Aftermath (A Sequel to A Flash to the Future)

Chapter 23 - The Finals: Part 3

The crowd was dead silent at the announcement. Everyone was staring at the floor with disbelief and befuddlement marring their expressions. There were small mutters and whispers amongst some who had been spectating. When Genma called the match, Naruto released the seal, deactivating the paralysis seal on Neji. The medic team rushed to the floor to get Neji who still found it hard to move. Genma just stared at the blonde genin blankly as he gave one of his signature grins. He began to whoop and cheer as he took a victory lap around the arena. The audience still had a hard time grasping what just happened.

In the jonin stands, Anko was whooping and cheering as well, much to the annoyance of her colleagues. She visited every gambling ring she participated in with a large grin on her face and her eyes filled with ryo and yen.

"Woo hoo! Brat, you just made me one rich bitch!" she cheered as she collected her money. "Run me my money, bitches!" she said with a cackle.

"He really won." someone said, completely struck by the results.

In the genin booths, the rookies were fairing no better. Ino, Sakura, and Ten-Ten's jaw literally hit the ground at what happened. Even Choji had stopped munching on his bag of chips in shock. Hinata's expression was a mixture between surprise and awe. She found it amazing. The way he went neck-to-neck with her cousin was incredible. She had never seen neither Naruto or Neji fight like that before. A sense of insecurity washed over her as she thought about their skill. Although she had been practicing with her father more, she still felt insufficient compared to Neji. It was the feeling of ineptitude that fanned the flames of determination in her eyes. 'I will be worthy to stand by your side, Naruto-kun.' she thought to herself with clenched fists.

Once Kiba snapped out of his shock, he turned to Hinata who was staring down at the blond who was currently celebrating his win. Her fists were clenched and her eyes burned with a fire that he had never seen from her before. It was like she was in a trance. 'Wonder what's going on with her...?' he inwardly commented as he turned back toward the arena to see Naruto leaving the area. 'He was really taking it easy on me, wasn't he?' Kiba said in deep thought as he stroked Akamaru's head.

In the Kage's booth, Hiruzen narrowed his eyes as Naruto left the arena battleground. He had recognized some of those maneuvers and made a note to check something after everything was over. He glanced at the Kazekage who looked at the blond genin with interest. Hiruzen frowned at the look in his eyes. He had known Rasa for a very long-time and new that he was a man of few words. He had also been one who loved his village and placed its well-being before anything else. Even though they were allies, he was still cautious of him. The Leaf's relationship with the Sand had been rocky. It also didn't help that the treaty with them had been nearing its expiration date. Sunagakure was always an undecipherable nation. No one never knew where they particularly stood in the international arena so suspicions surrounding them were well-founded.

"That's Kyuubi jinchuriki, correct?" Rasa finally asked, much to Hiruzen's shock.

The Kazekage glanced at Hiruzen's shocked face and chuckled. "You shouldn't be too surprised, Lord Hokage. Your people are quite the chatty bunch." he replied.

Hiruzen grimaced at that comment, but didn't say anything. The booth was silent for a minute before Hiruzen finally had the voice to speak.

"That would be Naruto Uzumaki, genin of Team 7." Hiruzen said.

"You know, to be able to battle that Hyuga prodigy of yours on equal footing is an impressive feat." Kazekage said. "That was an entertaining battle and the boy proves to be full of surprises."

Hiruzen just stared at the battleground exit. "You have no idea." he said to no one in particular.

Soon, Genma had returned to arena floor with a slip of paper in his hand. He raised a hand to silence the crowd and grab their attention. Once the stadium was completely silent, Genma charge chakra into his throat and began to speak.