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Ino / Naruto's POV (Corridors of Iron Arena - Land of Iron)
Ino sighed as she watched Naruto walking away. She knew better than to attempt to free her grabbed wrist. Hundreds of stories of Tsunade bringing down entire buildings with her strength convinced her of the folly of such. Ino felt utterly miserable; her attempt to speak with Naruto had been to make up, but more than that, it had been to apologize even further. She had failed after so boldly declaring her intent to win for Naruto.
It had been so simple when she had decided to take on the mantle of shinobi. Ino had heard tales of Kunoichi's powerful, beautiful, beloved woman. Dainty, precise, and beautiful, it had formed the Kunoichi she had become. Ino had been proud of her social status and superficial beauty had even equated it with power. She had been convinced she was the definition of a kunoichi.
The formation of Team Seven had shattered such a thought. Ino had realized she was no kunoichi, merely some damsel to be saved by her teammates. This had not worked for Ino either, so she had been mentored by Anko. Undoubtedly, it had worked wonders, but it had also opened her eyes to the less glamorous part of being a kunoichi. Anko had told stories of seduction, assassination, and betrayal. Most of which featured all three; she had suggested this was merely a part of being a kunoichi. The conversation had left Ino shaken and cold. Ino had been determined to prove Anko wrong. To prove Kakashi, Naruto, and Neji right, who all seemed to believe in her for whatever reason. Ino had been confident that she could finally say she was a true kunoichi if she defeated Samui. But Ino had failed.
"Hurts, doesn't it?" Tsunade asked as she pulled a scroll from her bosom and unsealed a bottle of sake. "We're supposed to be all beautiful and graceful and deadly, all while not being too much. If we try to be more, they mock us once we fail."
"What are you-?" Ino asked. She was utterly perplexed. What in the world was Tsunade of the Sannin doing here speaking to Ino. What the hell was she speaking of?
"Come on, kid, I imagine I know your pain better than most." Tsunade chuckled humorlessly. "They tell you all your life to be well-behaved, controlled, and beautiful. Likes that all you are worth, you finally prove them wrong, and all they remember is the failure in the end. Look at you stressed out, exhausted, and now emotionally distraught." Tsunade laughed humorously at her silence.
"Don't look down kid; it gets better!" Tsunade said with mock excitement. "Or at least it can be. Mostly depends if you can make the right choice."
"The… right choice?" Ino asked. "What do you mean?"
"Do you know how I became the first S-ranked female shinobi? The only female member of the Sanin? Was it my genius healing? Perhaps my famed strength? Impressive wit? Bust size?" Tsunade ranted. Her voice was very slightly slurred. Ino noted she was somewhat drunk, though she wisely refrained from saying so.
"Um, Lady Tsunade, do you nee-" Ino was interrupted as Tsunade chuckled again, a dry, cold one that slightly unnerved Ino.
"Well, I suppose it was a little bit of all those things." Tsunade spoke to herself, seemingly only speaking to Ino due to an impulse. "But truthfully, it took a certain level of cold and logical thinking. I didn't master it until too late, but you could learn from it."
"Learn from what? What are you talking about?" Ino asked incredulously. "I'm tired and embarrassed, and now I have to hunt down Naruto."
"You shouldn't." Tsunade sounded somewhat sober suddenly. "You need to listen; I'm trying to help you." Ino frowned further at this but decided to stay put. Besides, she didn't like trying to force her way past a Sannin. "See, for women in the shinobi world, there is only one solution to the woes we always face. For instance, Jiraiya of the Sannin, my teammate and one of my closest friends, has loved me for years. I tell him, no, claiming I can't do much after my previous lover's sudden death. But truthfully, I'm almost certain he would provide some level of happiness in his life. I don't engage, though I keep my distance."
"But if you feel the same, why not pursue it?" Ino asked, confused.
"A Kunoichi will never truly find love, Ino." Tsunade replied evenly. "We are destined to serve tirelessly until we give up, be slain, or much worse. I've seen it happen countless times. We are trained to do insidious jobs due to our perceived "nature" and treated as though we are not equals. And should we be foolish enough to be hopeful or to fall in love. The world will remind us of how it works by removing them coldly. That is why a kunoichi like yourself must grow distant and cold. Not emotionless, never emotionless, but never showing her full emotions. You must shield yourself from the trauma to come; only then can you achieve your goal of becoming a true Kunoichi." Ino did not know when a tear started to fall down her cheek, but she felt utterly overwhelmed. Was there indeed no point in becoming a Kunoichi if that would be the future?
