The arena was packed.
As far as Naruto could remember, this was the first time he had seen so many people in one place. He had been too young to remember the Fifth's inauguration and the impressive fireworks displays, and the yearly village events were either more spread out in terms of space, or simply involved less people.
He brought Konohamaru, who was grinning like the little fool he was, — very endearing, though — to Biwako, who wished him good luck with a slight smile.
He passed in front of the Hyuuga clan, where a man who looked like an older Neji, as well as his identical copy gave him an indifferent glance.
Hinata saluted him, with a polite smile and her little sister, who was two years younger — if he remembered right from the academy — stuck her tongue out of him, eliciting a gasp from her sister.
"Hanabi!"
"Nah, I don't mind, really." He smiled amused.
When Hinata looked away, he mouthed "Little shit" to the younger girl, who seemed shocked.
Served her right.
Uchiha Shisui was the proctor of the last exam.
Naruto wasn't sure how they had managed to get one of Konoha's shining stars to work on one of his few days off, but they had done it.
The two foreign Kage were sitting in the lodge, along with the Third, who was there as an esteemed guest.
The Godaime announced the start of the finals.
"Esteemed ladies and gentlemen." He started. "Welcome! All of you have our thanks for gathering here in Konoha for the Chūnin selection."
The crowd roared in delight as several Uchiha clan members set off intricate fire jutsu towards the sky.
"We will now begin the matches of the final round between our fourteen candidates."
Fugaku waved a hand. "Sit back and enjoy the show!"
He sat down and sighed, once he was sure nobody was looking.
"Are you embarrassed?" The Third asked.
"…I never really liked this sort of spectacle." Fugaku answered, cheeks looking a bit red.
The Kazekage hid a snort and the Raikage let out a booming laugh.
"That's the best part, though, Hokage-dono!"
"Alright, you guys ready? Face the audience, they're here for you, after all." Shisui said casually.
"Rules are simple. Fight until defeat, or until the moment I declare a clear winner."
He let his eyes roam over them, and even without having activated the Sharingan, they felt his sharp gaze.
"One more thing." He said, tone serious. "Let's avoid the killing. I'll intervene if needed."
His eyes stayed on Gaara for a touch longer than anybody else, — besides Toru, but then he looked amused — to make his point clear.
"Now, there are more Konoha ninjas than last time, but yeah, let's say it's because the exam is taking place at home." He winked at them.
Some of them didn't seem particularly amused.
"Let's start. First match: Hyuuga Neji and Takai, from Kumo. The rest of you, go to the waiting room."
Watching Neji fight was always a bit worrying, Sasuke felt.
The Kumo ninja, having watched him before, decided to keep some distance between them.
He attacked with a few far-reaching Lightning Style ninjutsu.
The problem he soon faced was that he had based his whole strategy on the basis that Neji was a close-range fighter.
Ignoring one major aspect, that being that Neji knew exactly how most people would approach a fight against him.
He weaved through the lightning bolts, conserving his stamina. He had practiced fighting against Tenten hundreds of times.
So what if the weapons were replaced by Raiton techniques? It was all the same to him, and he also had the added advantage of seeing exactly how his opponent was going to use his chakra, by the way he focused it.
Once he saw the three different attack patterns the Kumo ninja used, the game was set.
He waited until Takai used his Electric Needle technique again, and from his obscured position in the dust cloud it created, he struck.
A vacuum palm caught the Kumo ninja in the chest, and Neji was upon him the next instant.
The Raikage palmed his face.
"Did nobody tell him the Hyuuga have had long-range attacks as well?" He grumbled.
The Third laughed. "Well, the crowd seems to have loved it, anyway."
It was true, they were roaring their approval.
"Kankurō from Suna, and Karin, from Kusa." Shisui called.
Ino cheered for her, and Naruto accompanied her to the gate.
"Be careful with him. He's not his brother, but he's strong, too." He said.
"Yes. We've worked on a plan, anyway." Karin said, with more confidence than she felt.
He nodded. He hoped she would be alright.
Karin swallowed nervously as she looked into Kankurō's eyes.
"Try you best." He said, with a confident smirk.
"Kugutsu no Jutsu: Art of the Puppet Master."
The bands around his puppet unpeeled, revealing its four-armed, grotesque shape.
Up so close, Karin could see the thin threads of chakra he was using to control it.
Without further ceremony, he sent his puppet flying after her.
