Samui's POV (Courtyard of Iron Arena - Land of Iron)
Samui marched calmly forward. It took a shocking effort to maintain her calm and controlled demeanor. It wasn't the crowd staring, nor would she soon engage in potentially lethal combat. Instead, the thing that shook her infamous calm was her own anger. She was no stranger to emotion; she often found her team to be a bit much. Too goofy, too emotional, too much. But she had grown to love them despite their oddities. Their bombastic personalities were cool in their own way. And they were loyal; loyalty was probably one of the coolest traits Samui knew of.
Samui didn't have many friends, not due to a lack of social skills or others being interested. She simply did not care most of the time to make them. Samui had learned early on one must be picky about who they choose as friends. People tended to be uncool and untrustworthy. She had learned years ago, such as when Atsui and her parents had been exposed as spies. The price for such betrayal was steep, and her parents had acted rashly, knowing their time was coming. They had led a violent escape attempt, killing anyone in their way, before A himself had stopped them. A had appeared before Samui and Atsui shortly after. Covered in the blood of their parents and here to potentially kill them both, Atsui had become utterly enraged and attempted to kill A himself.
Samui's world had fallen around her, but desperation had made her decisive. She couldn't afford to lose her cool and fight pointlessly. She had engaged in no treachery herself and couldn't stand to watch her brother die. How could she save him and herself?
Before A could finish off the beaten Atsui, Samui had lunged in front of her brother. She pleaded for his life and offered her utter loyalty of a shinobi for such. Samui had been calm, confident, and determined. She remembered how A had suddenly calmed and laughed at her. He had agreed to her terms that her brother had been detained and would be kept alive and well as long as she served.
She had been thrust into the world of shinobi suddenly and with little mercy. Samui learned quickly to focus, stay calm, and keep cool. It had been a constant balancing act when she had become efficient. Honestly, she rarely realized she was even doing anymore.
Naruto shattered that control of her. Samui felt more lively and responsive around the blonde for reasons she couldn't pin down. He had quickly become an odd but cool friend. He almost reminded her of Atsui, fiery and determined as he was. There were undoubtedly several differences between the two; primarily, Naruto seemed to be the type to never betray allies, while Atsui had shown such to be untrue.
Maybe that's why she felt a passion she hadn't felt in quite a while as she waited for her opponent. Samui had always intended to defeat Ino; she was confident it would be relatively easy. But now she felt focused on defeating her. Motivated even, if you could say so. Samui hoped Ino was more impressive than she had seen. Otherwise, she might have to enjoy beating Naruto's teammate.
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Tayuya's POV (Hidden Leaf Prison - Hidden Leaf Village)
Tayuya panted, exhausted, as she collapsed to her knees. One may be confused looking at her; she looked fresh despite some dirt and minor bruising, yet she looked utterly defeated. "Kami, that- the bastard was tougher than I thought." She complained to her allies.
"Indeed…" Dosu said, voice filled with pain. The man was prone on the ground, seemingly unable to move much. "He managed to kill Zaku…" Dosu said with a groan. His tone was complex, sounding bothered but somewhat accepting of such. Zaku lay shortly in front of the two others, curled into a ball with a bleeding chest and mouth. Kabuto had managed to sever his lungs from within, and the death had been anything but short.
"I couldn't keep you all alive… to be honest, I thought the four of us would be overkill." Guren apologized as she rose from the defeated Kabuto. "He was quite the foe indeed. But it was necessary to take him out."
"You're right about that; Orochimaru uses him to get traitors. Damn shitty bastard has ties seemingly everywhere. But why was it necessary to take him out?" Tayuya asked, confused. "Won't this alert Orochimaru to the fact we've defected?"
"That would be unwise." Dosu chimed in. "I have just escaped a narrow brushing of death from your cousin. I would prefer it if I didn't have a Sanin also pursuing me."
"Ye, of little faith," Guren said with a smirk. "We cannot hope to escape the Snake by running or hiding. We need to strike back and ensure he falls."
"Ya hate to break it to ya, but we wouldn't have even been able to deal with Four Eyes if he hadn't decided to kill all the guards and necessary patrols." Tayuya replied evenly.
"Indeed." Dosu added. "He is nearly at the level of a Kage. I imagine even most Jounin would be helpless against him. Orochimaru is much more than that. It would take nearly all of his follower even to threaten him, which would still lead to their demise."
"You two still treat him as something special." Guren said with a smile. "I'll admit to not being much different; Orochimaru is one of a kind, after all. Normally, we couldn't even truly hope to hurt him. But with Kabuto missing and with a few other factors, I think we can hurt him badly, badly enough for us to escape easily."
"That sounds nice, but you haven't offered any fucking details." Tayuya complained as she rose. She helped Dosu stand weakly.