"SOUNDS LIKE A TOTAL BUNCH OF BULLSHIT!" A familiar voice roared. Naruto suddenly appeared again in the hall, looking furious and determined as he stomped over. "That is not what being a Kunoichi is about! No one can tell someone else what it means to be a ninja!" Naruto challenged.
"You may not be a kunoichi Naruto." Tsunade said with a smile. "But you know better than even her that my words are true. Did she not blame you for a problem you didn't cause, dedicate her match to you, then lose further shaming your already paltry reputation?"
"No one's perfect! No one can be! All that matters is you follow your own heart and ideals. Closing yourself off only hurts more." Naruto stubbornly answered. "Being distant is something a coward would do. You can only find happiness by grabbing it for yourself."
Tsunade laughed with some actual joy at this. She then crushed the glass bottle of sake in her hand. Notably, no sake dripped from the shattered glass, merely blood. Tsunade whipped her hand back and forth, removing glass and blood and revealing seemingly unharmed hands. "You," She pointed at Ino. "Are already seeing the future for a hopeful kunoichi. It's dark crushing and unrelenting. You," she said, now pointing at Naruto. "Will find out soon enough. But hey, convince her, Uzumaki, that I'm wrong."
Silence filled the room after her sudden encouragement.
Naruto and Ino eyed each other. Neither had faced each other since Ino's regretted words. Ino had never met someone who made her feel so much. She felt shame for disappointing him, excitement to finally see him, and anger she had been rescued by him from the conversation. Ino would not lie; Naruto's stubborn refusal had made her feel better. Yet she had disturbingly heard some truth in it.
'So much on my mind, and now you are here. What the hell do I say?' Ino thought.
Naruto's POV
'Great. I got involved impulsively when I heard Tsunade talking to you like that. Now you're here; what the hell should I say?' Naruto thought as he locked eyes with Ino.
"Listen," Naruto started but was stopped by Ino.
"I'm sorry, more than you know." Ino said sadly. "We have a lot to talk about; I have a lot to answer to. And I really do want to talk about it, but… I just… need time."
Naruto felt a slight pain but nodded his head. "I know what you mean; I kinda feel the same, you know? We are going to talk, though?" Ino nodded silently, hugging Naruto gently before walking away without a word. Naruto waited until she was out of earshot before he continued.
"The hell did you do that for!" Naruto declared angrily. "She already had a lot on her plate, and you went and tried to shake her worldview!"
"Watch your tone, brat. You're lucky you're related to Kushina and the student of Jiraiya, or I'd show you what happens to those who mouth off at me." Tsunade snapped back.
"Who gives a damn who I know?!" Naruto said, grabbing Tsunade's collar with a growl. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I'll talk however I want to assholes fucking with my friends!"
Tsunade smiled sweetly at him. "First, good point. There is no need to judge you off of others. Secondly." With that, she flicked him in the ribs. Naruto spat out blood as he flew back and into the wall hard. 'She nearly broke my ribs!' Before he could race up to attack her in kind, she was standing over him with a hand on his ribs. Naruto froze as he prepared for another painful blow. Instead, the pain faded as he suddenly felt better. He looked over to see the hand touching his ribs glowing. "Alrighty, now that we have established a pecking order, let me speak. Listen, I'm just offering the girl the reality others won't tell her. I know from experience she needed to hear that I was doing you one. Love is something to cherish, but it will always be lost. Better to not love at all, wish I hadn't."
Naruto shoved her off and growled as he stood. "Hell no, I'm gonna live life embracing my loved ones, and before I let them go, I'll exhaust every single option." He countered fiercely.
"You really are like them…" Tsunade spoke quietly. As Tsunade continued, Naruto raised a brow but had no time to comment on it. "How about this brat? Prove me wrong by being promoted to Chunin. If you manage such, I'll offer you much better training than Jiraiya gave you; you'll have the aid of two Sannins. You want that accredited Kage position, don't you? Then, as a Kage-level shinobi, it'd be invaluable. If you don't, however, you must quit your Hokage dream."
