"I really need to talk to you." Hanako shuddered when Itachi's voice spoke right into her ear. Hanako looked over her shoulder to meet his obsidian eyes. "Please," he spoke in a soft pleading voice that only she managed to hear.
"I have to fight," she replied curtly, moving her eyes to the staircase right ahead and walking past him, bumping into his shoulder in the process. Itachi sighed, turning around to stare at her retreating figure as she left the waiting area.
"You shouldn't have meddled in, Uchiha." Isao said to him in a chuckle. He was leaning his back on the wall next to the railing. "You know, I really had the need to avenge Shun," he commented clicking his tongue. Itachi only glared at him, not willing to respond back. Isao noticed this and chuckled even more. "Don't you think you worry a little bit too much about her?" he continued. "You should definitely trust her strength. I'm sure she would have given me little bit of a fight." His smirk became wicked. "That is, before I killed her."
"You should really watch your tongue when you're talking to me," Itachi replied calmly, not taking his eyes off the Iwagakure Genin for even one second. "I may be holding back now, but don't expect that from me when we're down there in the arena." Isao smirked and turned his head away from the Uchiha to focus on the upcoming battle. At that moment, Hiroki arrived to the waiting area and was surprised at the tense atmosphere. He decided to ignore it and silently walked towards his teammate.
The Hokage stared seriously at the two girls as they approached each other at the center of the ground. He motioned for the Jounin next to him to scout closer to him to which he immediately obliged.
"This isn't the match I was expecting," he said softly in to his ear. "What happened to Itachi?"
"We thought you had changed the matches. The battles were arranged this way when we picked the documents this morning at your office," the Jounin replied in the same low voice the Hokage had used with him. The Third narrowed his eyes.
"I didn't make such changes."
"Anyway, I'm afraid there's no way to change the fights now. It's too late," the Tsuchikage commented with a sly smirk as he turned his head towards the Hokage, who looked at him suspiciously. "You shall let it continue, the audience is already excited." Hiruzen sighed and nodded.
"Alright." 'I just hope you had nothing to do with this, Itachi,' the Hokage thought.
"Tell me I'm not late; tell me I'm not late..." The white humanoid muttered as he appeared out of a tree trunk right next to the concrete fence surrounding the Chuunin battle arena. He then came close to it, and walked into it, pushing his head out on the other side. "Phew, right on time." Zetsu disappeared half of his body by blending it with the fence while only his face stood out from the wall. He camouflaged himself so he could watch the Uchiha's fight without getting caught. After all, Madara wanted him to report back how she was doing.
The two girls stood facing each other in the middle of the arena. "You know," the Uchiha started saying, "This kind of reminds me our first encounter, Hyori." The Senju smiled playfully upon hearing that.
"This time I'm going against you with all I've got. No more games, Hanako," she replied confidently.
"I agree with you." Hanako smirked. "Because this time it won't be an illusion." Hyori narrowed her eyes at the Uchiha. "It will all be real."
"I'm starting to feel the excitement between the two of you, so..." Both girls heard Hayate and immediately got into a fighting stance. "Start!"
At that moment, Hyori joined her hands into a seal and wooden pillars emerged from around her, which moved at full velocity towards the Uchiha brunette. Hanako activated her Sharingan and jumped just in time, dodging all the pillars moving her way. She jumped her way through and somehow managed to land safely on the ground, making a hand seal.
"Katon: Gouka Messhitsu." Fire erupted from Hanako's mouth which in seconds incinerated all the wood that attacked her. Following suit, Hanako directed the same flame towards her opponent.
"Tsk...you won't get me with that!" Hyori made some seals. "Suiton: Suijinheki." She created in front of her a water wall, big enough to protect herself from the fire coming her way. When both jutsus collided, they formed a steam cloud that covered the whole arena. Both girls had their visions hindered, and the audience complained since they couldn't see what was going on with the match. Hanako sighed and closed her eyes, focusing on finding Hyori's chakra signature.
Upon finding her, she immediately hurried toward her and kicked her in her stomach without giving her the chance to react, sending her flying out of the cloud of smoke. Hyori crashed against the wall, cracking it because of the force of the impact. Hanako made more hand seals. "Katon: Housenka no Jutsu."
Hyori barely reacted when she saw the small fireballs heading her way. She stood up and jumped, clinging her feet into the wall with chakra concentrated at the soles of them. When the fire dissipated after they clashed against the concrete, Hyori's eyes widened upon finding shuriken nailed to the wall.
"Not bad..." Hanako smirked at the Senju. The smoke was finally clearing out, letting the girl get a view of her opponent. "I thought you said you were going serious," Hanako commented. "It's that really all you've got?" Hyori tightened her hands into fists until her knuckles turned white.
"I'm just saving the best for last."
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: The Final Rounds
Start from the beginning
