and the depth of her pouch seemingly endless.
Orino showed excellent dexterity by deflecting what he could, but even could do so much against the storm of metal. One eventually grazed his shoulder, the wound shallow and barely bleeding, but still stung enough to drop his defenses ever so slightly. Three more kunai struck home, first grazing his left calf, then into his sword arm, and finally his gut before the Genin disappeared in a puff of smoke to be replaced with a nearby rock.
Getting the distance he desperately needed, the Rain-nin began to weave hand-signs rapidly. A moment later, he inhaled, then exhaled. A jet of water shot from his mouth, narrowly hitting the Genin as she leapt out of the way. The stream only stopped upon the girl expertly tossing a kunai at the boy who easterly hastily ducked out of the way.
Unfortunately for her opponent, it was no ordinary kunai like the many others—something the Rain-nin found out far too late.
An explosion rocked the arena, kicking up debris and sand as a cloud of smoke enveloped him. When it settled, the boy was pushing himself from the ground on the far side of the arena where the force had shot him. His Sugegasa was missing, revealing his black hair and plain face to the world. The left side of his body was charred and black, the cloth gone completely and only being held on by a thread on his other shoulder.
A kunai to the head would have killed him instantly and would have done just that had he not moved it out of the way in time. The Konoha Jonin could see it took nearly everything to simply dodge the kunai, a fact proven more true when another impacted his leg the moment he stood to his feet, sending him falling back on his face.
What proceeded afterwards was the poor bastard becoming the literal definition of a pincushion. Kunai, shuriken, senbon, anything and everything the bun-haired Genin had in her arsenal impaled her opponent. The only reason the fight was allowed to continue was due to the fact the Rain-nin, despite bleeding profusely, still had the fortitude to stand to his feet. If he hadn't fallen soon after, he was sure the fight wouldn't have stopped until the kid was dead...if he wasn't already.
"Her accuracy is something to admire." Kakashi clapped along with the spectators as the proctor announced her victory.
"I agree." Kagero surprisingly concurred. "Her mastery over shurikenjutsu and kenjutsu is far above her peers, while her fuuinjutsu is nothing to scoff. Of them all, I believe her best fit to undertake my style. Though her chakra control is average, I believe her to be capable of learning Jutsu and utilizing Ninjutsu. Unfortunately, she chooses to limit herself to only the three disciplines."
For once, Kakashi agreed with the woman. The fact that she was so talented, yet willingly chose not to pursue Genjutsu or Ninjutsu was a crime, in his opinion. However, that wasn't his call, so he didn't push the issue. She was doing just fine as she was. How long that would be was a question only she could learn from.
"I believe their Jinchuuriki is next." Kakashi looked from the Shimura to the field, seeing what she was seeing.
The youngest son of the Kazekage was now on the field, appearing in a whirlwind of sand. The arena had also gone quiet, eerily so. Most of the Sunagakure spectators began to visibly look uncomfortable, some even looking ready to bolt at the slightest twitch of his finger. The silence and anticipation in the air spoke volumes of the kid's reputation without any having to speak on it.
Gaara's opponent dropped from the competitors booth not too soon after, the latter sporting a scowl and a katana already drawn.
And before the proctor could even speak, the Rain-nin charged, his war cry echoing as he completely ignored anyone but the unmoved Genin in front of him.
The sand around Gaara seemed to react, the grains shooting towards the boy as he neared.
The Genin never flinched—never moved. His sand moved at his will, forming a shield in the shape of a dome around him that stopped the strike seeking to decapitate him.
The Rain Genin did not have time to wonder where the sand came from, nor how it was able to block his strike without the use of hand-signs. The sand suddenly shot out, engulfing the Genin completely until nothing but his head could be seen. The sand then compressed, forcing him to drop his blade and gasp for air.
"Sand Coffin," though many were unable to hear Gaara speak, the Shinobi were able to pick up the words by reading his lips. His hand was now outstretched towards the Genin floating in the air by sand, his desperate wheezing growing louder the higher he ascended. "Sand Burial!"
There wasn't even a scream as the Sand compressed, crushing the Rain-nin and silencing him forever. Blood seeped through the grains, dripping all the way down to the bottom of the makeshift coffin.
No mercy was shown, no quarter was given, and no sympathy was received.
When Gaara dropped his hand, so did the coffin, crumbling and releasing the lifeless, mangled body within and dropping it into the dirt below.
You could hear a pen drop through the silence that followed.
