Title: Jounin Exams: End 2
...
In a final display of resolve, Shun's gaze swept across the arena, taking in the sight of his downed opponents.
The crackling energy of his electrified terrain slowly faded, leaving behind an atmosphere charged with anticipation.
As the dust settled, the arena was silent, the weight of the battle's intensity lingering in the air.
Shun's posture remained poised, his breathing steady, and his eyes held a mix of camaraderie and triumph. A faint, almost imperceptible smile played at the corners of his lips, a testament to the bond they shared and the journey they had undertaken together.
Itachi's Sharingan spun slower, the once-formidable flames of Amaterasu dwindled, and he acknowledged Shun's victory with a nod. "Impressive as always, Shun. You've always been the one to lead us forward."
Kimizu's violin lay beside her, her aura now one of exhaustion mixed with respect. "Your strength has always been your greatest tune, Shun."
Kitsume's crimson aura dimmed, and she met Shun's gaze with a nod, a newfound understanding in her eyes. "You've taught us more than we could have imagined."
As the tension of battle gave way to a sense of closure, Shun's voice carried a note of humility. "We've all grown stronger together, and it's because of our shared experiences. This fight, these challenges, they're a testament to the strength of our friendship."
With a final glance at his friends, Shun's hand reached out to help each of them to their feet.
The arena, once a battleground of fierce competition, transformed into a scene of camaraderie and mutual respect.
The crowd erupted in cheers, acknowledging the incredible display of skill, strategy, and friendship that had unfolded before them.
As they stood side by side, the four young Chunins, once again friends united, shared a moment of unity that transcended the battlefield.
The power levels they possessed, their strengths and abilities, had been a driving force in their journey.
But in the end, it was their bond that proved to be their greatest asset, propelling them to heights they could never have reached alone.
Although the girls didn't personally know much about Itachi, Shun's story of him was enough to make them know him. The same applied to Itachi.
"Ano... hey guys?"
Amidst the laughter, a rustling drew their attention. Their eyes turned to figure standing at the edge of the arena, clad in the attire of a kunoichi, her fingers tightly gripping the hilt of a katana.
Yugao stood there, her gaze downcast as if she were gathering the courage to speak up.
Shun, his jubilant expression fading, took a step forward. "Yugao, what are you doing here?" he asked, his voice tinged with surprise.
Yugao hesitated, her fingers tightening around her katana's hilt. "I... I was supposed to join you all for the elimination competition," she stammered softly, her gaze still fixed on the ground.
The atmosphere shifted as the realization dawned upon Shun and his friends. A brief silence settled over the glade, their jubilation tempered by the oversight they had committed.
Kimizu exchanged a remorseful glance with Itachi, while Kitsume's eyes reflected a mix of guilt and sympathy.
Itachi cleared his throat, taking a step closer to Yugao. "Yugao, we... we didn't mean to exclude you," he admitted, his voice carrying a touch of regret. "We just thought that the four of us... well, we've been training together for so long..."
Yugao finally looked up, her gaze meeting Itachi's. "I understand," she replied, her tone gentle. "I knew my chances were slim compared to all of you. But I still wanted to prove myself."
Shun stepped forward, his expression earnest. "Yugao, you're one of us. We shouldn't have overlooked you like that. If there's an elimination competition, you're in it too."
A faint smile tugged at the corners of Yugao's lips. "Thank you," she murmured, a mix of emotions playing across her features. "I know I might not be as skilled as the rest of you, but I promise I'll give it my all."
Kimizu joined the circle, her voice warm with sincerity. "We believe in you, Yugao. It's not just about skills; it's about heart and determination."
Kitsume nodded in agreement, his usual mischievous grin replaced by a more earnest expression. "Yeah, and who knows? Maybe you'll surprise us all in the next rounds."
...
Winner: Shun and Yugao.
...
Seeing the names on the screen the crowd didn't exactly know how to react. After such an epic battle that directly left the scopes of Jounin, to think that someone would be lucky enough to just pass without so much as lifting a finger.
"This is absurd." Ohnoki ground his teeth as he glared at the names.
"Hahaha. I believe this is what is referred to as luck." Keshiro said from beside him. "But that Shun. Sigh." Keshiro said and suddenly looked downcast.
"What's with the long face Keshiro-dono?" Hiruzen asked.
"Well, I asked the best if he was interested in being the Kage in a few years time..." Saying this, he sighed again and looked at the arena. "but he refused."
"What!"
"Seriously?"
"Wow!"
"Interesting."
The four Kages had different reactions to that new. Ohnoki in particular was the one to ask if he was serious. Wouldn't this mean that they had lesser chances of meeting with him in the future?
"How could he not? Isn't that the goal of nearly every Shinobi?" Ay shouted as he slammed and broke his 17th chair for the day.
