XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Kakashi's POV (Courtyard of Iron Arena - Land of Iron)
Kakashi watched as all the other Genin vacated the courtyard, leaving only Naruto and Tenten. Both stood at a distance of about ten feet, locked into a staring match that often began fights. Kakashi felt excited to see his students finally show off their growth. He was worried if they were truly ready, but he willed such emotions to the sidelines. While he may have been unable to ensure their success, his duty was to ensure they lived with their failure. Furthermore, he could not afford to show his students any favor. Despite that…
Kakashi poofed into the arena, smoke billowing from around him as he posed to look nonchalant. His body flicker had been intentionally misaimed to land him to the left of Naruto instead of between the two. The crowd, more than a few, likely recognizing the infamous Jounin, roared in approval. Kakashi nonchalantly waved at the crowd, seeming to maintain his aloof demeanor, but he subtly whispered to him as he passed his student. Kakashi's mind swirled as he did, attempting to discover the best words, advice, and plan he could offer his students. But that would only be allowed if he thought he could provide more to Naruto. The young man had always held an internal strength that showed in his eyes. Wary but determined, he boldly stared past Tenten, seemingly towards the crowd. It was clear he needed not a plan, simply reassurance. He spoke the only words he could offer now.
"I'm already proud of you. Just be yourself; they'll see what I see in time." Kakashi whispered his mask, helping disguise his discreet last-minute words to his pupil. He side-eyed Naruto and saw him seemingly straighten up from the words. His eyes seemed brighter; somehow, his gaze was more intense. Kakashi smiled inwardly as he settled himself between the two and then stood alert, flaring chakra and killing intent in equal measure to grab the audience's attention. He felt their gaze settle on him and the two Genin before them.
"I won't waste too much time here; my name is Kakashi Hatake. I will serve as the referee to these matches; there is no need for a tournament that is too bloody today. So, let's talk about the rules and get to it. Ne? Firstly, and hopefully, obviously, the first rule is no needless killing. If a Chunin candidate decides to surrender, the match is over. And I will move to ensure no unnecessary damage is done. That being said, in such a move, if needed, I will not hesitate to repel your attacks and painfully discourage you from continuing. Secondly, if I deem a candidate unable to continue at any time, I have the right and responsibility to end the match. That is my call alone, only able to be disputed by the Kage. Killing and other such considerable injuries are within the rules as long as they do not violate previously stated rules. You are limited to the area of this courtyard and unable to receive outside aid. Tools of any kind are permitted but must be checked in on your arrival. Finally, any such order given to me during these matches is not to be disputed. If my orders are ignored or rules broken, you will face immediate disqualification and further punishment, depending on the severity of the crime. This includes, but is not limited to: Career Termination, Banishment, Incarceration, and good old Execution. Now that the rules have been established, allow me to ask. Tenten of the Leaf, do you understand and swear to uphold these rules?" Tenten nodded, laser-focused on Naruto. "Are you prepared for combat?" She nodded again, seeming impatient. Kakashi turned his gaze towards Naruto, asking him the same and getting a similarly tense confirmation. Kakashi nodded as he raised his hand, the crowd lifting in volume as he did so. "Then let the Chunin Exams Begin!"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Naruto's / Tenten's POV (Courtyard of Iron Arena - Land of Iron)
Naruto had rarely been an anxious person. He craved attention, seemed to lack fear, and often acted impulsively. Anxiety and Naruto Uzumaki were not often looped together. Yet his heart pounded inside his head as Kakashi appeared and slowly trudged forward, seemingly unconcerned despite all the chaos. But Naruto could only gaze at the crowd. Such a public revealing ensured that even all the civilians in the crowd knew what he was. It was the only explanation for the silent fury they gazed upon him with. Civilians and shinobi alike seemed to have a distaste for him. While he had prepared for this, seeing it in such a volume was disturbing. He was still determined to do this; it would be the best way to win them back over, advance his career, and help/survive Gaara. But would his first goal be impossible? Kakashi suddenly whispered at him as he walked by.
"I'm already proud of you. Just be yourself; they'll see what I see in time."