"It's my job as a leader to worry about the fine details," Guren said with a smirk. "Your job to do what I say. Speaking of which, we should leave unless the two of you feel up to fighting off a massive wave of angry Leaf Shinobi?" The two sighed heavily but nodded as the group's bodies quickly flickered out.
As Leaf Anbu and Jounin arrived, they saw an odd sight in the cell. The room had been utterly wrecked, clearly the sight of an impressive battle. In the center of the room was a massive hole in the floor. Some more curious shinobi examined it and released the hole that went absurdly deep and seemed to be actively filled with crystal.
Ibiki arrived with the reinforcements and observed the scene as the men swept the area for the traitor Kabuto Yakushi and the prisoner Tayuya Uzumaki. He saw the odd hole as crystal filled it, sealing off whatever had happened. Ibiki growled, confused and annoyed. "What the fuck happened here!" Ibiki then eyed the dead young man on the floor. "Who the fuck is this?!"
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Ino's POV (Courtyard of Iron Arena - Land of Iron)
Ino nearly glared at Samui. She couldn't truly help it; while struggling with Naruto, this woman flourished with him. Anko had warned her Samui had seemed like quite the shinobi. Samui hadn't spurned Naruto in the heat of the moment. Ino knew precisely what she was doing. Humans often grew envious and spiteful when stressed. They would pick someone convenient to put the blame on. Even more so when they were motivated against that person. But as Ino met the blue eyes of Samui, she noticed the raging fire behind those eyes challenging her, presenting a sort of frustration with her. Yet she seemed calm enough and focused, unaffected by the crowd.
Ino was far from as composed. She felt the eyes of the crowd, and while she usually loved attention, it felt utterly overwhelming here. She felt nervous about failing her goal. Could she truly shine on stage when even the genius Neji had failed?
Ino remembered her training before. They had spent the day working on dodging and hand signs. Usually, they would go their separate ways after training. Ino had asked her to go out with her so she could pick her brain. Anko had agreed for sake and dango.
"Anko Sensei, why do you keep training?" Ino asked quietly, sipping at her bottle of sake. No one dared bother the two with Anko present. This was Anko Sensei's favorite haunt.
"Huh?" Anko asked, pausing to consume her dango with gusto. "Why would I stop? I have a point to prove."
"A point?" Ino asked, confused.
"Yep, princess, a point. I wanted to prove to everyone I wasn't nothing like my sensei. Figured becoming a big-shot shinobi would ensure it. Still working on that, though." Anko explained before draining her glass with a happy sigh.
"Isn't that a petty reason to be a shin-" Ino didn't get to finish on account of Anko slamming a fist into the top of her head.
"Damn straight! Whatever reason you need to fight is more than enough. You'll never get what you want pussy footing around!" Anko mocked while she laughed.
Ino's eyes narrowed as she finally stood directly opposed to Samui. She could see Kakashi nearby, seeming a little tense. But it mattered little to Ino.
She marched forward, stopping in front of Kakashi and turning to face the crowd. She felt judged again but gritted her teeth as she prepared to begin. Then, she suddenly stopped as Samui stepped in front of her with a glare. Ino frowned at it.
"I need to ask you why you are avoiding your teammate after what you did." Samui asked, her voice calm but with audible fury.
Ino mind was stunned, realizing she knew. "I made a mistake. I didn't mean what I said; there was just a lot going on, and… well, I intend to make it right."
"Which you're doing poorly at." Samui countered. "Nothing like avoiding the friend you insulted unfairly."
"I know! That's not who I am; I just made the wrong choice!" Ino growled.
"You did, and I think that's incredibly uncool." Samui said with narrowed eyes. "You better bring your A game, or else I'll crush you."
Ino shoved past the woman as she once again faced the crowd.
"My name is Ino Yamnaka! I am a member of Team Seven and proud of it! I dedicate this fight to my teammate and one of the best guys I've known, and if you don't like him, then screw you too. All of you. His name is Naruto Uzumaki!" Ino screamed boldly to the crowd. "I'M PROUD TO BE YOUR FRIEND!"
Samui's eyes widened as Kakashi smiled at Ino.
Samui recovered and smiled as she fell into a stance. Shifting her balance low and lazily resting a hand on her back, she sheathed her tanto. "That was kinda cool. Still gonna have to beat you here."
"I won't give up!" Ino replied with a grim frown.
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Naruto's POV (Contestant Section of Iron Arena - Land of Iron)
Naruto frowned when Samui defended him. He had not intended to encourage her to do such. Yet a tiny part of him was thrilled to be defended. It was ultimately a painful blow Ino had dealt him, and it felt nice for her to be held accountable. But those thoughts had been blown out of his mind once Ino had started yelling.
