Of Matches, Winners, and Reunions pt.3
-Of Matches, Winners, and Reunions pt.3-
A heavy silence filled the air after Naruto’s proclamation, and everyone found their gazes alternating between the blond and Neji as the two continued their stare down.
However, other matches needed to be decided, prompting Hayate to speak up. “Enough of that,” he coughed, “We’re moving on to the next match, everyone please clear the area and return to the upper-levels.” He orders, catching sight of the “cleanup crew” as they entered the room to remove Hinata’s blood from the floor.
***
Once the crew finished up their task and after the last few stragglers trickled away and reappeared on the second level, the sickly proctor finally turns to the display. “Now, for the tenth matchup.”
Everyone watched the board, intrigued - seeing as the last few remaining participants, with the exception of Chōji, seemed to be relatively intimidating opponents. Finally after a moment of waiting, the names were chosen.
Kazuki Tanaka vs Tetsuya Yamada
“So, it’s Kazu and Tetsu’s turn, eh? Guess I came back at a good time.”
Amaya turns as Hikari appears beside her and nods, her gaze quickly returning to the two males as they jumped over the railing and to the lower-level below. ‘I’m surprised it hasn’t happened sooner...’ The brunette thought to herself, seeing as the two were the only ones matched up with a teammate.
The Minamoto then allows her gaze to drift towards the blonde a second time, this time landing on the small, white bandage taped to her forehead. “How’re you feeling? Did they give you the clear to leave?”
“Pfft, no!” Hikari snickers, sharing an amused look with her “rival”. “But I feel fine, plus they were too busy dealing with Eijiro to pay attention to me.”
Amaya’s brows furrow in concern. “What’s wrong with him?... Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen him since we got here, any reason for that?”
Sighing, Hikari shrugs. “Ah, he got pretty injured during the last few hours of the last test... We got ambushed on our way to the tower - they were amateurs - but they still got a few good hits in.”
Lee, having been listening in with the other remaining Genin, stepped forward and placed a hand on the blonde’s shoulder. "I'm sure he's alright, he wouldn't want you to worry over him... I'll go with you, the next time you visit him, if you want?"
Hikari flushed a light pink and looked to the side. "S-sure do whatever you want..." She stammered out, her face growing a darker shade of vermilion as her head snapped over into his direction. "NOT THAT I NEED SOMEONE TO GO WITH ME OR ANYTHING!"
Lee nodded happily, giving her a sparkly smile and a thumbs up. "Yes! It is a date then!" He replied, unknowingly flustering the Takahashi even more if possible.
‘Gai’s mini-me, eh?’ Shiori mused to herself with a smirk, her expression making Hikari’s face turn darker. ‘My sister really does have strange tastes...’
'Atta boy, Lee...' Gai thought to himself, reaching up to wipe away a tear as he placed a hand on Neji's shoulder. "Observe, Neji... This is the true power of youth. I hope that you, too, will experience it one day..."
Neji deadpanned and looked away. "This is ridiculous." He muttered grouchily, his eyebrow twitching at the light, taunting snickers coming from those around him.
"When you're ready, you may begin." Hayate informs, regaining everyone’s attention as he took a step back and away from the duo.
Not hesitating for a split second, both boys sprung forward, engaging in a fierce Taijutsu battle right off the bat.
Tetsuya starts off with a spinning high-kick, following through by an attempt to sweep his teammates feet from under him.
Kazuki dodges both attacks before reaching into his pouch, swiftly and deftly pulling out a kunai and twirling it between his fingers before charging forward again, his weapon clashing with Tetsuya’s with a clang.
“Who do you think will win?” Amaya asks, turning to her distant relatives curiously.
Hikari hums to herself, tapping a finger to her chin thoughtfully. “It’s hard to say, actually.” She answers, tilting her head to the side slightly. “Both are pretty equal in strength and speed, though Tetsu’s got farbetter stamina and chakra control. However, Kazu’s got the jump on him with his chakra reserves and Ninjutsu.”
“So it could go either way... A battle of strategizing.. brute force, maybe?” Sakura murmurs, suddenly joining the conversation.
“Possibly... But like she said, it’s hard to say.” Shiori voices, watching the fight below with trained and observant eyes. “In theory, Tetsuya is basically a team medic at this point, he studies various medical practices when he can and has a good idea of what organs and bodily functions are best to attack and render useless during fights. He doesn’t really mind what method he uses - it could be through poisons or pressure points. The kid really has no limits - except maybe the healingfactor of the subject, but hey, he’s learning as he goes.”
She pauses for a moment. “Kazuki knows this, and since he’s best at mid-to-long range tactics... Well, if he wants to finish this quickly and as painless as possible, it’s better if he keeps a good distance between them. If Tetsu is given the opportunity, he could do some pretty good damage in close-range. So, if he can’t touch him, he can’t hurt him too badly.”
As if hearing his teachers words, Kazuki jumps back a few feet - already in the process of performing hand-signs. Katōn: Honō no Kabe!” He exclaims, taking a deep breath before exhaling a large fireball that splits directly up the middle. The flames then spread outwards, encircling the two within large, towering walls of fire.
Now with limited space to move in, the two charge forward once more. However, before Kazuki could make any extra moves, Tetsuya quickly throws a couple of senbon - two of which barely graze the red-heads right arm and cheek, drawing blood.
The two then clash once more in a flurry of chakra-enhanced punches and kicks. However, Kazuki’s movements started to visibly slow and become slightly more sluggish.
“So that’s how it’s gonna be, eh?” The red-head grunts, earning a smug smirk from Tetsuya in return. “You’re such a weasel! Didn’t take you for the type to use underhanded moves like that!”
“You’re my teammate, but right now you’re also my opponent... I for one, came here to win, what about you?” The ravenet taunts, earning an enraged yell from his teammate.
“I don’t get it... What did he do?” Sakura questions, turning to look up at the blonde Jounin.
Shiori smirks. “Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten what I said?” She lightly teases, making the pinkette flush. The blonde then chuckles and gently pats the girl on the head. “I told you Tetsu doesn’t care about what tactics he uses, right? Out of the two things I mentioned, what did he do? He obviously didn’t attack any pressure points, so that means...?”
“Poison...!” Amaya murmurs in realization, an impressed expression forming on her face. “One that causes paralysis? Considering Tanaka-san’s sudden lack in speed, it must be pretty fast-acting... But since it wasn’t a direct hit - only a graze - it wasn’t as effective?”
“Bingo.” Hikari grins, snickering when Sakura let out a gasp. “How else do you think we got our scroll so quickly and through that last test almost completely unscathed?... I mean, don’t get me wrong, we all pulled our weight equally, but half of those kids weren’t expecting the new concoction Tetsu had been working on for weeks.”
‘It’s impressive to say the least...’ Kakashi thought to himself, amazed at the turnout of abilities shown during this portion of the Exams. ‘It’s really anyone’s game this time around.’