"So that's Suna's trump card." Kakashi commented, the silence allowing his voice to be heard more clearly by the woman next to him.
"He is a problem, both now and for the future." Kagero stated analytically, no doubt having already thought of 100 different ways to get rid of the kid before or after he became Konoha's problem.
"And you are confident in your Genin's chances?"
"...For the most part. I have my doubts with Higurashi and Hyuga. Though both are skilled, neither have the utility, nor Jutsu to challenge a Jinchuuriki. The best I could do for them is play around the rules of the exam. I give Uzumaki a chance not only because of his speed and unique style, but because he trained specifically for their encounter."
Kakashi hummed, his eye still trained on the Jinchuuriki walking towards the competitor's booth. "Then let's hope they make us proud. Would hate to return home with even one less Genin."
The comment broke Kagero's attention from the arena to stare at the Copy-nin.
"Why do I get the feeling that you wish for me to pull my Genin from the exams, Hatake?" Kagero asked, her suspicion for his presence returning full force. It did not help that he innocently turned her way, giving her that eye smile she hated.
"I have no idea what you are talking about, Kagero-hime. It is illegal to interfere in the finals, no matter your rank or affiliation... That being said, I hear it is quite common for Jonin sensei to step if their Genin are in dire straights. In fact, it is almost expected, especially in Konoha."
"It also disqualifies them from promotion, not to mention blacklisting the Jonin from future exams in that village." Kagero stated with a scowl.
"Ma, that is quite unfortunate." Kakashi sang.
It was then that Kagero calmed as she finally understood what was hidden underneath Kakashi's nonchalance. What she had been missing.
"...Is that why you're here? To manipulate me into making a choice you know I cannot refuse?" She accused.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Hime. I just wanted to see what you were willing to give to ensure our cute little Genins' future. As for why I am here, let's say to ensure the integrity of Team 4, which means making sure our Jinchuuriki makes it back to Konoha alive along with his mental fortitude. That also means his teammates are just as important as he is. It would really be disastrous to his morale if something were to happen to them, don't you agree?"
Kagero's fist tightened as she stared hatefully at the older Jonin. Eventually, she turned back to the arena, seeing no further reason to converse with the man.
Her mission was to watch over the Jinchuuriki and make sure he developed properly for his seat as Hokage. She felt she had done an excellent job of that so far. The death of a teammate would surely harden his heart, ensuring he was prepared for the inevitable in the future.
But, was that the right choice? Would the knowledge of knowing she could have stepped in at anytime to save his friend truly put him on a different path? Would he resent her? Would he resent Konoha if he found out their plans?
She didn't know. She could plan. It was what she was good at. She could be cold and calculating, which has served her well all the way to this point.
But when it came to her team...her Genin...the mission...what was best...
"Ah, going somewhere, Hime?"
Kakashi's voice did not stop Kagero as she headed towards places unknown. The plans needed to be slightly adjusted to various outcomes. One of which she had to enact immediately.
"We will now be moving on to the second round of these events! First match: Uzumaki Naruto versus Tamahagane Katsuo! Will both contestants please enter the arena!"
Katsuo did not need to be told twice as the moment he heard his name, he was leaping over the edge. Naruto joined soon after, thanking his friends for their encouragement before landing in the arena. Katsuo's scowl met Naruto's passive, the former seeking to put a hole through him with his eyes alone as they both met at the center of the arena.
Ryu stepped forward, his tone significantly less enthusiastic after witnessing the cold murder not 10 minutes prior.
"Listen, you two know the rules. It's redundant for me to tell you this, but I hold the right to step in whenever I please. Do you both understand?"
"No point in telling us that shit. Only one of us is leaving here alive." Katsuo spat, never taking his eyes off his enemy.
Ryu nodded at the response, "Have it your way, kid. Unless one of you are dies, I won't be stepping in." With that, he raised his arm before dropping it. "Let the second round of the finals: Begin!"
Naruto got into a stance immediately, expecting the brash boy to charge him right out of the gate.
He did not.
In fact, he didn't move at all.
It confused the blonde, but he remained ready.
"Hey bastard," Katsuo suddenly spoke. "Before I kill you, tell me who you really are. Right here, right now. I want everyone to hear it."
"...I'm Uzumaki Naruto." The blonde said, not as lost as he was letting on.
"You know DAMN well that's not your real name!"
A lull passed in the wake of Katsuo's outburst. The longer it stretched, the more the Iwa Genin's anger grew.