Naruto was still determining if he even wanted training from the opposing woman. But he would prove her wrong all the same. Besides, surely a Sannin like her would not have some good jutsu.
"Deal."
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Sasuke's POV (Contestant Section of Iron Arena - Land of Iron)
The Chunin Exams had always been part of the plan. Progression of his shinobi career in the Leaf was a necessity for him. Sasuke needed to become a shinobi with influence, reputation, and connections. One to start the repair of the Uchiha clan and the other to aid his search for the truth of that night. Sasuke had never been one to dwindle. From a young age, he had trained relentlessly, at one time for the respect of his father and older brother, and now to redeem them. So much had he prepared, he had earnestly assumed the exams would've been a farce. Indeed, with his brethren Shisui's aid, no mere Genin could stand before him.
That notion had been disabused shockingly early on. Neji Hyuga had been a fight he had hoped for and even been excited for. While Sasuke had known his reputation, he had assumed he would effortlessly destroy him, poke holes in his style, and prove Uchiha's superiority with ease. Sasuke had won the battle, but Neji had nearly bested him. In the first round, he had a close fight. The Uchiha was confident if they fought again, he would win much easier, but it mattered little. Sasuke had left doubts in their minds. Now, the doubts might grow more prominent. Fuu, the goofy woman, had made Lee seem almost helpless, Sasuke would have undoubtedly struggled against him, yet she appeared unbothered. Kiba wasn't a mighty opponent, Sasuke had bested him before. Yet Gaara had made him look pathetic. Tenten had shown impressive skill and utility, yet Naruto had outpaced and overwhelmed her. Even Samui had seemed impressive to some degree.
It wouldn't stop Sasuke, he would merely have to be prepared for them. His next challenger seemed to be a significant challenge. 'She seems superhuman in every way… but I think I can manage it.' But Gaara would make it to the next rounds. Naruto likely would not be bested by some meager stone shinobi. 'All of my problems are jinchuriki…' He sighed mentally. 'For the Uchiha…'
"Disabling Inner Gaze: Demons Exposed!" Yuno cried with a powerful flex of chakra. The yell, amplified by the mics, broke him out of thinking. 'I'm glad Yuno will never know I wasn't fully paying attention. But why is she using that technique? While powerful, it drains her quickly and limits her from chakra techniques…' He focused on the fight intently as he watched. With an apparent flare of light, Shikamaru was trapped in the genjutsu, and Sasuke debated the odds. 'Shikamaru supposedly is some genius, even so, I've been ensnared by this Genjutsu. It is a difficult one to escape, especially without your own Sharingan. I suppose this is the end. The technique makes you face your biggest sources of stress and plays with all five senses. He's officially helpless.'
At least, that had been what Sasuke had assumed. Shockingly, it seemed Shikamaru had found a counter to Yuno's strongest Genjutsu, even under his effects. Shikamaru somehow seemed able to predict Yuno's movements and attacks. 'Through pure intuition? Yet another challenger to be bested…'
With this impressive feat in mind, Shikamaru managed to stall until he found quite the escape method. His screams were vivid and raw as he used a shadowy hand to crush his own left wrist. Yuno, seeing the desperate gambit, had tried to enforce the end. Yet even when suffering considerable injuries, it seemed Shikamaru kept his head. When Yuno attempted to place a kunai under his throat, she was grabbed by a giant hand of shadows. It crudely smashed the exhausted Yuno into the ground, knocking her out. Yuno needs to work on her stamina, just as Ino did earlier. 'Fear not, cousin, should I encounter the Nara later, he shall also fall.'
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Kabuto's POV (???)
Kabuto was a strange, unpredictable man who had been from the start another orphan created by the never-ending machine called war. Soon, he was used by those of strength in the world. In many ways, Danzo Shimura could be attributed to creating him as he was. Crushing the little bit of stability his life had and ensuring he would never struggle with such a meager consideration like "morals."
"The only love a shinobi needs is the love of their homeland. We live in darkness to ensure the majority can be bathed in light. Rid yourself of your bias and illogical emotions. That is the job of a true shinobi." Danzo had often told him. Kabuto had served due to his interest in Danzo and the sense of purpose it had given him. After a few years, he had found himself a new master. One that was much different than before, and one Kabuto found to be a much better fit.