Once again Kazuki blocks another hit, only this time - with a quick rush of adrenaline - he grabs his teammates arm. He then quickly spins him around before kicking the ravenet in the back, sending him tumbling across the floor roughly.
As Tetsuya gathered his bearings, Kazuki began preforming hand-signs. “Katōn: Hōsenka Tsumabeni!” He exclaims, pulling out a few shuriken - throwing them as he blew fire onto them, catching them all aflame.
Tetsuya quickly jumped up and backwards, though he wasn’t quite fast enough as a few of the shuriken grazed his skin, leaving burns in their wake.
While he was busy dodging the flaming weapons, Kazuki surged forward and landed a hit, punching the ravenet in the face and sending him stumbling backwards.
By now both boys were panting, staring each other down - somewhat triumphantly - as they paused in their fight to catch their breath.
However, the break only lasts for a moment before they’re charging forward once more. Clashing once again, they enter another Taijutsu battle, before finally - in a fashion similar to Ino and Sakura’s fight - both end up taking a synchronized, chakra infused punch to the face that sends them both sprawled out onto the floor.
A minute or so passes with neither moving, and just as Hayate is about to call it as another tie, Kazuki’s hand raises into the air - and everyone expects him to withdraw, but he surprises them by slowly attempting to push himself up. He falters at first, but somehow manages to eventually stand - revealing a few senbon embedded into his thigh, just above his knee.
Seeing as the red-head was conscious, and still no movement from from Tetsuya, Hayate decides to officially call the match.
“Kazuki Tanaka moves on to the next round.”
***
“You both did well. I’m proud of you guys.”
Amaya watched from above with the others as Shiori spoke to the two males, who were now awake and placed onto stretchers - each sporting a grimace and various wounds to match.
“Do I really have to go to the infirmary? I feel fine, Sensei.” Kazuki practically whines, wincing as he jostles his quickly numbing leg too much.
“Yes. You need to go get that poison taken care of, even if it’s practically harmless.” Shiori replies, turning her attention to Tetsuya afterwards. “Same goes to you, get those burns checked.”
Both groan and share a pitying glance at her words but silently comply, neither one wanting to face their teachers wrath.
The blonde Jounin grins at their expressions and pats them both roughly on their legs - earning another wince from the duo in return. “Hikari and I are gonna stay back and finish watching the matches. There’s only two left, so we’ll meet up with you three in a while... Make sure to keep Eijiro company as well.”
“You got it, Boss.” Kazuki replies, waving her off lazily before glancing up to the upper-level. “HEY, LEE! KICK SOME ASS FOR ME, ‘KAY BUDDY?!”
Lee grins brightly and salutes before giving the male a thumbs up. “OF COURSE, I WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!”
From the corner of her eye, Amaya spots a small smile growing on Hikari’s face, but doesn’t comment on it - opting to roll her eyes with a chuckle of her own instead.
A few minutes later, everyone found their gazes trained on the display once again, waiting for it to turn on.
“Woah, Chōji, glad I’m not you. I mean, you’ve still got the toughest ones left!... I wouldn’t wanna face anyone of ‘em...” Shikamaru trails off, his usually bored gaze moving around the room, taking in the remaining opponents. “That creepy guy from the Sound Village, and Rock Lee’s gotta be tough if he took on Sasuke... And especially not that Sand Village guy— I don’t even like being in the same room as him.”
Chōji lets out a whine and kneels, his hands gripping tightly onto the metal rails. “Oh, I’m not feelin’ so good...! Maybe I ought to go ahead and forfeit right now?...”
“Saa~... Way to build his confidence, Shika...” Amaya scolds lightly, nudging her friend gently in the ribs. She then sends Chōji a sympathetic smile, before her gaze also moves across the room to observe the two nins from differing villages. ‘Poor guy... If anyone should’ve went first, it should’ve been Chōji. The kid’s too soft compared to those left to participate... Maybe he’ll get lucky and get matched up with Lee? There’s still a large chance he’d lose, but at least he won’t be toyed with mercilessly.’
As soon as the thought crosses her mind, Gaara suddenly meets her gaze head-on and Amaya feels her breath hitch in her throat, shivering as an unpleasant tingle trickles down her spine. She holds his stare for a moment longer, granting him a weak smile before quickly looking away. ‘Yup... Lee’s his only hope.’
“What?” Asuma suddenly questions, gaining the quartets attention. “You know,” he begins lightly - almost teasingly, “If you win, I’ll take you out for barbecue...”
“WHA...?!” Chōji stares up at him wide eyed before becoming disheartened once again; hanging his head low. “Oh, come on...”
Grinning, Asuma kneels next to the boy - ignoring the unimpressed stares of the three Genin to the side. “Chōji... C’mon, don’t worry! If it gets bad, we’ll step in and stop the fight just like with Hinata, ‘kay?... Just think of it, all of the short-ribs you could eat!...”
‘You’ve stooped so low, Asuma-sensei...’ Amaya thought, deadpanning.
Ino scoffs, crossing her arms. ‘What a low blow! Playing on his weak spot?!’
‘When did he step in and stop the fight, anyway?’ Shikamaru questions, not surprised at his teacher’s actions in the slightest.
Chōji’s usually squinted eyes opened wide, almost sparkling at the thought of food. Shooting up from his crouch, he punched at the air determinedly. “NOW YOU’RE TALKIN’! ALL YOU CAN EAT!... BRING IT ON!”
Hayate coughs, bringing everyone’s attention back to him. “Now then, we’ll continue the competition.”
As the board comes to life, Gai grins and turns to Lee. “Alright!... This time you’ll be picked, I just know it! You ready, Lee?!” He questions, sending the boy a thumbs up.
Lee turns his head away, his nose high in the air. “No!” He replies, making everyone look at him in surprise. “I have been waiting so long, I do not care! I might as well go last!”
‘What’s up with Lee? Is he... sulking?’ Sakura thought to herself, staring at the boy bemused.
Hearing the familiar ding signaling the names being chosen, Amaya turns her head to read the board; her face growing slightly pale in response.
Gaara vs Rock Lee
Suddenly, Chōji lets out a loud yell, briefly earning everyone’s attention. “SAFE AGAIN!” He exclaims, his cheers only coming to a halt when Ino bonks him on the head.
“Stop that!”
Shikamaru follows the girls example, “Do you want everyone to know you’re a chicken?!”
Amaya fidgets in place, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. ‘I can’t really blame him for being happy, but still...’ She thought, trailing off as she watched Gaara move to the lower-level in a whirlwind of sand.
“Well? Come on, let’s do this.” The red-head calls, staring up at Lee emotionlessly.
At his prompt, Amaya’s eyes then trail over in Lee’s direction, sweatdropping when he spins around and begins to kick his leg out continuously.
“It worked like a charm! I knew if I said I wanted to be last, I would be next! I simply applied the principle which states that sometimes the surest way to hit something, is to stop trying to hit it!” He exclaims happily, lowering his leg to begin shadowboxing. “It is a form of reverse psychology!”