Naruto couldn't help the smile that formed on his face. He had admittedly been offended by Ino's words but had always intended to forgive her. Naruto knew she hadn't truly meant the words, or at least meant them offensively. Though part of him had felt unsatisfied to forgive her when she had been so careless. That part of him was contently silent now; he had always learned to trust actions over words.
Anyone could say the right words; hell, they could even mean them. But Naruto knew it was genuine when someone did something or tried something. For Ino, she was a treasured friend, but admittedly, she was not the strongest shinobi. To boldly declare her intent to win for… well, him. It meant a lot…
Naruto smiled and joined the Leaf Genin in cheering for their Yamanaka teammate. Showing their support for their comrades' bold declaration. But the smile left Naruto's face as he realized something.
In the Trial of Nio, Naruto had seen small flashes of Samui's skill. It had seemingly been on a similar level to Neji before the exams… A Neji that had very nearly defeated him before his Exam training. Naruto did not doubt Ino's ability; she had single-handedly defeated a Jounin. But Naruto wondered if she could genuinely bridge such a gap in so short of a time as he had with Gaara…
Naruto shook his head with a smile. He wouldn't doubt his friend, not now, not ever.
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Kushina's POV (Audience Section of Iron Arena - Land of Iron)
Kushina held her fury when she first saw Ino. That young little… friend of her baby had unintentionally or not harmed her child. During a time where Naruto had been quite vulnerable. The little floozy had doubtless only done so due to the stress of the situation the responsible adult inside of Kushina reasoned. That fury had been quickly drowned by the sudden elation when the other blonde named Samui confronted Ino about it. Kushina had never been so happy to hear about the exams as she was now. A beautiful young lady had selflessly defended her child.
Kushina now desperately held in glee. It was almost as romantic as Minato saving her! A light in the sea of darkness that had become their life up until that point. Kushina had always pondered what would become of Naruto's dating life. Minato had been a rare prodigy in the academy. He had not had admirers as much as a full on fan club. He had never been overly interested in any of them. Kushina even without trying had won over her love.
She had felt some disappointment that Naruto's amazing worth hadn't been discovered in the early days of the academy. But she should've known her husband's amazing genes would pass on. Naruto had bagged himself a blonde woman! Blonde grandbabies! 'This may be for the best. I did always love Minato's blonde hair and it would be nice for my grandbabies to have the same.' Kushina thought with a smile. Right she had been determining how best to assist Naruto in wooing the woman didn't Ino surprise her further.
"My name is Ino Yamnaka! I am a member of Team Seven and proud of it! I dedicate this fight to my teammate and one of the best guys I've known, Naruto Uzumaki!" Ino screamed boldly to the crowd. "I'M PROUD TO BE YOUR FRIEND!"
Kushina could no longer contain the joy she felt as a delighted coo rang from her mouth. Mikoto nodded, also smiling at the warm scene.
"My my my," Mikoto said with an amused smile fanning at her face. "Who knew your little son was such a heartbreaker. He has two beauties fighting over him."
"Guaranteed Blonde Babies!" Kushina cheered now beyond reason. She went to ask a question but Mikoto cut her off with amusement and patience.
"Yes they would look adorable." Mikoto agreed. Kushina did not answer, merely squealing happily. "Don't get too excited now old friend." Mikoto countered. "A battle of Kunoichi is never a pretty thing."
Kushina seemed to snap out of mother mode. She nodded her head grimly. "They both seem like the type to not quit easily. Though from what Naruto said Ino isn't the combat type. This might be a one sided bout."
"I doubt that." Mikoto said with a smirk.
"You know something I don't?" Kushina asked with a matching smirk.
"She knows Ino was taught by a certified bad bitch!" Anko roared as she sat next to the two. "I swore to never teach a snot nosed brat but that little blonde princess is special."
"You don't mean she has an edge?" Kushina asked.
"Of course she wouldn't recognize it. She never saw herself as the bad bitch she was either." Anko said as she happily sipped a beer. "Remember when she nearly put me in the ER?"
"Of course I do, it took Tsume and I to pull her off you." Mikoto chuckled.
"It wasn't that bad…" Kushina said defensively.
"It was a good fight! Almost had you too!" Anko roared happily.
"Sure but that was before I suplexed you through the bar table." Kushina replied sweetly.
"Whatever you say. I could take you nowadays." Anko countered with a smile.
"You wanna bet b-" Kushina started as Anko drifted forward eager to start a brawl before both were stopped by Mikoto's hands, her eyes spinning with her Sharingan as she regarded both slowly.
"If you two wish to brawl, do it elsewhere. We're all here to see our Genin succeed, not brawl." Mikoto said darkly.