"...I am Uzumaki Naruto. No one else." The blonde reaffirmed his stance.
Good thing too, because Katsuo practically shot forward not a moment after. His arm swung, his movements fast and precise, but also very telegraphed.
Naruto ducked, dodged, weaved, and deflected every blow, the strikes whistling as they whizzed past his head. Despite how obvious they were, he did not return the strikes. He instead continued to deflect the onslaught, gauging the Iwa-nin's movements, speed, and fighting style.
Eventually, he began to notice the pattern. Katsuo's attacks were very predictable and telegraphed, and when they weren't, they were hooks and haymakers with not a single kick being thrown. When they came in combinations, they were always the same and in order, not breaking the cycle even once. It was like he had only recently learned the moves and was trying to mimic the motions in his head. It was likely due to his current mental state, or a ploy to get the blonde to lower his guard, but whatever it was, there were so many openings just begging to be exploited.
His opportunity came in the form of a jab aim at his chin, which he slipped before catching the boy's wrist. Before Katsuo could react, he used his weight and momentum to flip the boy over his shoulder, throwing him across the arena. The boy landed on his feet, showing his tenacity by immediately charging him once more with a fist raised.
He didn't make it far before he found himself skidding back on his feet. Naruto was a blur, moving too fast for him to register. A punch landed into his gut, the impact so great that the wind was knocked from his lungs. Before he could recover, another punch was delivered, this time to his face.
And another.
Then another, each attack faster and harder than the last.
By the 20th punch, Katsuo felt like his bones were cracking under the blonde's fists.
It was halfway through the beatdown that Naruto reeled back, likely seeking to send him flying with one final, powerful strike.
The fist met home, right into Katsuo's solar plexus and sending him skidding back. Unexpectedly, despite the power behind the strike, the Iwa Genin was only sent back a few feet. Besides coughing up spit and rapidly regaining his breath, Katsuo looked none the worse for wear.
As for his opponent...
Blood dripped on the dirt from the limp arm at Naruto's side.
The arm was mangled.
The flesh was torn, blood dripping from the wound and bone stinking out in multiple areas. His fingers were bent and misshapen, the blood coating the hand being the only thing blocking the full extent of the damage from the spectators.
Katsuo's grin was almost feral as he watched his greatest enemy hold his mangled limb.
"You fucked up, bastard." He laughed, standing to his full height. "Since you're gonna die soon anyway, allow me to let you in on my clan's specialty."
Before everyone's eyes, Katsuo's pale skin began to darken. First, it was a small dot on his forehead, then it spread across his face, down his neck, and throughout his arms and legs. The sun reflected off of his new form, the boy now practically glistening as he stood tall and proud.
"This," he spread his arms, presenting his new form to the world, "Is the Kekkei Genkai of the Tamahagane Clan: Steel Release! The ULTIMATE defense! Heheh, but that's not the best part."
Without preamble, Katsuo raised both arms towards his opponent, his hands in the form of a gun.
Naruto immediately jumped out of the way as multiple small projectiles shot from his opponent's fingertips. The pellets hit the ground, some lodging themselves in the dirt while the rest scattered everywhere.
Katsuo's arm was a blur as he tracked the blonde across the arena, seemingly having no limit to how many projectiles he could shoot all the while laughing hysterically as his enemy was forced into retreat.
"What's the matter? Don't tell me you're suddenly afraid of me! What happened to your cool demeanor? Stop running and let me kill you, coward!"
He shot even faster, the bullets beginning to land more frequently than before. While running, Naruto brought up his hand into a sign, producing three clones immediately into existence beside him. Each reached into their pouch with their only good hand before tossing a kunai towards their opponent.
Katsuo didn't even attempt to dodge the projectiles, opting to allow them to bounce harmlessly off his steel skin.
An explosion rocked the arena soon after, kicking up dust and debris and momentarily blinding the Iwa Genin.
On the arena wall, Naruto stopped and put a hand to his arm. With a thought, the damaged limb began to reverse the damage, his muscles and bones mending themselves back into his body along with the blood. Once fully restored, his hands came up into a sign. 10 more clones appeared around him, each spreading out across the arena with kunai in hand.
In the arena, Katsuo waved away the smoke, looking none the worse for wear as he angrily searched for his opponent.
The whistling of a kunai caught his ear, and for once, he moved out of the way. The explosion that followed covered his vision is smoke once more, forcing him to cover his eyes and mouth once more. Another whistling came, followed by another explosion that somehow caught him even in the smoke. The force of it was enough to make him stumble back, but not enough to send him flying.