“WHOO-AAAHH!” Gai cheers excitedly, fist-pumping. “That’s my student!”
“I absolutelywas notgoing to be last! No matter what!... Haha! I sure fooled them, did I not?!” Lee babbled happily.
‘Fooled who?’ Sakura thought with a deadpan.
Gai takes a step closer and leans in, his actions prompting Lee to do the same. “Now then, listen carefully— A piece of advice before you begin...”
Lee salutes. “Sir!”
“Look, you see that gourd that Gaara is wearing?” Gai asks, and both of their gazes move downwards and onto the awaiting nin. Their faces then grow dark and unsettled. “Watch out, there’s something weird about it.” He warns, making those near him sweatdrop - primarily those of Team 7.
“Good advice, sir!” Lee compliments, pulling out his pencil and little notebook to write it down.
Gai stares at him incredulously. “Don’t write it down! What are you thinking?... After all, you’re not gonna have time to read any notes during the match, are you?!”
“Ah! More good advice!” Lee praises, writing it down as well.
Gai sighs but nods anyway, patting the boy on the shoulder for good luck. “Now rock and ROLL!”
“YEAH!” Lee cheers, jumping over the railing; landing in a crouch a few feet away from Gaara.
Once he regained equal footing, Lee stood before lowering into his signature fighting stance. “I knew that sooner or later we would have to meet, and I’m glad it is sooner!” He informs, though Gaara doesn’t say anything - only staring back blankly.
Suddenly, the plug to Gaara’s gourd is sent flying through the air. Lee, however, quickly catches it and drops it at his feet - his actions making Hayate smirk in amusement.
“Why are you in such a hurry?” Lee questions, though doesn’t receive an answer.
Hayate sighs. “All right then... If you are both ready, begin.”
Without missing a beat, Lee sprints forward and jumps into the air, preforming a spinning kick. “Leaf Hurricane!”
In a split second, sand shoots up into the air, blocking the kick.
Lee jumps back and lands on the floor in a crouch. However, the sand follows - creating a large wave as it rose from the ground.
With no other option but to evade, Lee does a back-handspring, his heels skidding across the floor as he lets out a breath. And as soon as he was a suitable distance away, the sand slowly retreated back into Gaara’s gourd.
‘A sand manipulating jutsu, hm? Seems like Amaya was right...’ Lee thought to himself, remembering back to what the brunette said during Tenten’s match. ‘It will not be easy getting through that! But nothing ventured, nothing gained!’ As soon as the thought comes to him, he runs forward again, attempting his previous attack again before following though with a series of kicks and jabs - however, the sand blocks every one.
Hearing sand approaching from behind, Lee pulls out a kunai and spins around, slicing through it each time it makes a grab at him. Once it retreats, he pivots on his heel, facing Gaara as he brought his leg up in a roundhouse kick - which is also immediately blocked.
The sand approaches again, attempting to wrap around Lee’s ankles, forcing the boy to once again move away in a series of back-handsprings. Lee then jumps into the air and throws a couple of shuriken Gaara’s way, but as expected, they were all blocked.
Landing a few feet away, Lee falls back into his stance, panting. ‘How is he doing it?! He’s not even moving a muscle!’ He thought, becoming somewhat exasperated as he met the red-heads blank gaze.
A moment of silence passes before Gaara breaks it. “Well? Is that all?... I hope you haven’t finished entertainingme...” The red-head calls, his voice as grave as ever. When Lee doesn’t make a move or say anything in response, his sea-foam colored eyes grow a little darker. “We haven’t had enoughblood.”
As soon as the words leave his lips, his sand surges forward. Lee jumps out of the way but isn’t fast enough as it wraps around his ankle and swings him around, slinging him into the wall.
The sand aims for him a second time but Lee dodges to the side - leaving it to crash against the place where he once sat.
Lee runs forward again and aims a punch, however, more sand seeps from Gaara’s gourd and blocks it - leaving the duo in a similar situation as before that continues on for a few more minutes.
“I don’t get it... He’s only using Taijutsu! Can’t he see that’s never going to work?” Sakura questions from her spot on Kakashi’s left, turning to look up at Gai. “Why doesn’t he get some distance and use Ninjutsu?”
“Yes, that might be a good idea... That is if he had any.” Gai concedes, not looking away from the fight below.
“Huh?”
“Lee has no Ninjutsu or Genjutsu skills at all.” The green-clad Jounin informs.
“You’re kidding?!” Sakura exclaims and Amaya feels her stomach clench tightly - not out of pity, but rather worry for the boy.
Gai smiles fondly. “Oh, that’s nothing. You should’ve seen how hopeless he was when I first met him. No talent whatsoever.”
“Really? I can’t believe it!” Sakura mumbles, turning back to the fight.
Lee attempts to move back, but the sand slides beneath his feet - making him stumble.
The sand then rose once more, forming a large wave before crashing over the fallen boy.
Sakura and Ino gasp while Amaya’s yelps out a breathless “Lee!”
“It’s over...!” Shikamaru exclaims.
Gai, however, was unperturbed as he chuckled to himself. Turning his way, everyone follows his gaze upwards - spotting Lee flipping in the air before he lands in a crouch on top of the statue in the front of the room.
“A ninja who can do neither Ninjutsu or Genjutsu is certainly a rarity. Lee has only his Taijutsu to rely on. Some might consider that a disadvantage, but thatis what makes him a winner.” Gai informs, briefly earning their attention as he angled his body in Lee’s direction, giving the boy a thumbs up. “Alright, Lee! Take ‘em off!”
Lee moves his gaze away from Gaara and stares at his mentor or a moment, baffled. “Uh... But, Gai-sensei... You said that was only a last resort, when the lives of very important people were at stake!”
“That’s right, I did!” Gai agrees, his grin growing wider. “But this is an exception!”
“Really?... Really?!” Lee questioned, his confusion dissipating as a wide, gleaming smile overtook his face. Sitting down, he peels off his bright orange leg-warmers, the action revealing a set of weights wrapped around his lower-calves and ankles.
Shikamaru snorts - mostly at Amaya and Hikari’s starry-eyed expressions. “How old-fashioned...”
Amaya gently swats him on the arm. “They’re effective!” She scolds, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. ‘But to think, he’s been walking and running around with them on like it’s nothing! I wonder how much they weigh...’ She thought to herself, her gaze moving back to the green-clad boy.
Lee - after returning his leg-warmers back to their usual place - stands, holding out the weights at his sides. “Ah! That is better! Now I will be able to move freely!” He sighs happily, releasing his grip on the weights.
Temari smirks to herself. ‘C’mon, do you really think he’ll be able to get through Gaara’s defenses just by dropping a couple of pounds of weight?’
The weights slam into the floor, creating two loud explosive sounds as dust and stone fragments are sent into the air.
The room is completely silent. Everyone was too stunned to speak.