Both glared at each other before erupting in laughter. Kushina had always loved Anko, she brought the fire out of her, and Mikoto always kept her tempered.
'Alright Ino and Samui, I see plain as day that you're both interested in my son. You're both determined to do this for your own reasons. Show me what kind of kunoichi you are.
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Samui's POV (Courtyard of Iron Arena - Land of Iron)
Samui prepared herself as Ino slid into a stance of her own. The Yamanaka shifted into her own. Like herself, she lowered her balance yet favored a ranged stance. She held four kunai in each hand. Something was odd about the kunai; they were larger than most. Samui also inspected slots on the side, which was undoubtedly a nasty surprise. Samui was a close-range fighter. She needed to be in control. She would start the fight running and crush Ino before she could adjust. Such was the Cloud style.
Samui gauged the distance between her and Ino as Kakashi began his preamble. When he lowered his hand and gave the ok, Samui flooded her legs with electric chakra and shot forward. She saw Kakashi blink in surprise, and Ino flinched. She drew her tanto as she drew close, slashing for a blow that would not be immediately lethal. To her shock, Ino managed to barely sidestep the slash. She flicked a kunai at Samui, who deflected with ease as she eyed her opponent cautiously.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
'She managed to react to my Cool Finish technique?' Samui thought curiously. 'A change in tactic, perhaps?' She sprinted forward now at regular speed towards Ino. Even then, it was clear Ino was slightly slower as she desperately backpedaled and threw kunai with haste. 'She hyped up this performance?' Samui easily deflected all three thrown kunai as she closed the gap and went for a slash at Ino's legs. Ino managed to back-flip, aiming her feet for Samui's chin as she did so. Samui managed to lean back into her own back-flip, narrowly dodging such. Both glared at each other before they now charged at once. As they did so, Ino threw all her odd kunai at her. 'Surely this is a strategy; I'll have to avoid the kunai; impossible to know what traps they have.' Samui thought as she slashed at Ino; the Yamanaka met it with another unique kunai. The edge curled and longer, unlike most. They tested their strength against one another, and Samui smirked as she slowly pushed Ino back. She suddenly stopped resisting, causing Ino to stumble forward. Samui savagely exploited the mistake with an elbow that had Ino stumbling back. Samui flowed through hand signs as Ino fell to her knees. "Lightning Style: Electric Sprinkler." Samui said as seven beams of electricity shot out horizontally. Ino managed to bend herself around impressively as she slashed with her kunai several times, causing small bits of flowers to spread out around Samui. Her eyes widened as Samui realized Ino's intent. She willed herself to body flicker directly up. Her vision blurred as she suddenly fell towards Ino, watching the miniature explosions that went off. 'The kunai spreads plant matter, which explodes with a flex of chakra. Admittedly cool to see but uncool to deal with.'
Ino's head snapped up suddenly as she smirked at Samui. She sealed with surprising speed. "Water Style: Nature's Beauty!: She said as two groupings of water shot into the sky. Samui raised a brow in confusion at the move before she observed the water closer. Were those flower petals inside the water… uncool. "Part two! Nature's Wrath!" Samui flew through hand signs as explosions filled the sky above the arena. Samui suddenly cut through the smoke and fire with a slash of lightning. Her tanto coated in lightning had managed to part the explosion. She fell forward towards Ino, her eyes cold as she prepared her following technique.
"Lightning Style: Explosive Depth Charge." Samui said as she stabbed her sword into the ground while landing. Ino scrambled back before suddenly the ground beneath them crumbled before arcs of electricity burst through. One managed to glance at Ino, who screamed in pain as she rolled away, spasming slightly from the powerful volts. Samui smiled grimly as she stalked forth to end the fight. Ino had been somewhat better than expected but nothing she couldn't handle. But as she did, Ino suddenly formed two different hand signs with each hand, one into a pointed finger and the other into a simple one-handed rat. Samui flinched as Ino suddenly called out.
"Ninja Art: Instinct Suppression Jutsu!" Ino yelled as a blue beam hit Samui, who suddenly froze as her instinct to create distance was suppressed. Ino smirked as she finished her channeling for her other jutsu. "Beautiful Binding: Rope Circus!" Ino called suddenly. The discarded odd kunai hissed with smoke before suddenly launching a thick rope. Each rope was tipped with a claw, which shot into the surrounding area. Some stabbed and lodged themselves into trees, the arena wall, and even the ground. It quickly surrounded the two young women. Kakashi appeared at the edge of the odd trap.
