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Fuu's / Sasuke's POV (Courtyard of Iron Arena - Land of Iron)
Fuu nearly buzzed with excitement! These exams so far had been nothing short of everything she had expected and even more! She had met and befriended Naruto, Saumi, Omoi, Karui (she thought so anyway; it was hard to tell with someone so grumpy.), and even Bee. Fuu had never heard of rap music before but thought it was fantastic! Fuu wasn't expected to win the exams; her village didn't care for whatever business it may bring, and as such, she didn't feel nearly as much pressure as the others.
Fuu had learned to enjoy combat; she didn't fight or train often, and her village saw her mainly as a necessary evil and, as such, hadn't offered her much training. Little did they realize that Fuu was lucky, just like the "beast" they sealed in her. Chomei hadn't taken kindly to being imprisoned yet again. So when a young and naive Fuu attempted to befriend it, Chomei resisted. But the earnest and stubborn Fuu won the "beast" over. Chomei, the caring creature it was, had decided to train Fuu. Chomei had told her a jinchuriki had no choice but to defend itself in this world.
Fuu had become strong enough for her home's fear to grow. Strong enough for Fuu to lose fear in combat. Fuu knew that as much as she liked humans, they simply lacked the staying power Chomei offered her. Fuu had decided to focus on social problems and allow her power to coast through the exams.
Fuu may have been well, herself. But she recognized now these exams, even for someone as lucky as her, were not to be underestimated. Rock Lee, her first opponent, had required her armor. Neji, Naruto's friend, had been defeated by her next opponent. And from Naruto's words, Neji was a rival to him.
Fuu usually wouldn't bother with this kinda fight, but Neji had seemed nice, Naruto was doubly so, and Fuu was confident she could beat Sasuke. Avenging her friends, friend, seemed like a great way to support them. All Fuu needed to do was focus and not play around. If that failed well… she was lucky.
Sasuke's POV
Sasuke cracked his neck as he walked down the halls of the Iron Arena. He knew most would feel tension and anxiety build at a time like this. But Sasuke felt more focused and alive than ever. For years now, Sasuke had trained and toiled uselessly towards his goal. His inquiries never led to any significant evidence. Shisui and his mother insisted the failed Uchiha Coup held no mysteries, and he had yet to redeem his clan.
But today was different from most other days. Today, Sasuke could move confidently; today, Sasuke was actively progressing toward his ambition. Sasuke felt his chakra seem to stir excitedly within him.
His performance in the match versus Neji had been impressive; it would likely give Sasuke the needed reputation for the promotion. Yet his competitive edge had been stroked, and Fuu had easily defeated Rock Lee. Something even he doubted he could've done. Sasuke could tell Fuu would be his greatest challenge yet. An actual test of his skill and drive. Better yet, jinchuriki were known for their power and endurance. He could likely afford to use even his lethal techniques. 'Besides, most of my kit was exposed earlier.' Sasuke reasoned to himself. Best not to hold much back in this fight. He arrived calmly and timely into the courtyard. He witnessed his smiling and seemingly excited opponent stretching from across him.
Her nonchalant attitude was grating to him. Sasuke was confused by how she seemed so relaxed. Had she not seen him systematically take down the genius of the Hyuga? Move at speeds even Jounin could envy? Did she not realize who she was facing? Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he slid into a ready stance. Now that the Ash Step was exposed, he would rely on it until more was used. 'Think you above the Uchiha?' Sasuke thought bitterly. 'I'll show you and everyone else you all wrong.'
Fuu's POV
With a shout of "start," Kakashi leaped back from the two to allow them to begin. Fuu's eyes followed him as his body flickered far enough to be out of the way. She looked back to her opponent to wish him luck, only to flinch as a foot filled her vision. Fuu flew back, completely caught off guard by the strike. Sasuke appears beneath her, kicking her into the sky. Fuu reflexively activated her wings to stay in the sky. Still, Sasuke was waiting above her, kicking her with chakra to send the friendly young woman crashing violently into the ground.