When the third explosion came, he was already clear of the area, but it didn't matter when the blasted tag only added to the smoke in the arena. The explosions were deafening and blinding, like he was walking through a goddamn minefield. Thankfully, he wasn't taking any physical damage, but that wasn't truly his concern.
He wasn't taking any damage, yet without his vision, he had no opponent to fight. The obvious thing in this situation would be to leap clear of the smoke and shoot the bastard, but couldn't due to the con that was his weight in this form. The more simple solution would be to deactivate the Jutsu, but that led him open for the bastard to blow him to smithereens.
The tactic was smart, he'd give the tree-hugger that.
It was just really, really, REALLY pissing him off.
Another explosion came a bit too close to home, actually making him stumble to a knee.
"God damnit!" He growled, opening his eyes to glare aimlessly into the smoke. "You fuckin' tree-hugging BITCH! Get down here and FIGHT me-ACK!"
He regretted shouting almost immediately as smoke rushed down his throat. His lungs burned, his eyes watered, and his head began to swim as the toxic fumes began suffocating him. The explosions may not kill him, but the smoke surely would if he didn't turn things around.
Taking a page from his teammate's book, he went through hands-signs before slamming his hand to the ground. The earth beneath him rose, pushing a good portion of the land beneath him above the smoke and bombardment, giving him a clear view of the outside world. As he expected, scattered around the area walls were multiple identical copies of his opponent, their eyes all square on him and all wielding a strange double-edged sword.
Before Katsuo could raise his arm to begin shooting them down one by one, something wrapped around him from behind, confining his arms to his side and leaving him struggling against his sudden restraints. A second later, something else wrapped around him, this time wrapping itself around his legs and further hindering his mobility. A third, fourth, sixth, and tenth followed, wrapping his entire body until nothing but his head was visible.
Katsuo struggled to break free of his bindings but found the task difficult, if not downright impossible. His head shot left and right, taking in the blondes now restraining him with the same sword he thought was out of place.
"Can't move, can you?" A voice he loathed with all his being spoke from directly in front of him. Balancing himself on two of what he knew were whip swords, the tree-hugger looked down on him, his face as unreadable as it had always been. "I think it would be in your best interest if you surrendered. You won't like what comes after if you don't."
Katsuo's teeth threatened to shatter under the force of his grit, his eyes wide and wild as his face morphed into that of pure hatred. "I'd rather die than surrender to you, you damn monster!"
Naruto's head tilted at the reply as a question he'd been meaning to ask edged at the tip of his tongue, "Are you really that mad that I beat your friend? If she would have given up-"
"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT WHAT YOU DID TO THAT BITCH!" Katsuo roared, struggling harder against his bounds as he spilled a secret every Shinobi in this village needed to hear. "I knew I'd seen you somewhere before! It only dawned on me during that match, but that speed, that hair, that face, its so fucking obvious!" His voice grew more hateful, the volume growing as he revealed the final piece to the puzzle. "You're the son of that devil from the Leaf, Namikaze Minato!"
You could hear a pen drop in the silence that followed the Iwa Genin's outburst.
Hiruzen wished he had his pipe with him at this moment. He knew that Naruto's true heritage would come out in this exam, yet not even he expected it to be done so brazenly.
A glance over at Rosa showed the man's normally placid features shifted up ever so slightly in surprise. In fact, the only reason he could tell the information had phased him was due to his unusual blinking pattern.
Next to Rosa was the problem Hiruzen wished to gauge. He could see the broken remains of the chair arm still, but that was about all he could see without shifting his head
Thankfully, he didn't need to see his face. He spoke, and Hiruzen could immediately discern his mood through his voice.
"I see the Leaf is impeccable when it comes to keeping your secrets. Though really, I am more surprised the other villages had no knowledge of the Yellow Flash's child. I'm sure that muscle-brained Ay would have jumped on the opportunity to snatch him if he'd known."
"Naruto-kun's identity was no secret, per say, but we did not publicize his heritage for more reasons than one." Hiruzen said, the lack of inflection in his tone masking his inner turmoil as he prayed that Onoki took the bait.
Onoki looked back to the arena, his eyes seemingly observing the boy closer. One would not be able to match the boy's face with a glance alone due to the barely visible whisker marks and multi-colored hair, but features from the Yellow Flash were definitely there. The hair, the face, the...wait.
