Chapter 14: Chunin Tournament - 1
"Hinata! Kiba!" Choji called over to his friends, "Come sit over here!" Hinata had made a perfect recovery from her fight. Kiba unfortunately was stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Gaara had completely shattered his legs, they wouldn't heal properly without divine intervention. Hinata wheeled Kiba over to there Choji was sitting and sat in between the two.
The stadium was bustling, not only was Naruto fighting in the chunin exam finals but so were the last Uchiha, the Fourth Kazekage's son, and the Third Tsuchikage's granddaughter. They were in for some good matches.
The Hokage, as well as the Kazekage and Tsuchikage, stood on a podium in the middle of the arena. Behind them was Genma, a jonin who always had a senbon in his mouth.
"Welcome all to the chunin exam finals. We will watch eight matches today. The chunin candidates will be randomly selected for their matches." Sarutobi said.
"What? We already know the matches!" Naruto shouted from the platform where the competitors stood.
Shikamaru shook his head, "No, we don't. They had us prepare for the wrong kind of fight." he looked towards Asuma, who stood with the other Konoha jonin teachers. Asuma nodded at his student.
"Troublesome..." Shikamaru muttered.
"Genma Shiranui will be the proctor for these exams." the Hokage said, "I'll leave the rest to him."
The three kage all disappeared, appearing in the kage box with a bodyguard each.
"Thank you Lord Hokage." Genma said, "Well I'm not gonna keep you waiting any longer, the first match will be as follows!" a box materialised in his hands and he pulled out two names, "Linkie Chaos and Sasuke Uchiha!"
However Sasuke wasn't there yet. No doubt Kakashi's doing.
Linkie was waiting, idly stabbing the ground with his swords. Genma was impatient and the crowd was shouting insults.
A messenger appeared at Genma's side and whispered something before disappearing.
"We have decided to wait until the end of the third match for Sasuke's arrival." Genma said, "Linkie you may return to the stands until Sasuke gets here. Instead the first match will be Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka."
Both girls nodded at each other as they walked down to the arena floor.
"No hard feelings Sakura?" Ino asked, putting her right hand up with two fingers outstretched.
Sakura made the same sign and nodded, "Don't worry Ino, I know you won't hold a grudge."
BEGIN
Genma jumped away as two kunai clanged together right where he stood. Ino junged at Sakura with a series of kicks that were barely dodged. Sakura retaliated with a powerful punch that knocked Ino back.
"Earth Style: Rock Fists!" Sakura shouted, weaving three hand seals and jumping back, tapping the ground. Three toddler sized fists made of stone were created and flew at Ino.
The blond jumped over the first one and ducked under the second simultaneously. The third nearly hit her but she quickly made two hand seals, "Dust Spray!" Ino spat out a cloud of dust.
The fist Sakura had created flew across the stadium, flying out of the dust and towards the wall, where it shattered, leaving a blood splatter.
"Ino I know you're still in this, don't give up so easily!" Sakura shouted. She spun around, trying to spot her rival but could see nothing. In the far corner there was a small pool of water with a few trees, they provided most of, if not all, the natural cover in the arena, and were the best spot to hide. Of course there was the dust cloud too, but Ino most likely used a substitution jutsu to escape, the blood was probably from a packet or something.
Drip drip drip drip drip
Sakura spun to face the dust cloud, which was settling now. Ino stood there, one of her legs gross and mangled, dripping blood.
"I caught you Sakura." Ino smirked, making a circle with her hands, "Mind Transfer Jutsu!" In's body slumped over as Sakura's spine straightened.
Inside Sakura's Mindscape
A room with a giant picture of Sakura and all her friends and family above a fireplace. A large television on the opposite wall.
"How does it feel Sakura?" Ino asked, sitting on a comfy purple armchair. Sakura was tied up against a wooden kitchen chair, "To have me able to control your body, and be able to see any memories I want to?" Ino walked to the edge of the room, where a door come into existence, "Should I go to your first crush?"
"NONONONONO!" Sakura shouted, "Kiba was not a crush! I said he as cute one time and we were, like, 7! He had a puppy Ino!"
Ino laughed, "Oh Sakura you're so cute." she patted the pinkette's head. "Alright I'll get out, sorry I just had to see how you laid this place out." Ino winked.
In the arena
Sakura looked towards Genma, "I give." she said, walking back to the competitor stands.
Ino's head snapped up and she looke dto the crowd, both hands up in the air, "THAT'S RIGHT! I, the beautiful Ino Yamanaka, have won the first match of the chunin exams!" she shouted, causing the crowd to roar in applause, "Now please give it up for my riva Sakura Haruno!"
Ino was suddenly punched in the face by Sakura and sent skidding along the dirt.
"I didn't say I gave up Ino, you only said 'I give'." Sakura smirked as she ran up and kicked Ino hard in the stomach.
Ino laughed, "Ya I thought I would get you with that." she stood up and stretched her arms, "Time to get serious I guess." Ino rapidly went through hand seals, "Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death!"