Sasuke spared no mercy for her; instead, he called out even more violence.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke called. When Fuu climbed to her feet, it was only to greet the explosive fiery ball. With a boom, dust kicked into the air, momentarily masking the fate of Fuu.
"Not bad, emo!" Fuu complimented. "Hopefully, you got more than that! I've never met someone as fast as you!" Battle without malice was delightful! The rush of combat without the breathtaking hatred was intoxicating. Sasuke was clearly just as, if not more powerful than Lee! How exciting!
Sasuke offered no response, merely blurring forward, slamming his knee into Fuu's face with incredible speed. Fuu did not fly this time or even budge. Sensing a shift, Sasuke attempted to blur away right as Fuu grabbed his ankle. Before Sasuke could initiate this technique, Fuu whipped the Uchiha violently away. Before Sasuke could collide with a tree, he faded out of sight.
"You must've activated that jutsu you used to survive Rock Lee's barrage." Sasuke remarked; his voice sounded as if it was coming from around the forest area; Gaara made desert and stony areas. Fuu whipped her head around, confused, attempting to locate Sasuke. "Time to test this technique."
Fuu had no time to respond; six fireballs flew from the forest. Each seemed to be fashioned after a demonic-looking face. Fuu dodged each with ease, frowning at the lack of luster attack.
"Easy to dodge, aren't they?" Sasuke questioned. "Fortunately, they are relentless." Fuu continued to dodge the fireballs, noticing they didn't stray off like regular projectiles. Instead, they circled back around to continue to assault her. "My Demonic Flame Lanterns pursue the chakra signature of their target until they hit it. Furthermore-"
Fuu continued her desperate scramble to avoid the lanterns. She stomped the ground to kick up a large lump of stone and kicked it into three projectiles. To her shock, they didn't explode on contact as most jutsu would. Instead, it seemed to dissipate as a hit before reforming once it had passed through.
"They will not engage until they are in contact with said chakra. They pack quite the punch, I'm sure you can tell."
Fuu growled as she ducked two, jumped over two more, and saw one waiting before her. Fuu fearlessly clashed with the lantern, resulting in a large boom and a slightly singed Fuu flying back. The other five attempt to converge on Fuu, but with a gasp of pain, Fuu takes off into the sky. The lanterns pursue further but need help to catch the speedier, more mobile Fuu.
'Chomei, can you track him for me? This is a nasty technique, and I'm gonna pay him back!'
"As you wish, my friend." Chomei agreed. "Southwest area of forest hidden on top of one of the trees. May I suggest a variant of your beetle mode."
'Sounds like a plan. Let's see how he likes flames!' Fuu agreed as she suddenly flew forward at great speed. As she did, she suddenly homed into the section of forest Sasuke was hidden in. She suddenly lost her wings and fell in his direction. "Stop hiding; I'm too lucky for that!" Fuu screamed as she pointed both hands together toward Sasuke's spot. "Chomei Style: Bombardier Beetle Form! Bombardier Style: Full Power Boom Lance!"
Suddenly, a beam of explosive power shot from her hands into the forest. There was a silence before suddenly, a fourth of the forest Sasuke chose as his hiding spot explodes violently, ripping trees from the ground and causing a large fire. Trees outside of the explosion splintered and collapsed from the force. A cloud of dust rose into the sky. Fuu switched back into her primary beetle mode while Kakashi stopped the fire from becoming a forest fire.
Suddenly, Chomei screamed out to her.
"Diabolic Ironclad Beetle Now!"
Fuu trusted her friend more than even herself. As soon as Chomeas told her to, she shifted into her Beetle Mode's third and final form. She felt a massive impact hit her back as soon as she did. Even with her incredible defenses, she felt painful burns and explosive force that slammed her into the ground smoking.
Across from her, Sasuke appeared; he had not escaped the massive attack unscathed. The young Uchiha was covered in cuts and burns. "I did not expect this level of competition from you." Sasuke said earnestly. "To think you're from one of the smaller villages. Perhaps it's not only the Uchiha who have an unfair reputation. Fuu of the Waterfall, thank you for the challenge, but I cannot lose here."