Orochimaru had proven to provide something Kabuto could not say anyone else ever had. Enjoyment in life, he had shown him such brilliant research. Others would call it inhumane, cruel, barbaric even. They were ignorant, refusing to learn based on subjective distaste. Orochimaru had introduced this ideology to him: nothing was sacred, morality was a political tool, and little else, and knowledge was above all else.
"People spend their whole lives restrained. They are told how to work, live, learn, grow, and even when to die. They bow to the machinations of others constantly. Betraying their very instincts to fit into the role society provides. They lead miserable lives only ended by their pitiful demise. But it doesn't have to be this way. No, for those who aren't foolish enough to be told how to live and when to die. They move for greater purposes, they live based on the most human aspect of man. Their hunger for knowledge is all that is permitted to learn. Join me in becoming wise Kabuto Kukukuku…" Orochimaru had ranted. Most of his men found these rants unnerving, but Kabuto found it exciting.
Sasori had attempted to get him under his thumb. Luckily, he had underestimated both Kabuto and Orochimaru. Soon, he would pay for his attempt… or… would he?
Kabuto inwardly swore as his entire being ached, like he was being crushed into a ball from every direction. The pain made him gasp for air, only to discover he couldn't breathe! He couldn't even see! He attempted to thrash, but this only increased the pain tenfold. As the pain intensified, Kabuto saw stars, and his mind remembered his defeat by Guren and company. They had managed to overwhelm them, and Guren had encased him in crystal, he hadn't panicked. He had prepared a counter to such once Guren had joined. Only for her to continue to cover him in thicker crystal as it sank into the earth. Oh, he had panicked then, curses and threats were promised internally. But none of it mattered. He had been defeated. She had left his head exposed for a moment before burying him. All the better to enjoy her revenge. He had known it would come, he had been the one to kill Yukimaru.
"Sorry, Kabuto, but I couldn't just run off and live happily. Not after you two killed him." Guren had said grimly, glaring hatefully at the imprisoned Kabuto.
"You mean you can't forgive me for killing him. Orochimaru had merely ordered it, I had the pleasure of butchering him myself!" Kabuto roared, vicious and spiteful even at the potential end.
"Touche, just die knowing you failed your master, he will join you soon." Guren said darkly.
"HAHAHAHA!" Kabuto taunted manically. "You could never bitch!"
"No, I could not. Fortunately, Orochimaru had a much bigger problem coming: an attack.~" Sang Guren happily. "~And such poor timing! Orochimaru is weaker for now due to needing a new body soon. Kimimaro and I are both dead, well, one of us anyway. And his most reliable psycho is going to die without his knowledge."
"Wait! An attack?! You bitch, what did you do?!" Kabuto roared, realizing this may be a more significant threat than he had first deemed. But his rage had gone ignored as he sank into the earth.
Kabuto felt the pain grow slightly numb, he knew that meant his brain was shutting down due to lack of oxygen. 'My technique heals me automatically on a cellular level. This will allow me to survive this longer than most. I merely need to create new cells at the same rate they die. But if I lose consciousness even for a moment, I'll likely die.' Kabuto had always wondered if suffocation would be a decent method of killing him. His healing allowed him to survive even the most viscous of injuries, but a constant unending ailment might stand a chance.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
He wondered if his parents had ever loved him?
Kabuto flinched at the random thought. It seemed his brain had slowed down significantly even with the healing. It took a lot of work to maintain focus.
Why did everyone use him?
Kabuto had no time for such thoughts! He needed to figure out a way to escape! Orochimaru would need his aid!
Must his death be so pointless?
Kabuto couldn't afford to die, he had barely lived! The constant and intense pain had become muted. His nerves barely were working and were under continuous damage and repair.
How long has it been? Seconds? Hours? DAYS?!
Kabuto tried flexing his chakra, but it was for nothing, the crystal did not budge and even seemed to drain him of some of his chakra. A period of time passed that Kabuto could not identify. Likely, it had been minutes or hours. But it felt like years.
Kabuto missed the pain.
