Ascension of the Kitsune by Wandering Maverick

Chapter 17: Chuunin Exams (Part 3)

"Oi proctor-san...call the match!"

"This boy has a LONG way to go." Naruto murmured while smirking at the arrogance Rei was showing.

Rei was about to turn his back and head back up to the balcony, when he noticed something come out of the smoke.

"WHAT!?" He shouted before jumping out of the way, a tendril of sand located where he just was.

"He can manipulates the sand in such a manner!?" He thought, surprised at never hearing of a Suna shinobi save the Sandaime Kazekage to be able to do such a thing.

Rei landed on the balcony railing in a crouched position and waited for the cloud of dust to leave to see if his guess was right. And to his shock he hit the nail on the head, once the dust settled, everyone could see that a thin but apparently strong wall of sand was erected where Rei's jutsu would have hit, with Gaara not seemingly to have moved an inch. Gaara's emotionless gaze moved up to meet Rei's...who had visibly flinched when he looked into those cold cyan eyes of his opponent.

"Damn...I didn't think he could do that...this makes a lot of my jutsu useless..." He mused, thinking about how to get the upper-hand, until an idea hit him. "...wait! If I can make his sand hot enough...I'll be able to solidify it like glass!" He thought, before yet another arrogant smirk crossed his lips.

"I hope you don't think you are invincible just because you have that defense..." Rei shouted while hand sealing once again. "'Raiton: Nibai Raikou Genkotsu no jutsu' (Lightning Style: Double Lightning Fist Technique)!" He yelled, as his hands became encompassed with lightning, before jumping into the air.

As Rei sailed through the air Gaara grunted in annoyance before sending his sand to intercept the flying boy. However what everyone except the Kumo team expected didn't happen. As the sand shot at Rei he straightened out his posture and extended one arm at the oncoming tendril. The moment the two jutsu hit a loud sound much like glass breaking resounded through the arena. As the audience looked on, they noticed in surprise that where the two jutsu impacted Gaara's sand was turned to tanned glass. Rei took that opportunity of shock to his advantage and somersaulted over the tendril continuing his decent towards Gaara. While Gaara looked on in confusion his sand did it's job by continuing to shoot out tendril after tendril at Rei. Unfortunately for Gaara, the boy had been able to master this jutsu and could summon more lightning to his fists immediately after using the jutsu up, so he was able to stop every on coming tendril in its tracks in a feat showing his shinobi prowess.

"Your mine!" Rei shouted when he was able to to continue on his war path and reach Gaara himself.

The boy cocked his right arm back and sent it careening to Gaara's face, which made a loud smacking sound against the sand shinobi's face, before sending him careening across the floor with his sand not far behind. Rei looked on in triumph at his victory, before looking dumbfounded at Gaara who quickly stood up as if he wasn't even phased by the attack. Gaara simply dusted himself off, before looking at the shocked Rei as well as audience.

"How...how can you stand after that!" Rei shouted, while pointing accusingly at Gaara, making his siblings and sensei smirk.

"Its because you didn't continue on with your attack...something as simple as that alone won't stop Gaara." Temari said, making all the teams around her look at her with curiosity and slight fear.

Rei just looked at the stoic Gaara before noticing his cheek where he punched it...cracked?

"What the..." The Kumo shinobi thought, as he watched Gaara's cheek literally crack and then fall off in fascination.

"Suna no Yoroi (Armor of Sand)" Kankuro replied from the balcony noticing everyone's dumbfounded expressions.

"What the hell is this guy just a fucking fortress or what!?" Rei aggravatingly shouted, before activating his 'Nibai Raikou Genkotsu no jutsu' once more.