Fuu rose from the crater, cracked her neck, and dusted herself off from ash and dust. "This is fun; I didn't expect you to be able to hit me in a way that actually hurt." Fuu was similarly covered in dirt and the occasional burn but looked noticeably better than Sasuke. "Hopefully, that wasn't your best shot; something like that won't work on me."
Sasuke did not respond at first, merely flexing his hand. "Besmirched Flambe Reappearing Death." He started as a familiar fiery katana formed in his hand. "You've seen nothing yet." He stated simply.
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A's POV (Kage Box of Iron Arena - Land of Iron)
A watched silently as the battle raged on below. Anyone knowledgeable of A, knew an extended silence from him was a rare and purposeful instance. The man was perplexed, simply put. This match significantly altered A's thoughts about the power of his enemies. And the future of his homeland.
Enemy wasn't quite the right word. At least for the current situation, but he thought differently. A had made his village solid and profitable, as did all his predecessors. As such, he embraced all outsiders as what they were. Past enemies who have been subjugated and conquered, present enemies he had yet to have the pleasure of crushing, and future enemies he must plan for. Most fell into either the first or second category. The other four villages represented such well. The Leaf and Stone were present enemies, ones he needed to subjugate or crush. The Sand and Mist were lesser problems. Indeed, A was annoyed they were in the same league as his village. But the Sand had been weak for a while now; it was why they had fathered such a close relationship with the Leaf. The Mist were similar to them, doubtless stronger, but busy fighting themselves. Even if Yagura's faction did win it was questionable how strong they would be.
Oh, A had signed the agreement for peace just as the other Kage had done. And similarly to them, he did so for his own reasons, primarily unrelated to peace. But A had been convinced simply because he believed his village was the strongest. The Leaf had mainly lost the Uchiha, their most prominent Hokage, and were led by the weak and feeble Hiruzen. The Mist was too busy killing themselves to be a factor. The Sand was weak, and the Stone needed a powerful, long-lasting leader. This would surely only lead to the gap between them increasing.
Now, A questioned his previous thoughts. A had been confident that his village contained the strongest and most experienced jinchuriki. He had been right, but now he noticed a problem. Naruto Uzumaki, Gaara of the Sand, and Fuu of the Waterfall were powerful despite their lack of experience. Fuu had even shown an impressive level of mastery over her beast. And the other two seemed incredibly powerful so far without using much of their beast. One of them even came from a minor village. If Fuu could fight at a level more comparable to a powerful Jounin than a Chunin now, how much stronger would she be in a few years… Strong enough to make her weak home a much more valid threat. A had a feeling the other two would grow to be a much larger problem as well. Soon his powerful brother Bee and the ever loyal Yugito may have rivals.
Sasuke Uchiha and, to a lesser extent, his family member Yuno represented another problem. Not only were Suna, the Leaf, and Taki looking like they were stronger than he had thought. But the Leaf looked to to be even more troublesome. Despite their recent failed Coup, the Uchiha clan still has loyal and skilled members. They would return with some level of their former glory in some time. Not to mention number wise the Leaf were dominating the exams.
There was little to be done for now. But it would be interesting to see which enemy would need an eye kept on them. Was the determined Uchiha the potential victor? Or one of the monsterous jinchuriki. A would watch for now, but these exams proved to him that a time of peace may need to end!
"What are your thoughts, you muscle-bound freak?" Onoki asked bitterly. The older man was still sour about his daughter having lost her battle. Onoki had doubts she had been fully ready but never imagined she would be so thoroughly embarrassed. While A had been musing over the exams, the other had been discussing the battle before them and picking the likely winner.
"That your daughter was crushed by a nobody!" A roared with anger. "Seems the Stone may be the new weakest village."
"Bah! She made a mistake, you fool. Your own are mostly gone as well." Onoki sniped back.
A felt the anger swell at that; truthfully, it annoyed him but bothered him a little. But it was best to let them think him a mindless brute. Before he could sell further, Rasa offered his own opinion.