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Naruto's POV (Corridors of Iron Arena - Land of Iron)
Naruto sat in a dead-end hallway. After ensuring Shikamaru had won, Naruto felt like taking a break from other people. Kami knew he had many problems to ponder, and he had always done his best thinking alone. Wandering the sparse halls of the Iron Arena proved perfect for allowing his mind to drift. Empty and devoid, they were as the cool and collected Samui clashed with the battle-hungry Mangetsu. Naruto was sure Samui would win, she seemed much more skilled than most had thought. And would not struggle nearly as much as Omoi to take advantage of the well-known weakness of the Hozuki at this point. It was the perfect circumstance for Naruto to achieve some inner peace.
Eventually, he wandered absentmindedly into a dead end leading to a closet. Knowing most people other than a janitor would not end up here, it seemed wise to stay at this spot. 'Unless there are Samurai janitors… nah.'
Ino was at the forefront of his mind. She was his friend, one of his closest ones, in fact. However, Naruto had many problems and needed to be more confident of Ino or her intentions. As much as Naruto would like to bury the hatchet and repair their friendship, he felt it would be best to hold off on addressing it until at least after the exams.
That was primarily due to Gaara, the Sand shinobi and fellow jinchuriki, who seemed prepared to kill or capture him should he not see the "truth." Naruto had never been a coward, even when it was doubtful he could, he had stood up to Neji. Gaara felt different and had been fearless in a clash with the missing shinobi. Naruto could admit to somewhat fearing the man. Gaara had shown to be decisive in a way Naruto had never seen. Gaara was intelligent and vindictive, he did not acknowledge his humanity. Naruto felt the two were similar, but there was no denying Gaara was more monstrous.
He wanted to fight Sasuke and held no ill will towards the Uchiha. Naruto could tell Sasuke had primarily been fair. But it still rubbed him the wrong way that Neji had been beaten by someone other than himself. Naruto had deemed it only fair that he paid Sasuke back personally. Plus, the fight would indeed be incredible, win-win, as it were.
Yes, Naruto was much too busy to figure Ino for now. Soon, but not now.
"I wonder if you'll impress me once again, brother." A raspy and familiar voice called. Naruto's eyes whipped up to see his redheaded tormenter himself.
"Brother?" Naruto asked, curious but neutral. Despite his tone, he had already drawn Riptide. 'Better to stall for now. Not sure I can defeat him in these narrow walls.' "As far as I knew, our relationship was between victim and stalker."
"We are both not mere humans but jinchuriki, this makes us unique and family." Gaara said with a pleasant tone. Naruto raised a brow at this, Gaara's vibe seemed different this time. "I say this because, in all truth, I'm desperate to make you understand. You should understand, not like these pathetic humans. We are connected through shared pain. You also felt that didn't you. It was you who connected to my mind or should I say mindscape? Join me, and I will spare you in our match, I will lead us to greatness. Or if you choose to be foolish, I'll either force you into joining or kill you should you prove weak. Even for jinchuriki, only the strong survive."
"I've never been much of a follower." Naruto said coldly. His fear was silenced by righteous fury. Time and time again, this man before him had decided the fate of many. Naruto just couldn't allow someone to live like this! "And you're wrong. I won't be joining you, and I see the truth clearly. We may be different, but we are still human."
"You fool, we are nothing but human. Have you not seen how much they hate us? Abhor us? They made this choice. We merely will show them their mistakes." Gaara replied evenly. "Should you believe we need humanity, you'll have to prove it. Show me the strength of a jinchuriki who has embraced humanity. I'll show you how meager it is to the strength of a jinchuriki who has embraced their power." Gaara chuckled silently as he dispersed into a moving cloud of sand, drifting away from the blonde.
Naruto sighed, annoyed and slightly tired after facing Gaara. It seemed he wouldn't be given an actual break, unfortunately…
"UZUMAKI! There you are, you little shit! I've been looking everywhere for you!" Kurotsuchi yelled as she ran down the hallway, subtly cutting off his escape just as Gaara had.
Naruto leaned against the wall with a slight frown. "What do you need, Kurotsuchi?"
"Oh, come on, we're finally gonna get to fight soon! How are you not excited? Besides, this isn't just any match-up. This is a battle between the future Kage!" Kurotsuchi said with a large grin. "A great chance to show the world that I, the granddaughter of Onoki and future Tsuchikage. Is a superior shinobi to the nobody Naruto Uzumaki, the future Hokage!"