Kakashi said subtly as he walked toward a decidedly neutral spot. The words were simple, not overly thought out or comforting. Yet Naruto felt the confidence return more robust than before. Things may be messy, perhaps even in disarray. Yet Naruto still had those who supported him. Words from within his mind sounded off from others who had shared their support for him.
"How to win people over? Well, I suppose you could be charismatic, handsome, powerful, and intelligent, you know, traits I have in spades. But if, for whatever reason, you lack that, then I offer one piece of advice! Live gutsy and proud; people will always cheer for a gutsy hero!" Jiraiya had said half drunk at the time. Naruto then had thought little of the words. Jiraiya had a habit of going off on tangents, and while Naruto enjoyed them, a lot of them just seemed to go over his head. But now, the words filled him with more determination. Guts and effort he could do.
"Son… I'm sorry about this… that you have to suffer this. But I know that despite it all, you'll somehow find a way to bounce back and shine. I just know you'll shine just as bright as your father." His mother had told him while serving him some sandwiches she had brought for an exhausted Naruto and Jiraiya. The words nearly made the blonde cry, yet it also made him want to scream. Yet now, they excited him to defy the expectations of those around him again.
Naruto allowed a smirk to settle on his face. He palmed Riptide, sheathed on his back as always before he relaxed, and lowered himself into a relaxed stance.
"Then let the Chunin Exams begin!" Kakashi sounded off.
Tenten's POV
Tenten eyed Naruto closely as Kakashi described the rules. She was only half listening anyway. Instead, she examined Naruto closely, noting anything that seemed noteworthy. It was done with a level of disarray as always; her mind was never something she found ease in. While Danzo had never managed to shatter her psyche as per the standards of the Foundation, it affected her. While she was mostly normal, her emotions often felt muted; often, they were crudely intelligent and manipulative. Just as Danzo likes his operative. So deep was the mental training that Tenten immediately noted Naruto's blade on his back. With her experience of weapons, she knew it was a tanto. From his stance, she knew he would likely start the match aggressively. Her eyes looked for the potential to end the bout, Root Training running through her mind as she analyzed him.
In truth, it was not the main reason she was so interested in the blonde.
Naruto was someone she had rarely interacted with; furthermore, as Root, she knew his status as a jinchuriki much before everyone else did. Yet Shikamaru, her closest (sorry Sai) friend, regarded him as nothing short of family. To the point that even the lazy and uninspired Nara had dug around attempting to find info for him. It had made Tenten wonder what kinda person Naruto Uzumaki would be if he could make the lazy work? Was he a natural charismatic leader? Perhaps a secretive genius Shikamaru could relate to? Blackmail? Tenten was unsure and doubted she would find out while fighting him. But the interest made her focus on him all the same.
"Then let the Chunin Exams begin!" Kakashi ordered as he jumped back.
Tenten's instinct kicked effortlessly and mindlessly. She fired two groupings of kunai aimed at Naruto with laser accuracy. As she did so, she jumped back; from what she had heard, Naruto was a close-range fighter. As such, she should maintain distance and overwhelm him. Naruto surged forward, seemingly fearless. He drew his blade and deflected the kunai one by one with ease, not slowing at all as he did so. Tenten merely continued her backpedal with graceful flips and backward running. Expertly firing off kunai in waves as she did so. Subtly activation seals on her wrist allowed her to replace the kunai she threw with unnerving speed. Naruto slowed as he continued his charge, but no kunai came even close to hitting him. Tenten nearly ran into a tree but, with practiced grace, flowed around it, determined to slow Naruto down. She quickly drew a scroll and activated it with a surge of chakra. She looked up and inwardly flinched at Naruto, who seemed quicker than her. Tenten did not slow, though, her training coming in handy as she summoned a Bo Staff and used it to launch herself into the air, rising twenty feet with ease. Naruto barely missed a horizontal slash, effortlessly slicing through the Bo Staff.