Even though she was on the second-level, Amaya felt the floor beneath her feet tremble at the force, making her deadpan.
Kakashi brings a hand up to his face, his eye glittering in amusement. ‘Gai, you are too much...’
Grinning at the expected reaction, Gai gives Lee a two-finger salute before signaling towards a still apathetic Gaara. “All right... NOW GO!”
Lee nods. “Yes, sir!”
Lee jumps from the statue, his speed now increased tenfold - allowing him to now go so fast the human eye could barely keep up with him. He disappears for a moment, reappearing behind Gaara a split second later as he threw a punch.
Gaara’s sand barely has enough time to block the hit, making the red-head turn in surprise as he feels the slight wind-pressure from the attempted attack. However, Lee was, once again, nowhere in sight.
Lee appears once again on the nins opposite side, attempting a spinning kick - another move the sand is barely able to block.
Gaara turns in the direction once more, but Lee was already gone.
This continues for a few more minutes. Lee would attack while the sand defended, however, each attack became faster and more unpredictable as time went on.
Suddenly, Lee appears in front of Gaara, his punch plowing through the sand - barely missing the red-heads face by a few centimeters.
“So close!” Sakura exclaims, excited.
‘So fast...’ Kakashi thought to himself, chuckling as Amaya began bouncing on the balls of her feet in excitement. ‘It’s good to see her getting back to her old self.’
Unable to hold it in, Amaya laughs loudly and wraps her arms around both Shikamaru and Hikari’s shoulders, pulling them close - too excited to pay any attention to the small twinge in her left shoulder. “Saa~… Look at ‘em go!”
Gai chuckles at the brunette’s actions. “I could see that Lee had no aptitude for Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, so we skipped them and focused all of his time and energy into his Taijutsu. That way, we turned his disadvantage into a blessing. Now he doesn’t need those other things to win, because he turned himself into the worlds greatest Taijutsu specialist!”
By now, Lee was running circles around Gaara - literally; his movements only being told by the sand’s attempt to follow him. However, this doesn’t last long as he stops suddenly and jumps into the air, his movements too quick for the sand to follow. He then flips, preforming a spinning dropkick to the back of Gaara’s head. And after finally landing a hit, Lee jumps back - skidding to a stop before returning to his fighting stance.
“YES, LEE! LET THE POWER OF YOUTH EXPLODE!” Gai cheers, shadowboxing the air vigorously.
“RIGHT!” Lee responds. He then charges forward once more. This time, and for the first time through the whole match, Gaara moves.
The red-head steps back and swings his arm out, commanding the sand to rise and form a small wall. However, Lee bypasses it completely and attempts to attack from behind - only for it to be blocked by sand exiting the gourd.
Lee then begins attacking from all sides, prompting Gaara to spin and turn his head in hopes of catching sight of the green-clad male. However, all was for naught as he saw nothing and only heard the boys taunting calls.
“Over here!”
“No, here!”
Gaara pivots on his heel once again as Lee appeared in his peripheral, only to suddenly lead himself right into the boys fist - the hit sending the red-head to the floor roughly.
“Good!” Gai cheers enthusiastically.
“He got him!... Way to go, Lee! Keep it up!” Amaya cheers, releasing Hikari and Shikamaru from her hold before stepping closer to the railing - as if that would give her a better view.
“He’s just too quick!” Sakura breathes with a wide smile. “That sand can’t keep up with him!... LEE, YOU NAILED HIM!”
Gaara slowly stands, head bowed and breathing heavily as his sand surrounds and pools at his feet. Then, in a slight moment - almost unnoticeable, something crumbles to the floor from his face.
The red-head then looks up, revealing his face to be heavily cracked as well as an unsettlingly wide and very bloodthirsty smile on his face. His change in appearance altering the atmosphere of the room immediately.
“What the heck?! What’s going on with this guy, his face is falling off!” Amaya hears Naruto yell from where he was standing a little ways from Kurenai and Shino.
“It’s like a shell made of sand...” Kakashi mutters, intrigued.
“Look! There’s not a mark on the guy!” Shikamaru exclaims, surprised.
Sakura shivers. “That is so...weird!”
Rubbing her hands together, Amaya begins to worry her bottom lip with her teeth, a sinking feeling forming in her stomach as her excitement fades completely. “Saa~ I’ve gotta bad feeling about this...”
The sand at the red-heads feet raises up and begins to fix the cracked places along the boy’s body, his crazed look becoming a mask of indifference once again. “Well? Is that all?” He asks.
A moment of silence passes before Lee sends him a small smirk, unwrapping the bandages on his arms. “Get ready!” He calls, charging forward again; running circles around the red-head once more - picking up speed as he does so.
“What are you waiting for?” Gaara questions as the boy circles him for the umpteenth time.
Lee smirks to himself. “Okay, you asked for it!” He yells before suddenly appearing in front of the red-head, kicking Gaara in the chin and sending him into the air. However, due to the gourd adding extra weight, he didn’t go as high as expected. Seeing this, Lee jumps into the air after him. “Try this!” He yells again, repeatedly kicking Gaara in the stomach - sending him higher and higher from the ground.
“What an incredible series of kicks...” Kakashi muses, watching the airborne duo closely as Gai closes his eyes and claps his hands together in a silent prayer next to him.
Around that same time, Lee also closes his eyes from strain as he kicks one final time, not seeing the chip appear on Gaara’s cheek.
Kakashi hums and Amaya turns to him worried. “Sensei, does that mean...?”
“I think so.” Kakashi answers simply.
Lee quickly wraps his bandages around Gaara, bringing the red-heads arms to his side and constricting his movement. He then wounds his own arms around the boy’s immobile body and angles them both downwards. He begins to spin them around, their speed increasing the closer they got to the ground. “Now take this!... OMOTE RENGE!”
The two plow head-first into the ground, creating a large explosion of dust and rock - cracking the floor as a huge crater is created.
Unbothered, Lee jumps back from the impact zone and lands into a crouch, breathing heavily as he kept his eyes firmly locked on Gaara’s now broken and heavily cracked body. “It’s over... I got him!”
Hayate walks forward to check, however, he comes to a halt as Gaara’s face and body begins to chip away and collapse in on itself, revealing no sign of Gaara and a empty husk of sand.
Lee’s eyes widen even more - if possible - as he stares at the craters center. “What...?!”
Sakura leans forward, shocked. “An empty shell...!”
“But how?! When did he do it?!” Gai exclaims, turning to Kakashi when the male speaks.
“It was when you closed your eyes to pray.” The silver-haired Jounin informs, keeping his gaze on the fight below. “At that moment Lee closed his eyes, too, because of the pain... That’s when he did it.”
Gai grits his teeth and also returns his gaze to the duo below; just as Gaara makes his reappearance.
They all watch anxiously as the red-headed nin then continuously makes hand-sign after hand-sign, skillfully controlling the sand and barraging Lee with multiple attacks - giving him little time to react. Until eventually, Lee is swept off his feet by a large wave of sand, which then promptly slams him into the wall.