"No one knows who either of us are," Naruto said dryly. "Secondly, I'm awesome and definitely will be Hokage. But why do you think so?"
"I can just tell! A rival of mine could afford to be no less Shortstack." Kurotsuchi taunted. "Besides, you'd never make it as a Tsuchikage, maybe a lame Hokage, but never a Tsuchikage."
Naruto grinned through his annoyance. A fight to prove himself to some asshole was just up his alley. "Whatever you say. Just remember the smack you're talking about when I kick your ass." He teased back his lousy mood, momentarily forgotten.
"Sounds like a plan, Shortstack. Bring you A-game, I need a real show stopper for my Chunin Exams. Need a story to tell about my promotion!" She teased as she walked off.
Naruto offered a final heavy sigh before returning to the contestant section. Naruto Uzumaki may be stressed out, but he was never down and out.
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Yagura's POV (Kage Box of Iron Arena - Land of Iron)
Yagura had been hesitant to attend the exams. The Chunin Exams were considered by every village as a chance to increase revenue and show off to dissuade their enemies. Something the Mist Village could, of course, use. But unlike the other villages that could afford to do so with ease, he could not. Yagura had freed his home from its previous tyrannical leader. But being a true hero did not stop there. He had routed out all his villainous supporters, their families, and anyone who had become unjust. It had been necessary, the only way to ensure their evil would not return.
But it had led to his current predicament. A bloody and, at times, seemingly endless Civil War. Yagura had found it unfortunate but had no problem combating the evil of this newest "rebellion." He had been unconcerned, why would he be? Yagura knew he was just and knew no shinobi or team shinobi could face him in battle. They tried to politicize, but no hero wasted time on such things.
That's why he was hesitant about these exams. Yagura had no impressive Genin left in his employ, a war was always a wrong time for Genin, especially with their harsher practice of forging strong heroes. He could only send the recently injured Mangetsu and the inexperienced Suigetsu, who were at odds with Mangetsu's diminished state and Suigetsu's lack of skill. Their powerful bloodlines were heroic, he thought it would allow them to coast through the opposition. A decision that A's and Hiruzen's Genin had proved unwise. Yagura had been aware of their weaknesses, every technique had flaws. But had thought them skilled enough to bypass such. Suigetsu had been embarrassed by what had been proven to be an intelligent and skilled but ultimately weak Nara. Mangetsu had performed better. Omoi had been an embarrassing but decisive match. Yet Samui, the strange boy's teammate, proved much more game. She had defeated Mangetsu decisively, purely outperforming him in all categories. 'This will surely harm our reputation even further. No true matter, I suppose, a hero cares little for approval, they only need to know they serve justice.'
Besides, an increase in business would be troublesome, it was just as well they focus on crushing the rebels. Yes, in fact, Yagura was sure this was for the best. Attracting business for the Mist was needed, but doing so in their volatile and violent state would need to be more helpful. No, heroes could not call out to others until they had vanquished their evil foes. This was necessary to an extent for image anyway, his presence would save face. And the need for more business would ensure they could focus on the war. Crush the villains, gain business, expand…
A silent wish of air announced the arrival of Tsunade from a rather long restroom break. Hiruzen and Mifune offered glares for such, but Tsunade ignored them as she settled behind Hiruzen next to Jiraiya. Yagura gazed at the room before him and focused back on it. A was still mocking him, having been the one to "deal the final blow to the Mist." He had been ranting during his inner monologue, but Yagura knew better than to listen to his Lesser's advice. Hiruzen seemed to be silently admonishing the female Sanin for her late arrival. Mifune seemed to be listening as well, passively enjoying Tsunade's reprimands. Rasa seemed more amused at Yagura's Genin's failure. Why Onoki was distracted, likely thinking over his daughter's coming bout.
So many places to cleanse the ill-intended. Yagura would be patient, the hero was always a little late.