Samui flinched as the trap settled; the kunai instantly launched the trap. Samui could now see she and Ino were surrounded by a thick web of rope. It would take some maneuvering to get out of the odd construct. So quick and random the trap had been that she even spied a rope between her legs. Samui lashed out with her tanto, attempting to sever the nearest rope. To her surprise, it bounced back; without missing a beat, she allowed her electric chakra to flow through her blade as she swung again, yet once again, the sword bounced back harmless against the rope. 'The kunai had been her strategy from the start. Rigged to set off the rope on a timed release. Seems to be enforced with her chakra, hardening it and repelling chakra. Perhaps it was why she waited to use such. Surely, it cannot last for long to summon this much chakra-enforced rope; it must be costly.'
"An interesting technique in both cases, Yamanaka, but I fail to see how you plan to take advantage of this. Furthermore, how do you plan to defeat me before this technique drains you utterly of chakra? Cool look, but what's the pl-" Samui could not finish her sentence as Ino somehow flowed through the ropes. There were no better words for it; despite the tough rope making it indeed a headache to traverse, she did so with ease. Ino ducked, weaved, and jumped around them. Managing to punch Samui in the face as she surged to her. 'She can move that quick; that's c-' Samui fell through the ropes as they unbalanced her; Ino kicked her in the ribs, knocking her into the ropes above. Samui could not even breathe as the ropes suddenly wrapped around her, keeping her in place as Ino suddenly surged upwards, smashing her own head into Samui. Samui grunted in pain as she bounced off the ropes painfully before hitting the ground. How was she to fight back here? The ropes limited her mobility and made Ino's approach hard to predict.
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Inochi's POV (Audience Section of Iron Arena - Land of Iron)
He was speechless as he watched his little Princess start to dismantle the Cloud Genin. Inoichi had been proud of her for years; she was his life's gem. But he had always been worried about her becoming a kunoichi. They were either treated as objects to further the Leaf's goal or as killing machines. Inoichi had doubted his daughter had it in her. He thought she might succeed somewhat but had never expected this from her.
'You've grown up so fast. My dearest Princess.' Inoichi thought with paternal pride.
"Hmm, hmm, hmm, Samui is in trouble~! Hmm, hmm, hmm, Blondie's strength has doubled~! Yeah~!" Inoichi glanced over at the strange man who had interrupted his fatherly musing. He seemed to be… rapping? Poorly?
"Excuse me, mind if you are silent. I'm trying to enjoy my daughter's victory." Inoichi said, annoyed. Choza and Shikaku both glanced over, seeming to sense the odd tension.
"It is kinda rude, isn't it Shikaku?" Choza agreed loudly, making it clear they were involved.
"Do not involve me; this will surely be a drag." Shikaku replied while sipping beer happily.
"Oh no! Daddy dearest thinks he knows~! Oh no! Samui is about to show them, bros~! Woaaaah~!" Bee rapped in response, standing to dance slightly.
Shikaku and Choza seemed utterly perplexed by this but watched with intrigue as Inochi stood up with a father's fury and stood and faced Bee down.
"Do you not see my amazing daughter down there?!" Inoichi roared indignantly. "She simply cannot be defeated." He said with the confidence only a parent can have.
This seemed to snap Bee out of his rapping, who shook his head as if pitying Inoichi. "No doubt your daughter has game and style, but I doubt this will be enough to crack Samui. She's made of the realest stuff."
Both snapped out of their argument as the mic picked up the next stage of the battle.
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Ino / Samui's POV (Courtyard of Iron Arena - Land of Iron)
Ino panted as she slid under ropes and slide-tackled Samui's legs from under her. She grabbed a rope and skillfully swung around it, kicking Samui in the face. 'I can't afford to use Ninjutsu! I can't even use a weapon due to the close quarters! But if I can just keep this up. Surely, she can't take much more.' Ino flinched as Samui painfully was hung up by more ropes and coughed up a small amount of blood. Samui was proving challenging. Somehow, she had survived nearly three minutes of Ino beating her around. Samui slid under a few ropes again, landing in the center of the rope circus. She had wisely attempted to escape several times now. But Ino had been diligent in returning her to the center. Samui stood even while being beaten and bruised, she seemed utterly calm. 'How is she still so damn cool! Does she have a plan?' Ino's internal monologue was proven correct as Samui surged through hand signs.
"Cool Aura: Electric Sense!" Samui said as a small field of electricity surrounded her. Ino bothered little with worrying over it. She was running out of time and knew the best way to stop her was to overwhelm her. Ino surged forward from behind Samui, using her grace to do so silently. Right as she swung for Samui's back, she somehow spun incredibly quickly, slashing her tanto as she did so. Ino did a backflip into a flip, narrowly avoiding taking the blade to her face. Her cheek was sliced, showing Samui had closed the gap somehow. 'She reacted to me! NO! I WILL NOT LOSE! I'LL SHOW NARUTO HOW MUCH I CARE!' Ino flooded her body with active chakra as she forced her body to move at top speed. Despite her impressive maneuvering and speed, Samui was reacting to each blow and giving one back on demand. Each counter came close to hitting, but Ino would skillfully dodge.