“I don’t get it...! What’s Lee doing just standing there?!” Sakura asks, turning to Gai frustrated. “With his speed, he should easily be able to get out of the way of those blasts, why doesn’t he dodge them?!”
“For a very simple reason... He can’tdodge them.” Gai answers.
“Huh?” Why is that?”
“The Lotus is what you might call...a double edged sword.” Kakashi cuts in informatively, earning himself the surrounding Genin’s attention.
“W-what does that mean?” Sakura asks.
Kakashi’s gaze turns to her. “You know that it’s a Forbidden Jutsu Technique. Why do you think that is?”
Sakura looks down thoughtfully. “Well...”
“Saa...~ It’s too risky for the user to...well, use.” Amaya answers, understanding the point her teacher was trying to make; her worry increasing for her newly acquired, and very eccentric friend below.
Kakashi nods. “The Lotus isn’t Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, it’s Taijutsu requiring extreme physical effort. The strain it puts on the body is unimaginable... No one can sustain it for long... Right now, Lee is in so much pain he can hardly move at all.” He then looks up to the male on his right. “Isn’t that right, Gai?”
“But...! But that means...” Sakura trails off worriedly, returning her attentions back to the fight.
“He’s practically tearing his body apart from the inside...” Amaya murmurs, making the pinkette’s worry grow tenfold.
The sand slowly retreats, returning back to Gaara to swirl around his feet protectively - leaving a panting Lee behind in the destroyed portion of the wall with his palms facing outwards in a blocking motion.
Gaara grins slightly and the sand attacks once more. This time, however, Lee is just barely able to dodge it as he jumps to the side and lands in a kneeling position a few feet away.
Gaara makes another hand-sign and the sand surges forward again, forcing Lee to move. The green-clad male jumps up and forces himself to run, dodging the oncoming blows, leaving them to crash into the floor and portions of wall behind him. This only lasts for a moment, however, as Lee is abruptly hit - sending him tumbling backwards.
Grunting, Lee pushes himself up from the ground and slowly stands, crossing his arms in front of his face in a defensive position; eyeing the Sand nin all the while.
Gaara laughs lowly. “What good do you think that’ll do?” He questions, sending the sand forward once more.
Lee dodges the next few attacks before retreating back enough to fall into his fighting stance, a smile growing on his face.
“Lee’s smiling! He’s running for his life but he’s still smiling!” Sakura exclaims.
“Yes. But now it’s Gaara’s turn to run.” Gai informs, meeting the pinkette’s gaze. “The Leaf Village Lotus blooms twice.”
Amaya turns to him at that with a brow raised curiously.
Sakura stares thoughtfully at him for a moment. “I’ve heard that somewhere before... Yeah, Lee told us that!” She murmurs, looking to Amaya for reassurance to which the brunette replied with a small nod.
Their response had Kakashi’s immediate attention, making him look at his long time friend shocked. “But... No...! Gai, you didn’t...!”
“Yes, Kakashi, I did.”
Kakashi’s eye narrows. “So that Genin, that boy, is able to open the Eight Inner-Gates and use the Inner-Lotus?”
Gai nods, his expression neutral. “That’s correct.”
Kakashi faces him fully. “Well... If that isn’t the most—!” He begins angrily, pausing for a moment to take a deep breath. “Okay. So then how many of the Inner-Gates is he able to open now?”
“Five Gates.”
Shiori sighs. “Oh, Gai...”
Sakura shares a look with Amaya and Hikari before turning to glance between the three Jounin. “Okay, what exactly are these Eight Inner-Gates you’re talking about?! And the Hidden Lotus?”
“The Eight Inner-Gates are like valves - or chakra limiters - that must be open if one is to release the Hidden Lotus.” Gai answers, not breaking eye contact with Kakashi.
“I’m still not following...!” Sakura informs.
“It sounds familiar, but I can’t place it...” Amaya trails off thoughtfully, watching as Kakashi turns away from Gai and raises his headband to observe the fight with his Sharingan.
“There are gates along the chakra network, located at those points in the body where the chakra is most heavily concentrated. Starting at the head, they are the Gate of Opening, the Gate of Rest, of Life, of Pain, of Closing, of Joy, of Shock, and the Gate of Death. These are what are called the Eight Inner-Gates... Their purpose is to limit the flow of chakra through the body.” Kakashi pauses, watching Lee for a moment as before continuing. “But the Lotus exerts tremendous pressure on these limiters, eventually forcing the gates open. This releases the restraints on the chakra, the result being that a persons strength can be increased tenfold or more.”
“The Primary Lotus opens only the First Gate - the Gate of Opening - releasing the brains restraints on the muscles, freeing a person to bring forth their body’s strength to its full extent. You’ve...seen the results.” Gai adds informatively.
“Wait a minute...! Just the Primary Lotus almost destroyed him, he could barely move! What’s gonna happen to him if he takes it farther?!” Sakura asks.
“Exactly.” Kakashi cuts in, making the two girls look up at him. “By opening all Eight Inner-Gates, you could attain power beyond even the Hokage’s. The only draw-back is...you die.” He informs, making Hikari look away tearfully while Amaya’s eyes widen and Sakura gasps.
He then turns to Gai, his tone stern. “I don’t know what this boy means to you, Gai, but I shouldn’t have to tell you that we never bring our personal feelings into play. I wouldn’t of thought you were capable of this...!”
“You have no right!” Gai snaps back in response, his usual jovial expression now replaced by one of frustrated anger. “You know nothing about him... Nothing at all!... That boy has something to prove, and he’s determined to prove it - even at the cost of his life...! And I am determined to help him reach his goal. Not for his sake, but because that goal is worth reaching.”
After seeing the expression’s on the three girls faces, Shiori chooses this time to step in. Placing a hand on Kakashi’s shoulder, she pulls him back slightly and keeps her gaze on Gai. “We— I understand where you’re coming from, Gai, believe me, I do... But Lee is just a kid... Hell, he’s barely a teenager!” As she says this, Gai’s expression darkens - prompting her to raise a hand placatingly and keep her voice soft. “Teenagers do reckless things all the time... I think what Kakashi means is that, something like this needs a little more contemplation, especially since the consequences are so high-stake.“
“He knows exactly what I mean.” Kakashi grumbles, shaking the blonde off as he returned his gaze back to the fight.
Gai turns to her at that. “Lee isn’t like that, and we’ve spoke about it in depth. He knows the consequences of this Jutsu.”
Shiori nods slowly and gives a small strained smile. “He’s you’re student, I’m sure you know better than anyone what’s best for him.”
Amaya turns to Hikari and Sakura after the three drop the subject and lets out a deep sigh. “Talk about heavy...” She mutters, earning an amused snort and eye roll in return.
Lee brings his arms up to guard his face once more, closing his eyes with a deal breath.