Onoki's eyes widened as his mind went back to the whiskers before moving to his now healed arm.
Eventually, he found his gaze on Hiruzen, his face neutral but eyes now understanding.
"You sly monkey."
The Third Hokage could only grin.
In the silence that spread through the arena, Naruto observed his captive, his thoughts more pondering than confused or upset.
If it were 5 years ago, the information would have surely rattled him. He had wanted to know who his parents were and why they had abandoned him. He had already gone through all the stages of betrayal and grief—or, at least, whatever he could feel at the time. Now, years later and with a family he could call his own, he did not really care for the information.
It didn't matter that his mother and father gave birth to him or even loved him.
It didn't matter that he was related to the Fourth Hokage.
What mattered was the people he chose as his family. The ones who chose to stick by his side and always be there for him when he needed it. The ones who made him happy and loved him for who he was and not what he was.
Those people were his world.
"...And what if I am?"
He could see the nonchalance in his tone caused his opponent pause.
"Y-you're that demon's child! The same man responsible for killing thousands of Iwagakure Shinobi! Your very existence is a strain on this earth!"
"...Are you serious?" For the first time, Naruto's tone changed. "Are you seriously upset at me for something my dead dad did, what, 15 years ago?"
"Don't you DARE make light of what that bastard did!" Katsuo grit out, memories of his past coming to the forefront of his mind. "The Tamahagane used to be Iwagakure's most powerful clan. Our people were renowned throughout the Land of Earth. People looked up to us, other clans respected us, our enemies feared us. Our name used to mean something, used to put fear in our enemies eyes whenever we stepped foot on the battlefield." He paused to glare at the blonde. "Then the Yellow Flash took that all away from us! My family, my father, my mother, dead by YOUR father's hand! Our clan of hundreds down to just a few in a single fucking battle! So yes, I hate that bastard and I curse any who called him ally! All of you deserve to burn in the lowest corner of hell for what he's done!"
His voice edited through the arena, leaving a tense, suffocating feeling in the air. No one dared to speak, feeling as though doing so would somehow validate the young man's anger.
Naruto on the other hand, felt a foreign emotion rise. It was not guilt, nor was it anger. It was not sadness nor was it indignation. It was a mix of the three, forming a poison of his own making.
"So, that's what this is about?" The change in his tone momentarily caused Katsuo's anger to quell. "You are upset at me, my village, and everyone who calls them friend for the sins of my father. Are you not ashamed of yourself?"
The rage returned at the question, his face morphing into a scowl. "ASHAMED? Ashamed of what, monster?! That your father killed my family?! That he caused me and everyone else to-"
Katsuo's head jerked to the side, shocking him for the slightest instance. The taste of iron was in his mouth, confusing him further as he glanced back up to the boy who had just kicked him across the face.
"I think this is a good time to explain your current predicament." He said as he squat down, somehow still balancing himself despite the thin thread of the whip swords. "Right now, you 50 feet in the air, bound, and at my mercy." He pointed down at the binding, "Another thing you should know is that a special seal of mine is currently running through the threads of each clone's sword, sealing your chakra. It's why my foot didn't break across your face, and why you're currently missing a few teeth."
Katsuo's jaw hung open as he looked down at his bindings. Sure enough, he couldn't summon any chakra. In fact, not a trickle of it could be felt in his body.
"You can't run, you can't fight, and the proctor won't save you. I also have 19 minutes left, so I'll use some of that time to get some things off my chest." Naruto's voice brought his attention back on him, a glare forming the instant their eyes met. "My dad killed your dad, and now your upset. That, I can understand. However-"
"You don't understand SHIT! My clan-"
*CLAP*
Katsuo stood momentarily stunned as his ears rang and his face stung once again. Slowly, his heat returned to the blonde, the boy's arm still raised from his slap.
"Don't interrupt me when I'm talking." Naruto said calmly.
Katsuo was never one to do what he was told—a fact made all the more prevalent when he opened his mouth to shout again.
The whip around his neck suddenly pulling back was the only reason air escaped instead of words. Not a moment later, his eyes shot wide before the feeling of pins and needles spread throughout his entire body. He didn't see the attack, but the electricity currently forcing his muscles to stiffen involuntarily was a clear indicator that he had been hit with some sort of lightning Jutsu—likely by one of the clones currently restraining him.
When the pain ended, he slumped in his bindings, his head lulled as his breath came out in labored pants.