Tenten let go of the remaining staff in her hand with a slight frown and grabbed two scrolls. She threw them with dexterity, causing them to twirl through the air as she fell, long enough to reach the ground, looking like spirals of paper as they fluttered. Naruto looked up with a small smile, lowering himself into a defensive guard. Tenten merely smirked a tiny bit. He had no idea what she was capable of. "Twin Rising Dragons!" She called. A technique she had made herself using her own improved storage seals. It was easy to collect the ammunition for technique having the ties she did, and she doubted many would think to use it the way she did. Quickly, with many small bursts of smoke, a litany of weapons flew out. Swords, maces, spears, axes, daggers, spikes, nails. A wall of sharpened steel flew from the scrolls directed toward Naruto, who watched the storm of death approach with a shocked expression. 'Sorry Naruto, I was taught to end things quickly. A good shinobi does not play games; they end their opponents as quickly as possible.'
Naruto seemed to regain his composure, somehow finding the happiness to smile at the storm of weaponry. He lowered his stance, gripping his blade with both hands and tensing as if preparing for one of his most substantial slashes. Tenten was befuddled by this but body flickered directly above the blonde unseen with the weaponry approaching. She summoned and spun a bola, preparing to immobilize the blonde depending on if he could somehow evade or counter her Twin Rising Dragons.
Naruto suddenly roared toward the storm as it was about to turn him into mincemeat. Slashing with shocking speed, he did a twirling slash. "Uzumaki Style: Rising Spiral!" A boulder-sized spinning chakra blade swiped up the random weapons, sending some spinning around it and others flying away. Tenten, without flinching, fired off the bola while she slowly weaved hand signs, watching with cautious eyes as Naruto's powerful slash successfully reflected her barrage. He suddenly seemed to flinch before spinning in place and slicing through her bola with ease. It mattered little to Tenten, merely a distraction more than anything. She called out as she finished her seals. "Twin Dragons Second Volley!" She called as she activated her technique.
She saw Naruto's head snap up to her, and he seemed to go for his own hand sign. Not noticing the weapons behind rising as if controlled by an invisible force. Chakra wire puppeteering wasn't easy, but it made one of her best techniques even more lethal. All the weapons she had fired would fly again; hopefully, Naruto wouldn't be injured too terribly. She was, oddly enough, enjoying this fight.
Naruto's POV
Naruto had enjoyed his training with Jiraiya as much as he could anyway. The time he had grown to look forward to was dinner; training was done even though Naruto would be too tired to work past it. Which left the two to just talk. Often, it was stories of Minato or Jiraiya. Even his mother if Jiraiya was feeling brave. It felt almost like he had a father spending time with him. Yet there were times when Jiraiya would offer advice and training for his mind; he often dubbed it. He had warned Naruto that being close-minded was the deadliest mistake a shinobi could make. In battle with another shinobi, you never know what you could encounter; as such, never underestimate an opponent, especially if they have a plan. Naruto doubted Tenten would've made an attack so straining of resources so willingly. The bola confirmed it.
Naruto frowned as he saw Tenten finish her jutsu. What was this technique going to be? Why had it not already taken effect? Should he dodge? Suddenly, he heard what sounded like a shocking amount of something flying through the air. The weapons from earlier! Somehow, she was controlling them again. Naruto trusted his gut and felt his hands form a sign he had become familiar with.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Four Naruto appeared and grabbed the blonde. If the attack was tracking, it surely wouldn't follow him here. The clones wordlessly pushed up with all their might, sending the blonde flying upwards at Tenten considerably. Narrowly escaping the second pass of Tenten's attack. Tenten seemed to flinch as Naruto closed in. But nimbly, she twirled through the air, narrowly dodging Naruto's self-projectile. Naruto spawned another clone quickly, the clone forming under his feet and pushing him forward again.
"Naruto Reflect!" He called as he flew back towards Tenten, who was helpless mid-air. Naruto crashed into her feet first, sending her careening towards the ground, causing quite the disturbance, cracking stone and flinging up dust covering the impact for the moment. Naruto landed bodily shortly after Tenten's crash landing, eyeing it warily. As the dust cleared, there was a sizeable human-sized steel ball instead of an injured Tenten. "What the…" Naruto started before the dome suddenly opened, and a slightly battered Tenten flew from it with a speed greater than before.