Ino growled inwardly as she continued her barrage, desperation settling in as she felt her chakra reserves dwindle. "Lose already!" She yelled as she surged in and out.
"Quitting is never cool. Besides, we both know you have little time left." Samui panted out.
'Somehow she knows!' Ino's mind whirled as she continued her assault. 'All or nothing, I have ten seconds!'
10
9
8
Samui ducked under a roundhouse by Ino and slashed at her other leg. Ino managed to pull herself up with a rope and kick down at Samui, who deflected the hit skillfully.
7
6
5
4
3
2
Ino desperately charged forward and swung her fist. Samui easily caught it, relaxing as she noted Ino slowing down considerably.
1
It was Over...
Ino could only gasp as the exhaustion set in. She collapsed to her knees as Samui held onto her fist. 'Is this all I have?' Ino thought, gritting her teeth in desperation. Before she could attempt some last-ditch effort, she felt Samui's tanto tickle her throat. She looked up plainly as Samui met her gaze.
"I may have misjudged you, Yamanaka. It appears Naruto knows how to pick cool friends." Samui said with a small smile. "But this battle is mine. Well fought."
Ino felt a numbness wash through her even as she desperately tried to keep her eyes open as she relaxed and dropped her head once Samui removed her blade. Kakashi appeared between the two, nodding his head at the scene. Ino glanced over and could see Kakashi seem to smile at her. She had failed, but at least she had tr-
"THAT'S HOW IT'S DONE INO!" Naruto roared, breaking through the crowd's silence and processing the match's result. "THAT'S MY TEAMMATE! BLONDES RULE!"
Ino smiled warmly as she gazed at Naruto, only to flinch as she saw Samui do the same.
"That was for me." Ino snapped out. She covered her mouth afterward, ashamed. Something about Samui made her feel inferior. She recognized it was jealousy, but it was hard to control.
"I do believe he said blondes rule. In case you don't notice." Samui said, pointing to her bob.
Ino growled at this. "It's an inside joke!"
"One I'm now in on, cool."
"Stop saying that!" Ino roared further, incensed.
'You truly are Minato's son, Naruto.' Kakashi thought dryly as he signed for the two to be silent. "The winner of this match, Samui of the Cloud!" It was disappointing to see another of his students lose, but Ino had come far and only lost due to endurance and the odd defensive technique Samui had used. 'Maybe next time Ino…'
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A / Rasa / Onoki / Yagura's POV (Kage Box of Iron Arena - Land of Iron)
A had known the exams would not be the best for his village. Omoi and Karui had shown great promise but needed to be wiser and more shortsighted. Truly, he had known his only hope would be the odd prodigy herself, Samui. She had been part of a small shinobi family. The Ochitu had been a small clan of ninjas with a solid tie with lightning nature jutsu. Relevant towards the beginning of his village. But nowadays, not so much. They had been spying on his town for an unknown party, and as such, they had been sentenced to execution. As his men had gathered to carry out such, they had run. It was a testament to the parents' will that they had outpaced his forces.
Unfortunately for them, A knew a man must sometimes handle business alone. He had appeared and told the two of their fate. A had planned to make their deaths humane should they surrender. Of course, they hadn't, foolishly trying to salvage their situation. They had attempted to fight back. A had slain them with ease and then ventured off to find the children of the traitors. He had known one of them to be guilty and had planned to kill both to be safe. Atsui, the loyal son of a traitor, had attempted to avenge his parents. A had easily smashed him and prepared to finish them as a young girl stood before him. Despite his powers and inhumanness she stood resolute, she had been calm and logical. She offered to become a splendid royal shinobi in exchange for her brother's life being spared.
How incredibly amusing! Not to mention efficient, he had agreed. Seeing potential in a woman as solid and focused as her A had readily agreed. It was paying dividends now. He had never heard of a Yamanaka specializing in combat, and that young woman had shown a level of skill none had known of her. Even Jounin would've struggled under such an assault, yet Samui survived it and won. The Cloud looked solid and resourceful. Now to gloat…
"Ha! Hiruzen you old fool! My Samui has shown you the might of the Cloud!" A roared happily. Slapping his hand on his charge, causing a large thud with each slap. "She is one of my most promising up-and-coming. Soon, you all will surely curse her name." He bragged.
"Well… I suppose Samui is rather impressive." Hiruzen said diplomatically with a frown.