"Sigh, Raikage-sama, please control yourself." Mabui, who was behind Ay, whispered tiredly to the man.
"Haha. I understand your concern Ay-dono, but you must know that people like them have a quirk or two." Keshiro said. "Even I find it hard sometimes to understand the boy."
"Well, at least, he'd be a Shinobi right?" Hiruzen asked causing Ohnoki to look at Keshiro sharply.
"Well, of course. But he says his aim is to be the academy headmaster." Keshiro said. "I honestly don't know what is going on in that kids head." He said shaking his head.
"Well, at least we all know that your Village won't be lacking in Shinobi, eh?" Hiruzen asked.
"Hmm, the strange thing is... He say his academy would not only be for the village... Weird kid." Keshiro sighed. "Anyways, let's see what the next group of five have in store for us."
Despite not understanding what that last statement meant, the Kages still looked towards the arena to see how mind-blowing the next group would be.
...
Unfortunately, they were disappointed as, different from the earlier battle, the next one was particularly lackluster.
Ohnoki in particular was beaming though. Deidara had directly spammed Clay bombs upon clay bombs throughout the battle, and despite it looking like he was a child playing with explosives, none of the Kages could deny is ingenuity in using the bombs.
As he knew he was weak in close combat, he made sure always stay one step ahead of the other four, even Yugito, the Two Tails Jinchuriki paid a price for underestimating him.
In the end, he decided to just create a bird and stay afloat While dropping different clay creatures which would explode upon contact with foreign chakra.
In the end, only Yugito was able to remain due to herastery over Lightning.
With the clays being Earth based, destroying them with Lightning before they made contact was the only thing she could do until she was the only one left active.
...
"He's an interesting kid." Keshiro smirked as he appraised Deidara who was humming to himself as he left the arena.
"To have enough chakra to spam that amount of explosives... He will be a dreadful opponent if not taken carw of on time." Rasa said in a bored tone.
He wasn't that much afraid of him though. He too could fly with the help of his sand, so it wasn't worth mulling over.
Plus, him Sand Release was related to lightning and earth. As a Kage, he had the basic underinsured of all Elemental transformation, lightning and wind in particular.
"I can imagine." Keshiro said while nodding his head. If Rasa could think of that, he too could infer to what the man was thinking.
He too wasn't really bothered about the boy. However, he wanted to know how Shun would deal with a flying opponent.
"What do you all say? Shouldn't he fight Shun in the next battle?" He asked the Kages beside him.
"Deidara and Shun? Hmm." Hiruzen said thoughtfully. "I don't see why not. I'd like to see how the boy would deal with a flying opponent."
"You forget he too has lightning release. One far more advanced that even Yugito." Ay said in his usually loud voice.
"Hm. That should be a test to young Deidara. If he can't even handle this then..." Hiruzen said and shook his head without completing his sentence.
Everyone however understood what he was driving at. This was an obvious weakness to Deidara's Explosion Release. If he couldn't overcome that hurdle, then for the foreseeable future, he would never be able to be better than Shun...
...In the case he's defeated by Shun.
"I don't see why not. Put them in the next bracket." Ohnoki snorted unhappily. He too knew this but internally, he smirked.
Prior to coming here, he had repeatedly tried to teach his Kekkai Mora, the Dust Release to the boy and minutes ago, he has sent one of his guard to tell the boy to use it if all proved to fail.
Hanagakure would never go against their words and hold Shun's death against Deidara or him. Killing someone of that calibre in their own house would be embarrassing as well as exhilarating.
He couldn't, in his right mind, allow such a genius to bloom...or rather, bloom further.
"As you wish, fortunately, he would get to fight all three of them." Keshiro said with a smile.
...
Final Round.
Shun Vs Yugao.
...
"Oh? Seems like we'll get to fight after all." Shun said to no one in particular but the two girls beside him nodded.
"You wouldn't go easy on her right?" Kitsume asked and Shun snorted. "Far be it for me to ever go easy on an opponent I've actually acknowledged."
Saying that, he proceeded to leave for the arena while untying his blindfold under the knowing smiles of the two girls.
The fact that he actually untied his blindfold was proof that he would push the girl to her limit before defeating her soundly. Atleast, this way, the girl would learn a thing or two from him.
...
"Good luck Yugao-chan." Takeshi said with a resigned tone while thinking. 'I wanna go home.'
"Hmm, I'm sure you'll need it." The Medic nin girl said.
"Do your best." Itachi nodded at the girl to which she nodded back before walking away with steady steps.
***
A/N: This chapter is 1.8k words long. I didn't want to make her fight in this chapter. We'll have to wait till tomorrow to get the full fight and end of this arc as well as a new release not mentioned in the anime, manga or any Hiden novels.
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Enjoy...