"As I was saying," Naruto continued, ignoring his opponent's constant gasp for air. "You are angry because my dad killed yours, and I understand that. What I don't understand is how you, or your village, have the balls to be upset over a war your people started. A war that could have easily been avoided if not for your village's greed and hatred. People like you, those who hold grudges due to their own actions and pass them down to the next generation, you people are the reason this world never changes. Even you, despite your hatred, are a victim of this endless cycle."
"You...don't...under...stand...shit." Katsuo managed to wheeze.
"...You're right. I don't understand. No one can ever truly know what you are going through, nor will they ever... But if I am to change the world, then I must understand, and to do that, you must help me understand."
To the shock of Katsuo and nearly every Shinobi in the stadium, the whip swords restraining the Iwa Genin released, allowing Katsuo's feet to meet his elevated platform again and giving full control over his chakra once more. While observing his body, his opponent landed on the platform with him, causing Katsuo to step back in a moment of weakness he would never admit.
And to further confuse him and everyone in the stands, a hand was held out towards him.
"The world won't change if we don't change it. We have to be the change. We have to understand each other. It is the only way to truly end the cycle of hatred."
Katsuo stared at the offered hand, the shock not wearing as he tried to see through whatever trick the blonde was weaving.
This person, the son of Iwa's greatest enemy, was offering...peace? Understanding? In the middle of the exams? It sounded ridiculous, impossible. It was obvious he was trying to play some sort of trick on him.
He wouldn't fall for it.
He refused to fall for it.
But...he looked...genuine, despite his placid features. His eyes showed no lies, and his stance was open. Even his tone was calm, even friendly.
How could any of that be a lie?
Against his better judgement, Katsuo reached out. Many times did he retract his arm, thinking it could be some sort of trap, but every time he moved to do so, he was met with that same open look, and it would force his arm forward.
Their hands met, and he was surprised he wasn't killed on the spot.
What was more surprising was the boy's face.
He was smiling.
A genuine, kind smile that actually convinced him that he was serious.
"You," Katsuo's hand tightened its grip on his opponent's, making him drop the smile immediately as his right arm turned into a sharp, pointed edge. "Are the dumbest Shinobi I've ever met."
Steel-arm buried itself deep into the blonde's stomach, the tip breaking the surface and sending blood splattering below. Around them, the clones all disappeared into a puff of smoke as a gasp of agony echoed through the arena. The heartbreaking scream of his name from his female teammate echoed through the arena, the sound only succeeding in making the cruel smile on Katsuo's face grow. Before long, he let out a loud, boisterous laugh that held both glee and cruelty.
"You're a bigger fool than I thought!" He mocked, digging the blade in deeper. "Do you really think that's what we want? Peace? With you tree-hugging HYPOCRITES?!" The blade went even deeper, widening the whole but failing to get any sound from the impaled Genin. "We don't want PEACE! We don't want UNDERSTANDING! We want BLOOD! YOUR blood! For my clansmen, our Shinobi, our people, we want nothing but the blood of every single man, woman and child who call your pathetic peace preaching village home!"
The Genin pulled out the blade, his eyes never leaving the blonde as he fell to his knees. His blade-arm pointed to his defeated adversary, poised to run the foolish boy through right between the eyes.
"If you think the world is going to change without bloodshed, then you're not only a poor excuse of a Shinobi, but a fool!" His smile grew as his cruelty reached new levels. "Before I kill you, I'll make you a promise. I'll change the world. I'll climb to the top, and when I become Tsuchikage, I'll wipe Konoha off the face of the map. Then, and only then, will there be peace. That, I swear on my clan's name!"
The declaration sent a wave throughout the arena. Those who were once understanding had turned fearful, while others were angry. Jonin all around either shook their heads in disappointment or looked to any nearby Iwa citizen with suspicion. In the competitor's booth, Tenten hands turned white with how hard her knuckles gripped the railing while Neji and Kankuro's scowl deepened. In the Kage's booth, none showed it, but each man held their own opinions, be it disapproval or cold calculation.
As for Naruto?
He remained still, hair covering his face and a hole in his chest. The words his opponent spat gradually set in, painting a cruel reality. He knew this would be a likely outcome, but he still had to try. He knew the hatred in this world was deep, but nothing would change if he didn't at the very least try to understand.
It would be so simple to take the easy way. To simply rid himself of the problem like he had nearly two months prior.
But he was not them.
He couldn't be like them.
He wouldn't be able to look Sothis in the eye if he became like them.
However.