“I don’t know what you think you’re planning right now, but this match is over for you.” Gaara informs, unbothered.
“You are right. It is over, one way or another!” Lee informs, his response making Gaara pause as chakra begins to build up around the green-chad male.
Suddenly, Lee brings his arms down, revealing his red and vein-bulged appearance. “THIRD GATE - GATE OF LIFE - OPEN!” He exclaims before hunching over slightly as a green aura surrounds him. “THE FOURTH GATE - GATE OF PAIN - OPEN!”
Lee then surges forward, the movement alone cracking the flooring and sending chunks of stone and dust into the air. He closes the distance between himself and the red-head in a split second, taking Gaara off guard and allowing him to land a hit.
As Gaara is sent into the air, his sand-armor chips, the sight prompting Lee to attack again. “Hiding behind that sand-armor again, eh? Well, we’ll see about that!” He yells as he also jumped into the air. He then begins to hit Gaara around in mid-air at uncontrollable speeds, leaving no openings for the boy to counter.
‘My armor...can’t withstand this pounding...! It’s crumbling away...!’ Gaara thought to himself, feeling the shell coating his body crack open and begin to fall apart, a small surge of panic filling him.
Lee lands a few more hits before jumping back into the air, clenching a fist with slight strain as the pain slowly began to catch up with him. “One more and we are finished!... THE FIFTH GATE - GATE OF CLOSING - OPEN!”
The panic Gaara felt grew in intensity at the boy’s words. ‘No human can move like this...! It’s impossible to defend myself!’
At that moment, Lee punches the red-head in the stomach and sends him downwards. However, before Gaara could fall too far, Lee grabs the sash that was tied around the boy’s waist and kept the gourd secure to his back. “Now, to finish it!” He exclaims, pulling Gaara closer before kicking him harshly in the stomach. “URA RENGE!”
Everyone watches in awe as the two plow into the ground, the explosive sound shaking the room. Once again stone debris and dust fill the air, the high-pressured winds from the attack making all of the spectators cover their faces and eyes.
‘What’s happening...?!’ Gai thought to himself, attempting to squint and observe the aftermath of the attack.
Kakashi had better luck, however, as his eyes barely caught sight of Gaara’s gourd breaking apart. ‘The gourd is turning into sand...!’
Once things begin to calm down, everyone opens their eyes to see Lee tumbling across an undamaged portion of the floor roughly - eventually stopping a few feet away from the place of impact.
“Unbelievable! He did it!” Naruto exclaims as Kankuro called out to his red-headed sibling worriedly.
Sakura tightens her grip onto Hikari’s shirt sleeve. “Is it over...?”
Leaning over the railing, Amaya squints - attempting to see through the quickly dissipating dust. “Is he dead...? He’s dead, right?” She questions.
Shikamaru lets out an amused snort from spot to her right. “There’s no way he came out of that unscathed...” He begins, trailing off as Ino spoke up.
“What’s that...? Down there...” The blonde murmurs somewhat worriedly, prompting everyone to look away from Lee’s panting form.
The dust finally settles, revealing a very conscious Gaara - who’s sand had shielded his back from the impact of the fall. The red-headed nin tilts his head in Lee’s direction, his hand slowly raising into the air.
“No way...!” Amaya exclaims, tightening her grip on the railings.
Kakashi scowls to himself. ‘Unbelievable! He cushioned his fall by turning that gourd into sand!’
Gaara turns his hand in Lee’s direction, controlling the sand and making it move across the floor quickly.
Lee, no longer able to move at full capacity, attempts to crawl away from the approaching threat in hopes of getting out of the jutsu’s reach. However, all is for naught as the sand wraps around both his left arm and leg.
Glaring, Gaara clenches his fist. “Sabaku Kyū!”
Immediately following the command, the sand tightens around Lee’s limbs, constricting them even more after the bone becomes shattered.
Lee lets out a wail of pain before falling unconscious a moment later. As he hits the ground, the sand moves forward a second time - this time aiming to completely submerge the boy.
“Now you die!” Gaara growls, pushing himself up slightly - his eyes wide and bloodthirsty.
However, before the sand gets too close, Gai jumps down from the second level, moving to stand in front of his student - swiping the sand away with little to no trouble.
Gaara stares at the older male for a moment before wincing in pain, bringing a hand up to clutch at his head. “But why...? He failed...! Why save him?!”
“Because he’s— He’s my student. And also because he is precious to me.” Gai replies.
Gaara slowly pushes himself up, standing still for a moment to regain his bearings as his sand retreated and reformed the gourd. Once it all was gathered, he turns and begins to walk away.
Gai watches the boy incredulously. “Huh...?”
Gaara doesn’t stop walking, nor does he look back. “I quit.”
“He what...? He quits?” Sakura parrots curiously.
Kakashi sighs. “But it’s too late for Lee. He lost the match the minute Gai intervened.”
Hayate steps forward, watching after Gaara. “The winner is—!” He begins to speak, stopping himself abruptly as he spots Lee slowly pushing himself up from the ground.
As the room is filled with sounds of surprise, Gai turns his head, his own eyes widening. “It can’t be...!” He exclaims, turning to face his student fully. His words prompting Gaara to stop walking and turn in their direction.
Gai walks forward and braces Lee by his shoulders. “No, Lee. It’s alright, it’s all over now. Anyway, you’re in no condition to—!” He pauses for a moment, gasping as he realizes the boy was still unconscious. Gai’s grip on the boy’s shoulders tighten as tears fill his eyes. “Lee...! Oh, Lee! What have I done...?! Look at you, not even conscious and still determined to show the world what you can do...”
Lowering his gaze, Kakashi pulls his headband down with a pitying sigh. “He’s out cold... Nothing keeping him up but sheer willpower.”
“Lee... You’ve already proven it!” Gai exclaims, his voice wavering as he brought the unconscious boy into a hug. “You are a splendid ninja!”
Hayate sighs and raises his hand for finality. “The winner... Is Gaara.”
Looking away from the proctor, Sakura’s brows furrow in concern. “Lee!” She calls out worriedly, climbing up onto the railing, preparing to jump down to the first level.
“Sakura.” Kakashi calls, stopping the girl in her tracks as she turns to him. “There is nothing you can do for him right now... There are times when sympathetic words only make things worse.” He murmurs, looking away from the pinkette as Naruto makes his appearance as he runs up to the duo below. ‘Naruto...’
Around that same time, Hayate approaches as Gai gently lowers Lee onto the floor. The proctor kneels, overlooking the boy’s condition before letting out a gasp. “Hurry! This boy needs attention!” He exclaims, looking up to where Anko stood - prompting the woman to call for the med nins though her headset.
A minute or so passes before the trio of on-call Medical Ninja are sprinting into the room. And once they’re close enough, they also kneel at Lee’s side.
As two prepare to move the boy, one checks his vitals and and overall condition before letting out a gasp of his own. He immediately turns to Gai. “You’re his teacher, aren’t you?”