"We all are doing relatively poorly compared to the Leaf." Rasa admittedly easily. "Luckily, the victor isn't based on the number of men but their skill. Something you shall all see when my son wins these exams."
A wanted to refute such, but as skilled as Samui was, he doubted she could contest with the jinchuriki she would have to fight against. But A could use this. He just needed the other two to do it for him. "When the hell did we agree to have Jinchuriki here anyway?" A added ensuring to sound incensed as possible. He subtly saw the flinch of Hiruzen and Rasa; they had likely hoped to avoid this argument.
"A fair point; this could be construed as a villainous thing to do." Yagura agreed with a frown and raised brow. "They are often not on the same level as their peers."
"There is no rule regarding the use of them." Rasa countered quickly. "I looked through the rules about these exams myself. It is only discouraged due to the damaged mental state usually held by them. Something I believe all three have shown to be mostly stable."
"Didn't your son kill several during the Trial of Nio?" Mifune asked confused.
"Killing is part of our job descriptions samurai." Rasa snapped back.
"To further support my ally. And to avoid continuing that conversation." Hiruzen chimed in. "The former point was true, the jinchuriki present are not guilty of anything other than being uniquely skilled. Simply because they are powerful does not mean they are unstoppable."
"Of course, the two guilty of such are defending it." Onoki chimed in with a frown. "My daughter is a skilled and powerful kunoichi. I wonder if the only reason she lost is because her opponent was a jinchuriki."
Inwardly A chuckled at such. In truth he doubted Naruto Uzumaki's victory had anything to do with the Kyuubi. No the blonde reminded A of someone…
"A fair point as a jinchuriki myself. I can confirm we are unlikely to lose to just any human." Yagura agreed. This snapped A out of his mind, listening to see if his seeds would bear fruit.
"Certainly, this isn't worthy of discussion." Rasa complained. "It's within the rules, and they have competed reasonably enough. None of them have gone on a rampage. Even if they do, we ARE all Kage here. With a literally armies worth of Jounin and Anbu here. Is there truly any need to be concerned? Hell Hiruzen even brought some shadowy new unit."
"So you don't mind if we kill your tools if they act out?" A asked savagely. The situation Rasa described could prove valuable to weaken his foes within political confines.
"It seems like an apt solution." Yagura agreed.
"Ehh, seems like a dreadful solution." Onoki complained. "They've caused little harm; we have no right to impede them."
"He is correct." Mifune agreed. "As per agreement during these meetings. No unallowed harm is to fall onto any shinobi. This is a peace-seeking meeting, after all."
"Fine!" A complained. He had expected this wouldn't bear fruit, but at the very least, it caused tension.
Yagura frowned but nodded at this as well.
"I personally am surprised by the strength of Fuu." Hiruzen spoke to break the tension around them. "Taki has always survived off their hidden location and supposed secret weapon that fuels their leader. I didn't expect they would produce a jinchuriki this strong."
"Now that you mention it, they haven't had too many battles with it present. It was always assumed they simply kept it hidden due to poor host." Rasa continues. "Perhaps they simply didn't wish to let their true power show. A risky play from a smaller village to risk their best weapon."
"There is no risk, any aggressive movement toward any villagers will have a heavy cost." Mifune interfered seriously. Rasa snorted but was silent at the reminder.
"To think your founder gave away such a powerful beast to such a weak village." A sniped yet again at Hiruzen. " A waste of potential, I'd say."
"Taki is privy to too many things that are wasted with them." Yagura agreed darkly. "Not just the jinchuriki but the Hero's Water as well."
"Say what you wish, but the clever bastards have never been crushed or invaded. Even during the wars." Onoki explained. "They used gorilla warfare to fight, and since we could not find their home, they did so fearlessly. I imagine giving them a beast they should struggle to contain was a small compromise. I'd say the "Last of the Uchiha" is in a fair bit of trouble."
"Power isn't everything." Hiruzen countered plainly. "They are both powerful, but there is a difference."
The others looked at the Hokage questionably.
"Well said Hiruzen." Mifune agreed readily. "Let's see if the former famed Uchiha can show us."