A hand came up to grip the steel blade, surprising the owner but not diminishing the severe glint in his eye.
"I want...you to know."
The grip on the blade tightened, and cracks began to show in the steel.
"Whatever...comes next."
The pressure from the grip succeeded in shifting the Iwa Genin's confidence, but the look the blonde sent him through his bangs wiped the smile from his face completely.
"They are...the consequences...of your own...actions."
Before Katsuo's very eyes, the blonde's body cracked as if it were glass. Not soon after, the pieces fell one by one, revealing a hollowed husk. The blood that had escaped him seemed to vanish into thin air along with the construct, leaving nothing but a confused Iwa-nin behind.
Bewildered and now on edge, he looked around, trying to find where the original was hiding.
He found him—correction, Naruto found him.
Once again, Katsuo found himself swapped tight in the grip of the blonde's whip sword, forcing his bladed arm to revert back to normal but not before yanking him down and into the ground.
His body bounced from the impact, showing just how hard he had slammed against the ground. What little air he was able to get into his lungs was expelled immediately from another blonde appearing above to stomp both of his feet into his gut. As if he were a trampoline, the pushed off of him to jump back into the sky before descending once more to bury a knee in his gut before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.
In the blink of an eye, he was pulled yet again, this time into the air, before he felt the whip release and his body crash through something hard, sending his body skidding across the arena.
Katsuo coughed violently as he finally was able to catch his breath. The throbbing pain all over his body mixed with vertigo nearly had him puking his breakfast up, and yet despite it all, he was still able to think straight enough to push himself up to a knee.
Thankfully, his opponent was kind enough to get him on his feet via an uppercut out of nowhere that momentarily had him several inches off the ground. The blow was swiftly followed by another, this time into his gut that bent him forward and left him open for three to his chin. By the time his feet hit the ground, several well aimed strikes were landed, each one sending his head spinning before a kick to the shin had him on his knee yet again.
The knee that snapped his head back nearly reset his brain entirely.
Somehow, through trying to figure out where the blonde was going to strike next and how he could possibly defend against it, he remembered his chakra was no longer being bound.
The stray thought was enough his activate his Kekkai Genkai once more, stopping most of the momentum from the punch that would have surely sent him into blissful unconsciousness. It also had the added effect of shattering the blonde's wrist entirely, much like it had previously.
That left him open.
Katsuo's arm formed into a spike once more, taking full advantage of the opening by plunging it right through the blonde's head.
The feeling of victory was short lived as the blonde simply shattered into glass.
A second later, his sense warned him about an attack behind him and instantly brought his spike arm around to deflect the whip sword seeking to seal his chakra once more. Another from his right had him ducking, and yet another had him leaping from his position altogether.
Katsuo gritted his teeth, a mix of anger and fear bubbling inside him as he had been forced on the back foot pretty much throughout the entire fight. Knowing that just one mistake could lead him to having his greatest weapon and defense sealed was enough to make even him wary of his next move.
It hurts to admit it, but he had let his anger get the better of him. He had underestimated his opponent. The tree-hugger had him dead to rights twice. That wasn't something he could simply wave off.
He needed to go on the offensive.
He needed to end this as soon as possible.
He wanted to keep his more powerful abilities hidden till the finale, but it didn't seem like he had much of a choice but to use it here. As long as he killed that bastard here and now, he didn't care if he became Chunin.
Not needing to think on it further, he landed, his hands immediately going through signs before slamming them to the ground. In front of him, he could see multiple blondes reaching towards him along with many more swords outstretched to entangle him. It didn't matter if the one closest to him was the original or the one hiding in the back.
They were all too late. Far too late.
He should have killed him when he had the chance.
And now that he hadn't, he would only be able to regret it in the afterlife.
"Steel Release: Earth Rapture!"
At once, his thoughts became reality. The blonde closest to him, only inches away from touching him, was immediately skewered on a spike of steel that erupted through the ground. Likewise, the clones behind and anything within a 360° radius in the arena suffered the same fate as his attack did not discriminate.
So vast was the attack that it impaled the wall, literally shaking the arena as its integrity was tested.
In truth, it was the first time Katsuo had ever used the Jutsu outside of training. He knew the power behind it and the potential for destruction it brought. However, even he underestimated just how devastating one of his clan's most dangerous Jutsu could be.
And as if reminding him of the double caveat to using the jutsu, his body suddenly felt weak as he fell on all fours.
His breathing kicked up once more as the backlash of the Jutsu combined with the damage he had suffered throughout the fight finally caught up to him.