Gai nods. “I am, what is it?”
“Will you come with me?” He asks, motioning for Gai to step aside to talk privately as the other two med nins lift Lee onto the stretcher. However, despite his low tone of voice, those above could still hear the conversation clearly.
“The boy’s breathing is faint but steady. There are bone fractures and muscle tears throughout his body... He’s facing a long and difficult rehabilitation. But I’m afraid that’s not the worst of it...” The med nin trails off, bowing his head. “His left arm and leg in particular have suffered massive damage.”
At Gai’s concerned and somewhat apprehensive expression, the nin continues. “I’m sorry, I know how much it means to you both, but he’ll never fight again. His days as a Shinobi are over.” He informs, pausing for a brief moment to bow politely before following after the other two as they lift Lee and the stretcher.
Everyone’s eyes widen at the information, though it’s Naruto who speaks up first. “No... He’s wrong! He’s wrong, it can’t be true!” The blond murmurs, watching as the three nins walk away and towards the door. However, his shock is quickly replaced by anger. “EASY FOR YOU TO SAY IT’S OVER! WHAT ABOUT BUSHY-BROW?! WHAT’S HE SUPPOSED TO DO NOW...?!”
Amaya looks away tearfully and over to Hikari, taking the blonde’s hand gently when she spots the girls composure slowly breaking. She then sends Kakashi a pleading glance. “Sensei...”
Kakashi nods and moves forward, jumping down to the lower level.
Naruto, somewhat oblivious to the solemn atmosphere filling the room and his approaching teacher, continues on. “FAILURE... I THOUGHT YOU SAID WE COULD WIN?! I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA SHOW HOW A FAILURE CAN— IT WAS ALL A LIE, WASN’T IT?!—“
Kakashi takes hold of him from behind, covering the blonde’s mouth. “That’s enough, Naruto.”
Naruto brushes his hand aside and looks up at him. “But, Sensei...! It isn’t fair! All he ever wanted, was to prove himself against Sasuke and Neji!”
“And maybe that’s what lead to his downfall.” Kakashi replies. “He was so fixated in that goal, that he sacrificed his body - his future - to attain it. And now that goal is unattainable...” He trails off for a moment, thoughtful. “But you’re wrong about one thing, Naruto. It wasn’t just Sasuke and Neji he was thinking of... It was you, too. That’s right, he risked everything just for the hope of meeting you in combat, remember that.” Kakashi then pats him on the head gently, ruffling the unruly blond locks. “Be worthy of his sacrifice.”
After a moment of silence, Kakashi pats Naruto on the shoulder and looks back at Gai - who now faced opposite direction. He then faces his fellow Jounin fully. “Gai... What I said earlier, it was out of line. I was being a self-righteous fool. I realize now, that if I had been in your shoes I probably couldn’t have stopped him either.” He concedes, briefly looking back to meet Naruto’s curious and confused gaze. “C’mon, Gai, lets go up. They can’t start the next match with us standing here.”
Gai nods, accepting his friends underlying apology. “Right.”
***
Dosu Kinuta vs Chōji Akimichi
“Now then, will the last two competitors step forward?” Hayate calls out a minute or so after the three males return to the top.
At his prompting, both Chōji and Dosu make their way downstairs to stand in front of him.
Dosu lets out a laugh. “So, it’s finally my turn?” He asks rhetorically, his one visible eye observing his opponent.
Chōji clenches his fist at his sides. ‘Just keep your eyes on the prize... All you can eat barbecue...!’
Hayate looks between the two and once he’s sure they’re ready, takes a step back. “All right, the twelfth and final match will begin.”
Attempting to brush off her sadness off for the time being, Amaya shakes her head, bouncing on her heels for a moment before taking a deep breath as she climbs up onto the railing. “LETS GO, CHŌJI!”
Shikamaru grins as he joins in. “YOU CAN DO IT!”
“FATSO!~” Ino also cheers, cupping her mouth with both hands in hopes of making her voice louder.
Below, Chōji’s ear twitches at the word as the vein near his temple throbs angrily. Snapping his head up in their direction, his eyes immediately land on his fair-headed teammate. “OKAY, I’M GONNA FINISH THIS MATCH!... IT’S ONLY GONNA TAKE ABOUT TWO SECONDS, AND THEN I’M COMIN’ AFTER YOU, INO!” He roars, making the trio above snicker in response.
“Fine, Fatso, if you want this match to end quickly, I’ll just win it quickly.” Dosu cuts in, earning himself Chōji’s attention once more.
Chōji lets out a growl, fire burning in his eyes. “You’re gonna go down hard, you mummified weirdo!” He states, his already squinted eyes narrowing even further. ‘I know his techniques all too well from my last battle with him... Those holes in his arm made a pulsing sound, but if I can’t hear it, then he can’t hurt me!’
At that thought, Chōji lets out a laugh. “Hah! Baika no Jutsu!” He exclaims, his body expanding in size to where it resembled a large boulder. “Now, the Hidden Leaf Taijutsu!” Chōji then tucks his arms, legs and head into his clothing. ‘This will protect my ears from his attacks, and CRUSH HIM LIKE A BUG!’
Spinning, Chōji quickly begins rolling across the floor, barreling towards Dosu. “NIKUDAN SENSHA!”
“Yeah! Alright, Chōji, you can do it! Squash him good for me!” Ino cheers.
Shikamaru couldn’t help but smirk to himself in amusement at his friends plan. ‘That guy doesn’t even need to touch Chōji to hit him with a powerful sonic attack... But they’ll only work when Chōji’s ears are showing. With his ears covered, it’s like Chōji’s wearing earplugs.’
Dosu dodges to the side as Chōji nears, the action prompting the Akimichi to quickly switch directions.
This continues for a few more minutes, quickly turning the fight into a cat and mouse game. Eventually, however, Dosu leads Chōji towards a wall before jumping away - leaving the boy no choice but to ram into it.
Dosu then jumps into the air with a laugh as Chōji struggles to free himself from the newly formed crater. “He barely has any control where he’s going... Now, to end this!”
With that being said, Dosu approaches from behind and punches Chōji in the back with the arm donning his amplifier. However, instead of landing a solid hit, his arm sinks into the boy’s ball like shape.
Chōji snickers to himself. “It’s no use! My ears are covered!” He calls out somewhat tauntingly.
Dosu grins to himself. “You’re so wrong...” He informs in smug amusement as he lightly taps his amplifier - sending a vibration throughout Chōji’s body, making him cry out in surprise and slight pain.
Almost immediately after and with a small poof, Chōji’s body reduces in size and returns to normal, leaving him laying face first on the ground groaning dizzily.
“See, the human body is seventy percent water, and water can transmit sound-waves. In other words, when it comes to my attacks your whole body is basically one big ear.” Dosu informs.
Hayate steps forward to conclude the match, seeing as Chōji was making no attempt to stand. “The winner is, Dosu Kinuta.”