She fired off kunai as she drew close, keeping a surprised Naruto off guard. Pulling close, she grabbed a club from the ground and swung it at the Uzumaki. Naruto deflected this swipe with his blade and kicked at Tenten's face. The young women rolled under this, picking up a discarded kunai and flinging it at point blank at the blonde. Naruto somehow managed to lean out of the way, earning a small cut to the cheek. He spun as he slashed low with Riptide. Teten managed to jump over it before Naruto caught one of her legs as he continued his spin and, with a shocking display of physical strength, threw her like a rag doll. Tenten rolled bodily from this, somehow throwing a spear as she flew, which Naruto barely managed to deflect. Tenten seemed to use a kunai to slow her descent and ended it on her feet. She was covered in minor scratches and a few bruises but was otherwise fine and seemed to have a wide smile. Naruto was confused by this but prepared himself; sure, she had more tricks up her sleeve.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Ino and the other Chunin hopefuls had been led to a fenced-off portion of the arena, giving them a good view of the fight below. There were seats, but no Genin used them. Either interested in the fight or hoping to scout out competition.
Ino watched Naruto as he quickly seemed to gain the edge over Tenten. It was as if he had been training for a year instead of a month. He moved at a speed that Ino knew would leave her hard-pressed to counter. His swordplay had certainly advanced and was further bolstered by his Nijutsu. Honestly, Ino wasn't even surprised; something she had come to admire about Naruto was his drive and constant growth. He clearly had come today to win and was worn out, yet he smiled and seemed jovial in battle.
Somehow, seeing the blonde brought back the guilt from her words. A whole month, and they had been unable to discuss things. Did Naruto decide to distance himself from her? Did he hold a grudge? Ino sighed as she reigned in her emotions. But even that control taught to her by Anko did little against the guilt. She needed to talk to Naruto.
"He's come a long way, huh?" A familiar, unexcited voice broke her from her thoughts. Her eyes briefly strayed away from Naruto's fight to glance and see Shikamaru with a conflicted expression, watching the battle below. "I'm glad to see it, though I never imagined he would outmatch Tenten so easily."
Ino was glad for the distraction; best not to dwell too much until she could enact her plan. "He has been a powerhouse so far; I was shocked when he beat Neji." It had been the fight that gave Team Seven the chance to be a team. Before, Neji and his perceived superiority had affected their team to its core. His slights remind Ino of her fear of social exile. And his bold belief was a slight to Naruto's very ideals. When Naruto defeated the Hyuga, it allowed the team to operate as equals. At least before she opened her fat mouth.
"He beat Neji?" Shikamaru said with a smirk as he fiddled with a lighter. He wished the arena allowed smoking. How was a lazy guy like him going to relieve stress? "I knew Naruto would be someone someday, but I thought Neji Hyuga was the strongest Genin bar, maybe Sasuke Uchiha. That knucklehead beat him, huh? Talk about troublesome. I'm unsure who I want to win, and now I find out Tenten is in there with another powerhouse."
"He did, in fact, defeat me; I hold no grudge but hope to remedy such." Neji cut in with a slight frown. "Furthermore, I wouldn't be so sure this is over."
"Listen, thanks for being polite, but I know my teammate. She's used many tricks, and the rest she hasn't shown won't be enough." Shikamaru said. "It sucks, but Naruto won't hurt her too badly. Besides, she's mature enough to know when she's beat."
Ino chose to stay silent; truthfully, she wanted Naruto to win regardless of who he faced. She simply couldn't see her… teammate losing today. He always won when it counted.
"I believed so at first, too, but I must figure out the current factors. Though I am certain Tenten hasn't given up. She's channeling a massive amount of chakra; it seems to be… becoming more potent?"
"So she has some level of power…" A raspy voice sounded from above them. On the roof stood Gaara of the Sand. His eyes locked onto the fight, and his face held a small smile. "So the human intends to give it her all, show her the difference… Naruto." The words whispered his presence hidden; it was better not to alert Naruto's friends of his attention yet. He had to behave here for now; besides, he would have his chance.