"F-Fuck!" He cursed, coughing up a glob of spit before maneuvering his body to sit on his rear to observe the destruction he had brought. Seeing no blonde in sight for nearly a whole minute brought a joy to his very soul.
It was gone.
He did it.
He killed him.
He...won.
A choke escaped him before he could stop it. Soon, it turned into chuckling before it turned into full blown laughter.
"YES! FUCK YEAH!" He yelled, raising his arms to the sky in a victory pose as his gaze turned to the Kage booth. "I did it! I fuckin' did it! See that you shitty old bastards! I killed him! I killed the Fourth's son! I DID IT! AHAHAHAHAHA!"
Neither of the Kage deigned him with a response, but he wasn't looking for one. A weight he didn't know he was carrying felt as if it were lifted off of his shoulders.
He felt happy—lighter even. It was as if he had finally put the past behind him.
It felt, dare he say it, peaceful.
In his relief, he searched for the proctor, ready to be declared-
A sound, one he had begun to dread during his fight, emerged from his blind spot. Even if he wasn't suffering the beginnings of chakra exhaustion, he doubted he would have been able to react in time to dodge the whips that wrapped around him and pulled.
His back impacted one of his spikes, the whips wrapping around the construct to better hold him in place. Despite having virtually no chakra left, Katsuo made a futile attempt at breaking free using his Kekkai Genkai. Of course, it didn't work, and all he got out of it was the dull blades digging deeper into his skin.
Then, as if straight out of a nightmare, the spawn of the Yellow Flash landed a few meters in front of him, leaving his jaw agape and his confidence wavering.
"H-how?"
It didn't make sense.
It was impossible.
He couldn't understand. He didn't understand.
This didn't make sense.
The boy should be dead!
He saw them all impaled before his very eyes!
So how? How was he still alive?!
"...Usually, I don't tell my enemies my secrets, but I'll make an exception this one time." Saying that, the blonde stretched his arm towards him.
Katsuo didn't blink.
He didn't move, he didn't suddenly lose consciousness, and there was nothing that had obstructed his vision.
One moment, the blonde was there.
The next, he was standing before him, his hand gripping his hair and his eyes boarding down on him.
At first he was too stunned to speak.
Every Iwagakure Shinobi knew that move.
It was move that all of their teachers had warned them all to be careful of whenever encountering a Konoha-nin.
Its name was as famous as the monster himself.
"Hi...Hiraishin."
Katsuo couldn't even recognize his own voice. The fear, the genuine fear, was evident. For the first time in his life, he felt vulnerable.
"Not quite." Naruto corrected. "I could never truly understand that Jutsu no matter how much time I put into it. I have a similar technique, but honestly, it consumes way too many resources to be considered practical. So, I found my own way of reproducing it. I won't tell you the details, but as you can see, it's just as effective."
The blonde's words only proved to make Katsuo even more fearful.
The Hiraishin was a technique that not even the brightest minds in Iwagakure could decode. It had been over 15 years since the ending of the war, and yet despite this, not one person in the Elemental Nations had been capable of even mimicking the technique.
And yet, he...his son...was able to reproduce it?
Just, what kind of genius did that make him?
What kinda monster was Namikaze Naruto?
The grip on his hair suddenly tightened, and the blonde's aura darkened.
"I remember telling you that there would be consequences."
Katsuo saw electricity suddenly spark across the blonde's arm as the smell of ozone began to fill his nose.
"I am a man of my word."
The world went white as the sound of his screams was the only thing his mind could comprehend.
The thought of defeat has never truly crossed Katsuo's mind at any point in this exam. The fact that he was shocked into unconsciousness, an element his clan prided themselves on being superior against, was a kind of irony only a cruel God could think of.
Winner: Uzumaki Naruto!
A/N: So...Um...hey again...
Yeah, I know I said this chapter would lead to the final chapter of the arc, but...uh, I got a little carried away, and things kinda...changed...
So now, instead of 2 chapters away, we are 3...AGAIN. Just felt wrong finishing this fight in a stomp (which is exactly what is was, if not drawn out). Was meant to show that, despite what he had been through, Naruto is still Naruto and he holds his promise above all. That does not, however, mean that he hadn't learned his lesson, which I hope the end of this chapter depicted well.
Not much to say here. Next chapter will wrap up The fighting altogether, so just like this one it will be LONG.
As always, thanks for the favs, follows, reviews, and hope you all have a DAMN good day!