Rasa shared his looks as he glared down. 'I did not expect such a level of competition. This may very well be more interesting than I had thought.' It was undoubtedly troublesome. The five villages were each producing incredible talent. 'Will any of them be a match for you? Gaara…' Rasa was knocked out of his musing as Onoki hummed loudly.
'This girl seems familiar… Where do I remember her… Was it a clan? Yes, a clan, what was their name…' "Is this girl part of the O-" Onoki was interrupted by A, who suddenly filled the room with killing intent. Onoki flexed his own, never being the type to be quickly deterred. Mifune offered his own, which killed the standstill. Both realized it would be wise not to pick a fight here.
'My my my, so many heroes and villains in these exams. It seems that once I finally settle things at home, I may very well need to become more involved in external affairs. As the hero, it is my job to improve not only my home but the world. Seems I may need to garner more forces first. Seems the other villages are producing some very interesting shinobi.' Yagura thought with a small smile.
Mifune sighed again, desperate to escape this box full of children.
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Naruto's POV (Medical Section of Iron Arena - Land of Iron)
Naruto felt conflicted as he watched Ino get carried away. While he had appreciated and approved of Ino's efforts and intent. He was unsure if he was simply willing to allow things to settle already. Naruto understood Ino had made a simple mistake. But it had been a telling mistake all the same.
Naruto didn't doubt Ino's intent, but if she couldn't handle the consequences of being his friend. Wouldn't the event simply repeat itself? Naruto had learned that sometimes in life one had to learn from previously made mistakes. Ino couldn't handle her reputation being ruined, Naruto wouldn't so casually expose her to such again. He wasn't a fool, if she proved herself willing and ready he would relent. Better to forgive than to forget after all. 'I need a minute.' Naruto decided as he got and explained to Shikamaru he was going for a walk.
Naruto drifted to the lower levels of the stadium content to let his mind drift as he mulled things over. Between his coming clash with Gaara and the complicated status of his friendship with Ino he had plenty of problems to consider. Annoying both problems had arguably simple solutions.
Naruto needed to defeat Gaara and therefore at least in the mentally compromised jinchuriki mind. Prove his ideology superior. Ino he could, at least in theory, simply forgive and that would work out. Yet despite Naruto's confidence in his own strength he doubted defeating Gaara was as set in stone as he would like. As much as he treasured Ino part of him didn't want things to simply smooth out and work better. Truthfully Naruto had been offended by her words as unintended as they were.
His musing were interrupted by a set of lazy footsteps. Naruto looked up to see Tsunade Senju of all people standing before him.
"Aye brat, imagine running into you here." Tsunade said with a smile. "Not aloud to drink on the job so was getting some air before I send a important political figure flying."
Naruto chuckled mirthlessly at that. Something Tsunade tutted at.
"I had heard what happened between you and Ino from your mother, we share a drink from time to time, sounded dreadful. I imagine this sudden pensive mood is related to the match that just happened?" Tsunade said with a smirk.
Naruto nearly yelled in response before he tempered himself. "Why do you care?"
"I don't truly brat." Tsunade replied bluntly. "But you remind me of someone I once knew. It cost me little to offer you advice. And it's the least I can do as a very distant relative." Tsunade listed honestly. Naruto was sure some would be perplexed by her bluntness but Naruto felt relieved. He often struggled to understand people who spoke indirectly, so it was refreshing to hear someone just put it out there.
"Touche." Naruto replied with a sigh. "I guess I'm just not ready yet, she hurt me and part of me is upset about that. I don't hate her, just not ready to talk it through yet. Too much going on to give it the thought it needs, ya know?"
Tsunade nodded her head. "Jiraiya said you occasion spoke with great wisdom yet I had never expected it to be true. I can understand this situation well enough, I did something similar to Jiraiya in the past."
"Did you two work through it?" Naruto asked curiously.
"We did not unfortunately." Tsunade responded with a frown. "Jiraiya tried to forgive me constantly irregardless of whether I deserved it. Truthfully I appreciated it, but now with the benefit of hindsight I question if it did more harm than good. Even now we never truly addressed it. He forgave me and I avoided the topic. Felt it didn't need addressing. A regret I live with now."
Naruto frowned at that. If the odd but admittedly wise Pervy Sage and Tsunade had been unable to work through it did Ino and him stand a chance?
"But don't worry shortstack." Tsunade chuckled.
"The fuck you call m-" Naruto was silenced as Tsunade shoved him away by his head.
"Just this once I'll give you some help." Tsunade said. As Naruto looked up he saw a weak looking Ino standing in the hallway staring his way. Naruto flinched but Tsunade grabbed Ino by the shoulder and bodily dragged her off. "We're going to talk girly." Was all she said as the two went on.
'Should I have stopped that?' Naruto wondered confused.