She dashed in and to the left, rather than away. There was no point putting more distance between them, as he had the reach advantage anyway.
The puppet's blade whistled, and she noticed they were coated in poison, from their gleam.
She had to fall back with a yelp, as the puppet opened its mouth, throwing several darts towards her.
"He's definitely trying to keep me at a distance." She thought. Good. She had been afraid of him actually being good at close-range fighting.
Karin was not sure how many hidden weapons the puppet had, and it was hard to predict its moves, compared to a human opponent. She could not see any chakra buildup, and thus was forced to rely on her other senses more.
And she didn't trust her eyes too much.
A smoke bomb was released by the puppet. She rolled, making sure to keep the smoke screen in between her and Kankurō.
Then, as the smoke cleared, she felt it.
"Huh."
His chakra signature had moved. She could definitely see Kankurō in front of her, where he had been, but this was not his real body anymore.
He was hiding in the trees, maneuvering his puppet from there, while having left an illusory clone in his place.
Not bad, and it would likely have worked on someone else. But Karin could pinpoint his actual location.
"Now, while he thinks he's safe is my best opportunity."
She pretended to fall for his trap and went after the illusion.
"Damn, she fell for the clone trick." Sasuke noted with a wince.
"She didn't." Naruto assured.
She let herself move according to the puppet's attacks, slowly coming closer to Kankurō's hiding place, without making it too obvious.
"Okay, I should be in range, now. Let's not fumble this one up."
She dug into her pocket quickly, and got her water pouch out.
Gallons of water exploded from the seal once she activated it.
Ox, Tiger, Dog, Bird, Dog.
"Water Style: Water Fang Technique"
The B-rank jutsu, that she had practiced over the last month, shaped the mass of water into a jagged looking maw. Then the compacted water started spinning, adding to its maiming power.
Kankurō noticed too late where it was headed.
"Oh, shit." He let out.
"Nice one, Karin!" Ino shouted her support.
"Where did she learn that?" Toru asked. He was pretty sure that she hadn't known Water style one month ago.
Naruto shrugged. This was between the Third and her.
The tree bark had exploded when the water jutsu smashed through it.
It had also protected Kankurō from most of the impact. Instead of laying down with his body gouged, he was still able to move, if breathing hard.
"…Okay. I'm done playing." He managed, blood running down his face.
His puppet opened its second layer quickly.
"What is this?" Karin thought.
The puppet's arsenal exploded, and thin needles flew in every direction, as the puppet spun.
Several of these needles hit Karin, and Kankurō as well.
He uncorked a vial and downed it quickly.
"You've lost." He said, simply. The blood-loss was getting to him.
Karin said nothing, preparing her next jutsu.
Ox, Tiger, Dragon… Wait, what was it again?
"Why do I feel so… shluggish?" She asked, slurring. She needed to… heal… bite… something?
Wait, why would she bite herself…? She laughed. Silly.
"This is my fastest acting concoction. Give up, now, girl."
She couldn't think.
Everything was spinning.
Where was she?
What was she doing..?
What was she?
She didn't even realize the puppet caught her inside its belly, until Kankurō gave her the antidote.
"Winner: Kankurō of Suna!" Shisui announced.
The crowd clapped. It had been a nice match, as far as ninja deception tricks went.
"Damn, I lost already." Karin thought glumly.
It had been going well, too. If only she hadn't gotten careless, maybe…
Why did she always mess things up?
"Great match, Karin, really thought you had him!" Ino cheered.
Naruto smiled at her. "Told you the old monk-… Sarutobi-sama had a few tricks to teach. This water technique was amazing. And the way you made him drop his guard, too!"
She smiled, hesitantly at first, then for real. Maybe this wasn't all that bad, then.
"Wish me luck!" Ino said, bossy as always.
"Good Luck, Ino-san" Karin said with a smile.
Naruto mumbled something.
"What was that?" Ino said, cupping her ear in an exaggerated motion. "Can't hear depressing people."
He rolled his eyes.
"You can give me a good luck kiss, instead." Ino said, batting her eyebrow exaggeratedly.
Naruto looked at her, pretending to consider it.
She blushed and ran away, telling him she had changed her mind.
Toru gave him a knowing look, — and too much eyebrow wiggling — to which he shrugged.
"That's Ino, she likes joking a lot." He simply said.