Ino appeared above Sakura in a tree that had wrapped around the pinkette. Sakura looked up and saw a large ball of flames coming towards the arena.
"Ino look out!" Sakura pushed her rival away as the meteor hit, charring the tree and the pinkette.
Sakura didn't feel any burns as she woke up. She looked around and saw Kiba and Shino, dead. Akamaru was eating one of Kiba's legs. She fearfully stepped back bumping into Kurenai.
"Kurenai-sensei help me!" Sakura cried, only to watch Kurenai explode into dust.
"This... this can't be real..." Sakura looked around, seeing more and more of the people she cared about dead or dying. She watched herself dancing with blades of stone, cutting down her parents, Iruka-sensei, the Hokage, all of them fell before her blade.
Sakura fell to her knees, "No, I can't..."
"Sakura Haruno has seemingly lost the will to fight, Ino Yamanaka is the-" Genma's voice rang out through the world.
"RELEASE!" Sakura shouted, pouring more than half her chakra into breaking the genjutsu.
Sakura stood up, "Nice one Ino." she smirked, "I didn't expect that from you." she outstretched both hands, the stone rose up and cormed two swords, "But it did give me an idea."
Ino smirked, "Well those are rare for you Sakura." Ino ran at Sakura and jumped over her slash, "If you knew how to use those I'd be in trouble but as it stands..." Ino rolled under another slash and dashed towards the pool of water, making a one handed dragon seal, "HYDRO BLADE JUTSU!" she dipped her hand into the water and pulled out a spear made of water, "I have the upper hand in weapons!"
Sakura and Ino clashed weapons a few times. Sakura's swords craved right through Ino's spear, but die to the long reach of the polearm, Ino was never hit while Sakura received a few stabs.
Ino jumped back from a cross slash, landing in an awkward position. As Sakura charged her however, Ino twisted her foot, making a small wall of earth underneath her rival's foot. Sakura tripped forwards. Ino stood up and pointed her spear at Sakura's throat, "Surrender."
Sakura tapped the ground twice, "I give up."
"Ino Yamanka is the winner of the first match!" Genma announced. "Moving on the second match will be Shikamaru Nara and Kankuro of the Sand."
Kankuro shook his head, "I give up."
Genma looked bewildered, "Seriously?"
"I'm not fighting him. He can stop my puppets too easily with those shadows." Kankuro shrugged.
"Fine fine, next match, "Rock Lee and Neji Hyuga!"
Lee jumped down, "I am ready to show everyone the power of my youth. I will surpass you Neji!"
Neji appeared in a swirl of leaves, "Lee, had you been luckier perhaps we would have met in the finals, however destiny has seen it fit for you to lose here. I apologise." Neji said, activating his Byakugan.
"LEE!" Naruto yelled, "Beat that destiny stuff out of Neji's head!"
"Naruto!" Lee shouted, "I will show Neji that the fires of youth can defeat destiny even if they burn hot enough!"
"Enough talk, time for action." Genma said.
BEGIN
Lee looked at Neji, "Neji, please activate your Byakugan. I do not wish to have a handicap in this match."
Neji smirked, "Very well. Byakugan!" the veins around his eyes popped as his eyes lost their color.
"Thank you." Lee bowed. He unfastened his leg warmers, holding them up to reveal a set of weights. "I will not grant you a handicap either." Lee dropped the weights, creating two large craters and a humongus plume of dust.
"Gai what the hell?" Asuma asked his fellow jonin.
"Lee is dedicated to being the best. I will help him achieve his goal. I stand beside Lee's dream of being recognised as an excellent shinobi based on taijutsu alone." Gai said.
"Hmm, you really care for the boy." Asuma nodded, "That's good."
"Even with those weights off you cannot defeat me Lee, destiny has spoken!" Neji dashed at Lee, striking with a flurry of palms. Lee managed to dodge every one of them.
"We shall see, Severe Leaf Hurricane!" Lee spun around, smashing his foot into Neji's back and sending the Hyuga stumbling forwards. "Leaf Triple Hwechook!" Lee appeared in front of Neji and brought his leg up for a kick. He kicked Neji in the chin then stepped back, stepping in for another kick he hit Neji in the temple on the opposite side of his face. Lee side stepped and kicked one last time, hitting Neji in the back of the head and putting the prodigy on the ground.
"You have done well, fighting destiny to this point Lee. Very well. However no matter how much you struggle destiny will prevail." Neji get up and ran at Lee, striking him in both arms with a series of jabs. Lee jumped back, kicking sand into Neji's eyes.
"I am sorry Neji, but you are wrong." Lee said. He ran at Neji but was stopped by a palm to the stomach that sent him flying.