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Shikamaru's POV (Contestant Section of Iron Arena - Land of Iron)
As Shikamaru watched the next fight, it cemented that he might want to consider dropping out of the exams. Ino, of all people, had proved to be a considerably powerful opponent, only for her to be beaten rather soundly by Samui. Who seemed to be just as impressive. Now, he witnessed Yuno and Shino put on a remarkable back-and-forth. Shino was naturally resistant to her Genjutsu due to his insects.
Furthermore, the insects could defend their host and attack Yuno. The woman proved challenging to pin down and crafty, but with Shino's surprising tactical skill, Yuno was sure to be drained of chakra if the fight lasted any time. To keep things just as interesting as ever, Yuno had prepared for it. Using weak fire jutsu with a large area of effects and impressive kunai skill, she kept Shino on his toes and could not launch a more effective strategy than slowly draining Yuno.
Shino had gained the advantage throughout the fight. With an impressive use of insect clones and insect traps, he drained Yuno of a massive amount of chakra. As if this was not enough, Shino was proficient in Taijutsu, giving as good as he could get whenever Yuno managed to close the distance. Shikamaru had been confident of his victory at this point.
Indeed, this made it clear Shikamaru wasn't cut out for this. 'These damn bastards are treating this like it's life and death. How's a slacker meant to prosper?' He thought, annoyed.
Yuno had shown to be more adaptive in the end. She had discovered how to cast Genjutsu on an Aburame effectively. Shikamaru had noticed it quicker than most. Yuno had simply layered several weak and realistic Genjutsu, enough to where even the advanced senses of his insects could not decipher the truth of her illusions. From there, Shino had shown skill on the backfoot, but it was merely a matter of time before the disorientated Shino got caught up. Yuno did so in a minute once she was in control. Leveling a kunai to a downed Shino who surrendered with grace.
Shikamaru looked at Naruto as he entered the contestant area with an odd look on his face. "Naruto? You alright?" He asked. Though honestly, Shikamaru hoped not. Between earnestly having to compete in these nightmare exams and helping Tenten and Sai reintegrate into everyday life, he had his hands complete.
"Uh yeah, just distracted. Did I miss anything good?" Naruto asked.
"Eh, not really; Yuno beat Shino." Shikamaru replied.
"Not to c-contradict you, Shikamaru-san." Hinata interjected. "But they had a rather good match. They both performed well and admirably."
"I suppose so; I just got bored watching after a while." Shikamaru relented. "Simply don't get why shinobi must be so gung-ho about combat. I'd prefer to experience as little pain as possible."
"Damn shame,I was excited to see those two fight." Naruto complained. "Who's next anyway?"
"We're not sure, Naruto-kun. I do not have a match in these rounds. And they never showed the matches past the first tier." Hinata explained.
"Naruto-kun?"
"Naruto-kun?"
Shikamaru and Naruto asked in unison.
"Neji-kun speaks very highly of you. Anyone who can make such an impression on him is worthy of praise. Your match was impressive as well."
"Well, flattery will get you nowhere, ya charmer!" Naruto said excitedly.
"Very believable. Please don't inflate Naruto's ego; I can barely tolerate him as it is." Shikamaru teased. "I wonder what the plan will be. It's already midday."
"S-seems they intend to answer such now." Hinata pointed out as Kakashi poofed onto the field.
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Kakashi's POV (Courtyard of Iron Arena - Land of Iron)
'Quite the day of battles. It was on a different level than even my own exams. Neji and Ino, unfortunately, will not be proceeding past this point. But there is a chance the two may be considered… depending on the mood of Kami and the Kage.' Kakashi thought as he prepared his speech.
"The Chunin Exams Final will take the rest of the day as a recess between the First and Second Round. This allows us to repair the field and not present an unfair advantage in the next rounds. It also ensures no one falls in combat because of injuries sustained in the first round. To a certain extent, anyway. We have shinobi doctors, not magical healers. Now I know what you're all wondering. Who are we to expect to clash in these exams. Well, the giant board above the arena contains the answers. Let's peek, shall we?" Kakashi explained as he lazily gestured to the board he had mentioned.
First Match
Kurotsuchi of the Stone VS Naruto Uzumaki
Second Match
Shikamaru Nara VS Yuno Uchiha
Third Match
Mangetsu Hozuki VS Samui of the Cloud
Fourth Match
Hinata Hyuga VS Sai of the Leaf
Fifth Match
Sasuke Uchiha VS Fuu of the Waterfall
Bye Round
Gaara of the Sand
"Tonight we celebrate the exams so far. Please enjoy the festivities provided by all Five Great Villages and the Land of Iron. That concludes the first day of the Chunin Exams." Kakashi finished as the audience erupted into celebration.