"Tenten, from Konoha, against Yamanaka Ino, also from Konoha. Begin." Shisui declared.
"She's a Yamanaka, trained under a Sarutobi, with Nara and Akimichi teammates." Tenten thought. "Her whole plan probably is to trap me somehow and then take control of my body. I should avoid anything she leaves on the ground, no matter what it is."
Tenten saw Ino weave hand-signs, likely for a genjutsu technique. She flicked her wrist, and in one fluid motion, an explosive kunai — milder in power, of course, this was a fellow Konoha ninja — was sent flying from the tag she had wrapped around it.
Ino was forced to abort her technique, and take cover quickly.
Tenten felt a minor genjutsu take hold of her. She didn't know what it was for, but was not planning to discover it.
The usual dispel didn't work, and her reality was starting to blur, especially her sense of hearing, which seemed to echo more and more. This had the added effect of making her lose her balance and affecting her sight, as well.
Well… She smirked.
Team Gai had their own methods for dispelling genjutsu.
"This is going to hurt."
She punched herself right in the face.
"Gai…" Kakashi sighed.
Gai laughed, a bit sheepishly. "I had no other option. With Lee on the team, I had to make sure everybody had a reliable way to get out of illusions."
He shrugged. "Plus it's working."
Tenten spat a bloody tooth.
"Alright, time to end it before she can try anything else."
She dug for her orange scroll. She had planned to keep it for later, but Ino was wily. She knew the match could be over quickly.
"Manipulated Tools: Firestorm"
She unfurled the scroll around her in a twirl. Bombs were ejected at high velocity, covering the floor of the arena.
Ino yelped.
The floor of the arena shook from the repeated explosions.
Ino fell to the ground, propelled by one of them. She was only covered in light burns, as she had already started to run when Tenten got the explosives out.
She rushed Ino down. Before she could stand up, Tenten's naginata was unsealed and on her throat.
She looked downright pissed, but yielded.
Kakashi threw a side-look at Asuma.
He winced. "That one's on me. Ino, Shikamaru and Chōji were trained more as a team unit than solo fighters."
Gai looked offended. "Don't downplay the power of Tenten's hard work!"
Asuma threw his hands up in the air. "No, not at all. She's a strong ninja, and a very bad match-up for Ino, on top of it."
Gai nodded. "That's better."
"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh! I can't believe I LOST!" Ino screamed, covered in bandages. "In the first round! To someone from the village!" She looked around, and added. "No disrespect, Tenten."
Tenten laughed. "No offense taken."
"I've lost in the first round, too." Karin said, a little amused. "It's not that bad, you said."
"I know, I know." Ino sighed. "Still…"
"Hypocrite." Naruto whispered. Karin stifled a laugh.
"What was that?!"
"I said "good that you quit". Wouldn't want you to get injured for real." Ino glared at him, not believing him. "You'll win next time, Ino-chan. Nothing can keep you down." He put a hand on her shoulder, rubbing it.
Ino huffed, cheeks a little red. "Damn right, I will."
Chōji looked on, baffled, as his bossy teammate actually seemed relaxed.
"I think it's time." Sasuke smiled.
"Yeah." Naruto answered, simply.
"Let's do our best, then." He held out his fist, and Naruto bumped it.
They both jumped into the arena, to Toru's cheers.
Ino shouted Naruto good luck, dragging a shyer Karin in it.
Neji's sharp eyes noticed his cousin, far away, stare at the Uchiha, with a small smile. "Huh. Interesting." He was a bit amused.
"So, which one are you betting on?" Asuma asked, taking a drag of his cigarette.
"I'm their teacher, I don't bet on them."
"Senpai, with all due respect… I don't believe you." A new voice called.
Uchiha Itachi had sneaked his way into the Jōnin's tribune, without most of them noticing. That was par the course, for him.
He was wearing a casual black outfit, and was snacking on some dango.
Hard to believe this was likely one of the strongest ninjas in the entire world.
If Itachi noticed some of the Suna ninjas take a step away — and he likely did —, he didn't say anything.
Kakashi shrugged. "Even if I did bet on them, I wouldn't tell you."
"Fair enough." Itachi smiled. "But my little brother is still going to win this."
"Uchiha Sasuke, from Konoha." The village cheered for its leader's second son.
"Sarutobi Naruto, also from Konoha." The legendary Third Hokage's grandson in all but name. They cheered just as hard.
"Begin."
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