Lee managed to get up, blood trailing from his lips, "Gai-sensei, I'm sorry to do this on Neji but I must accomplish my goal, and if I cannot, I will train even harder still!" Lee inhaled, gathering chakra, "The Eight Inner Gates! First Gate, the Gate of Opening, OPEN!" Lee's arms sprung up as a gust of wind blew from around him, "Second Gate, the Gate of Healing, OPEN!" he began hopping up and down, his energy fully restored, "Third Gate, the Gate of Life, OPEN!" Lee's skin turned red and his veins nearly popped from his skin.
Lee then appeared in front of Neji, his knee buried in the boy's stomach. Neji looked down and back up before he went flying.
"Nice trick Lee." Neji said, wiping blood from his mouth, "I will show you mine now."
Lee appeared in front of Neji, going for another Severe Leaf Hurricane, "KAITEN!" Neji spun around, releasing chakra and creating a dome that sent Lee flying.
The bowl-haired boy was bleed from his right leg from the recoil of his kick, his bones nearly broken from recoil.
"You are within my field of divination Lee, I'm sorry but it ends here. Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!" Neji appeared in front of Lee, "TWO!" he slammed two palms into Lee, "FOUR!" two more, "EIGHT!" four more, "SIXTEEN!" eight more, "THIRTY-TWO!" sixteen more, "SIXTY-FOUR!" thirty-two more.
Lee went flying, landing right on his back. He somehow managed to will himself to a standing position, "Neji, you are a worthy adversary. The Eight Inner Gates, the Fourth Gate, Gate of Pain, OPEN! The Fifth Gate, Gate of Closing, OPEN!" energy poured from Lee's body. He screamed in pain as his chakra points were forcefully opened. He appeared in the air above Neji, "LEAF DROP!" he shouted.
"KAITEN!" Neji created his barrier.
Lee hit the barrier with his kick, tearing right through it and slamming his heel into neji's shoulder.
Lee stumbled back, his right leg completely mangled from the impact. Neji was standing but his left shoulder looked to be shattered.
"Neji, I will change destiny here." Lee stumbled towards Neji, who was frozen in shock.
"You... you broke the unbeatable defense of the Hyuga... the Kaiten is a main branch technique, I risked everything to learn it and you broke right through it, how?"
"Hard Work and Determination." Lee said, standing in front of Neji. Lee cocked a fist back and punched Neji in the face, knocking his rival out.
Lee looked up at Gai and smiled, "I did it Gai-sensei!" He shouted before his skin returned to normal and he fell on his back.
"ROCK LEE is the winner of this match!" Genma shouted. He called a medic squad for the two. They came and took them away.
"Was it really worth it kid?" Genma asked silently. "Next match will be Ayato vs Frogg!"
Ayato stepped onto the arena floor with a sword at his waist. He seemed to have bags under his eyes as if he weren't sleeping well lately.
Frogg hopped down and looked at Ayato. He knows, finish him quickly! The words rang through her head and she looked up to the Kage stand and nodded towards the Kazekage.
BEGIN
"Water Style: Piercing Needles!" Frogg blasted needles of water towards Ayato.
The Konoha-nin merely activated his Swift Release kekkei genkai and walked around the needles. Drawing his sword he dashed at Frogg and sliced one of her arms clean off.
"You Suna bastards killed the man who became my father, murdered him in cold blood." Ayato looked towards Baki in the stands, "Don't pretend to be our-"
His shout was cut off by a flurry of water needles stabbing him in the back, knocking him to the ground.
"Water Style: Raging Waves!" Frogg shouted, hopping into the air and inhaling as she made one handed hand seals. She expelled a torrent of water that flew towards Ayato's prone form.
"Swift Style: Teleportation!" Ayato shouted. He disappeared, having teleported into the trees nearby.
Frogg landed and looked around. She turned to the trees, which were right beside a pool of water, and hopped into the water. Closing her eyes she became one with the water. She could see from the surface now, and would know when he resurfaced.
Frogg's eyes widened as she swam upwards.
"Lightning Style: Current." Ayato's voice rang out. He stepped up to the water and placed his lightning covered sword into the pool. The electricity swam from the blade into the entire pool, causing Frogg to begin convulsing.
"I win." Ayato walked away.
Genma peered into the pool and saw an unconscious and convulsing Frogg at the bottom. He dove in and grabbed her, coming out with sparks flying off him. He summoned another medical squad for the girl.
"Ayato Hattori has won this match!" Genma announced. "Next match will be Kurotsuchi and Nyxx!"
And that's where I'll leave it. I hope you all enjoyed it. Writing the Lee and Neji fight was just so satisfying. I actually had so much trouble with it though, because Neji is a personal favourite of mine (probably because I love the Byakugan and Gentle Fist so much) and so every draft had him winning the fight but my plans have Lee winning, plus I had to fan his FLAMES OF YOUTH! Anyways thanks for reading!
In regards to the poll, I decided that since both the 'no' and 'maybe another fic' added up higher than the 'yes' option, I'll write a separate fic about a Narutoverse with gods. Not sure when it'll be up but I've started planning it, don't hesitate to PM for for details if you're interested.
End chapter 14