Dosu chuckles lowly to himself and walks away as the med nins make their appearance for the final time that day.
“Hey, are you alright?” One of the nins ask as they kneel next to the boy.
Chōji blinks up at them blearily. “Meat... I wanna eat some meat...”
Amaya facepalms as Shikamaru and Ino slump against the railing next to her. Though she couldn’t help the small, amused smile from playing on her lips. “Saa~... At least he’s okay...” She chuckles.
Shikamaru shakes his head, his expression one of boredom. “That’s our Chōji... Always thinkin’ with his stomach.”
Ino sighs tiredly. “Uhuh...”
“Even though he lost, the least we can do if take him out for some barbecue beef.” Asuma replies, grinning.
“Oh, it’s finally over...” Hayate murmurs in relief before coughing into his hand. He then climbs the small one-step leading up to the stage and turns, holding his other hand up in the air, gaining everyone’s attention. “And with that, the Third Exam Preliminaries are now finished.”
“I commend all those who have advanced to the Finals for the third level of the Chunin Exams... Well, there’s two people missing but still, congratulations.” Lord Third praises, his eyes trailing over the small group of remaining Genin before him. ‘Here, including the absent Sasuke and Kazuki, we have seven ninja from the Leaf Village, three from the Sand Village, and one from the Sound Village.’ He muses, smirking to himself at the pleasing turnout as he pulls his hat down slightly. “Now, I will begin the explanation of the final rounds.” He informs.
‘Well it’s about time...’ Naruto thought to himself, tired and completely done with this portion of the exams.
“In the final rounds, each of you will put your battle skills on display. You’ll demonstrate the power and control that you’ve achieved in your respective disciplines. Accordingly, the final battles will commence one month from now.” Lord Third states informatively.
“Wait, we’re not gonna do it right here and now?” Naruto asks, voicing everyone’s confusion.
Lord Third shakes his head. “This is to provide a suitable period of preparation.”
Neji’s brows furrow. “What do you mean by that?”
“Simply this...” the elder begins, “In addition to announcing the conclusion of the Preliminary Matches to each countries leaders, we must also have some time to prepare and distribute the summons for the final selection. Not to mention that you examinees are going to need some time to prepare for something that is this important.”
‘This old man sure likes to beat around the bush.’ Kankuro thought to himself, rolling his eyes. “Look, I don’t really get what you’re trying to say. What’s the point of this?”
Lord Third smiles. “I mean, that to know your adversaries and prepare yourselves, you need time. Even though up to this point, all of the battles have been real battles - as I’m sure you can all attest - they were conducted on the premise that you were fighting an unknown enemy... But that’s no longer the case now that you’ve battled each other.”
‘Yeah, seriously, I would never have dreamed that this guy could turn sand into a weapon.’ Shikamaru thought to himself, side-eyeing Gaara who stood to his left.
“So, in order to make the Finals fair and just, we’re giving you this month. Each of you must embrace the opportunity to practice hard and learn some new tricks. Because by now, everyone here knows your techniques. So using your old retired tricks is a sure way to lose in the Finals...” Lord Third trails off for a moment, his smile growing wider. “And remember to get some rest as well.”
Amaya’s brows furrow thoughtfully. ‘A month to come up with as many moves and new techniques as possible... We’ve been going into this blindly up to this point, but it’s clear to me now that I’ve been slacking.’ At that, the brunette feels determination swell in her chest. ‘I’ve gotta amp things up...!’
“Now, with all of that behind us, I’d like to begin winding things up. But before we can bring this to an end, there is one more important matter to take care of for the final round.” Lord Third informs.
“Lets get on with it! I mean, c’mon! How long do we have to wait until we start training?!” Naruto blurts out in annoyance.
Amaya’s brow twitches and she swats the back of the blond’s head before forcing him to bow. “Idiot, don’t be rude! We still have plenty of time, so be quiet and listen!” She scolds before turning her attention to the village leader, also bowing. “Sorry about him, Hokage-sama...”
The old man chuckles and waves her off, far too used to the blond’s outbursts. “That’s quite alright, Amaya...” He reassures before picking up where he left off. “In a calm, orderly fashion, all of you are going to take one slip of paper from the box that Anko is holding.”
“Everyone just stay where you are, I’ll come to you.” The female in question calls as she approaches Dosu first. “Just take one.” She adds as an afterthought.
***
As soon as the last strip was taken from the box, Ibiki steps forward with a clipboard. “Good, now that everyone has one... Going from left to right, tell me the number that’s written on your slip of paper.”
“I’ve got eight.”
“Number one of course.”
“Saa~... Ten.”
“Seven.”
“Five.”
“Three.”
“Nine.”
“Two.”
“Six.”
One by one, they all called off their chosen number, watching silently as Ibiki filled out something on his clipboard. “That means Sasuke will be number four and Kazuki will be eleven.” The male informs, nodding to the Hokage.
Lord Third returns the gesture and turns his attention back to the Genin. “Right... Very good, now I’m going to tell you about how the Final Selection Tournament is going to work.”
“Hah?!” Naruto exclaims in confusion.
“Is that what the numbers are for? Drawing lots?” Shikamaru questions.
Lord Third grins and turns to the nin next to him. “Ibiki, you may reveal which ninja have been paired up.”
Ibiki nods. “Yes, sir.” He replies, flipping his clipboard around to reveal a filled-in bracket.
Amaya’s eyes skim the paper, a mixture of excitement and dread filling her at the match-ups.
(1.) Naruto Uzumaki vs (2.) Neji Hyuuga
(3.) Gaara vs (4.) Sasuke Uchiha
(5.) Kankuro vs (6.) Shino Aburame
(7.) Temari vs (8.) Dosu Kinuta
vs. (9.) Shikamaru Nara
(10.) Amaya Minamoto vs (11.) Kazuki Tanaka
Shikamaru raises his hand. “May I ask you a question?”
Lord Third nods. “You may.”
“Alright, if this is a tournament, does that mean there’s only going to be one winner? I mean, only one of us is going to be able to become Chunin then?”
“Actually, it’s quite the contrary.” Lord Third replies, elaborating at the groups confusion. “There are going to be several judges for the final rounds, including myself, the Shinobi Leaders, and the Kazekage. The Lord’s from various countries that ultimately will be assigning your missions to you... Through this tournament, these judges will be able to make a thorough evaluation of your abilities. They will then decide wether any or all of you possess the qualities required of a Chunin. Even if someone loses the first round, they could still become a Chunin.”
“So there’s actually a chance that every one of us who competes in the final selection could become a Chunin...?” Temari asks curiously.
“Correct. But conversely, there is also a chance that none of you will be chosen. The advantage in fighting more rounds in the tournament is in getting more chances to display your talents in front of the judges who will decide your fate.” Lord Third explains, turning his gaze to Shikamaru. “Does that answer your question, Shikamaru?”
The boy nods in response, making the old man smile.
“I thank you for your patience. Now, let us adjourn until next month.”