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Naruto's POV (Contestant Section of Iron Arena - Land of Iron)
Naruto arrived back into their section, glancing around as he did. They locked eyes and summarily had a glaring match with Gaara and Kurotsuchi. He was pleased to discover Ino was not present. 'I suppose old lady Tsunade helped me out. Feel bad, but I'll make up for it eventually.' Naruto promised himself. His eyes settled on Shikamaru, Fuu, and Samui leaning on the front railing, watching the latest match. He glanced around curiously to see the current match in play:
Hinata Hyuga VS Sai of the Leaf
'I remember Sai is more impressive than I would've thought. And I haven't had the chance to see Hinata fight either. Glad I came back when I did.' Naruto summarized as he slapped Shikamaru's as he joined the trio on the railing.
Naruto was about to ask about the fight before he noticed a cast around Shikamaru's left wrist. "You okay, you lazy bastard? I figured they would've fully healed by now." Naruto mentioned.
Shikamaru sighed dramatically as he looked at his left wrist. "Turns out fully broken bones, especially in this area, can take a little bit to heal. In reality, it's almost fully repaired. They just put it in a cast until the next match to ensure it doesn't set incorrectly."
"Breaking your own wrist! So brave!" Fuu laughed/yelled. "I've never even broken a bone. I guess I'm lucky!"
"My life is full of trouble-" Shikamaru started before Samui lightly shoved him with a raised brow. "Women. I was going to say, women, woman." Shikamaru finished stubbornly.
"Not cool." Samui admonished seriously.
"Eh, okay," Naruto said, sidestepping the tension. "How's the match going?"
"One-sided." Shikamaru replied simply.
"But it's so cool! Hinata has been on the backfoot yet hasn't been hit once!" Fuu said excitedly. "Man, I hope she wins, I wanna fight her!"
"Perhaps, but she seems unable to make any offense, a strong defense is cool, but no one can dodge forever." Samui added.
"I wouldn't count Hinata out!" Naruto countered confidently. "Neji says Hinata might be just as strong as he is. He doesn't give unearned or usually even earned compliments, so that's saying something."
"He must've been referring to her speed or something." Shikamaru dismissed. "She is planning something, but her scramble is genuine. Sai has her on the ropes."
"He may not keep her as such for much longer." Sasuke interjected, facing the group. "Hinata is a powerful fighter, if he makes a certain mistake, I'm confident she'll win."
"A certain mistake?" Fuu asked, confused.
"Indeed," Sasuke continued. "Normally, Hinata seems to be a rather unremarkable shinobi, at least most of the time. She certainly improved with her training with Neji and developing her own style. But she still lacked a killer instinct and power. If one somehow tries to test her patience, it almost solves both problems."
"A temper?" Samui asked with disbelief. "She seems so well-mannered."
"She is." Sasuke agreed. "It takes a lot to test her patience, but if Sai does so, her victory will be guaranteed. When furious, she can be an interesting challenge even for me." He complimented.
"I hate to agree with this douche, but ya, my lot is with Hinata." Naruto agreed, ignoring Sasuke's glare. Another enemy for the list, he supposed.
"That could be troublesome, Sai has a fondness for teasing people." Shikamaru complained.
"Oh no, please don't tease me?" Naruto asked sarcastically.
"No, he calls it teasing. I call it a vindictive personal attack." Shikamaru continued. "Read in some book about how friends screw around with each other and were taught to make their opponents angry and therefore sloppy. Mix the two, and you get a troublesome bastard."
"I think the emo guy might be right." Fuu interjected, if looks could kill, Sasuke would've killed her on the spot. "Look."
They all switched their gaze to what looked like the beginning of a massacre.
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Hinata / Sai's POV (Courtyard of Iron Arena - Land of Iron)
Hinata ducked a flying bird that seemed intent on dive bombing for her eyes. Finger jabbed a flying squirrel out of existence while she kicked a rabbit flying through the air. She then dived to the right to dodge the wild charge of an ink hog. 'How in the world did he have this many summons? He nearly tripled the amount he used against Temari.' Seeing two coyotes closing from behind, Hinata expertly spiked their heads with kunai. With both arms open, Sai suddenly flew in and ducked her desperate punch, slashing a line on her left leg and kicking her in the ribs, sending her flying back. Sai stopped, the small amount of forest left surrounded the two and acted as a barrier to keep Hinata trapped. Using her raw speed and powerful vision, she had managed to survive the barrage of animals, and Sai threaded himself through thus far. But slowly, they were overwhelming her. Sai seemed to be doing better stamina-wise as well, somehow, despite engaging in speedy Taijutsu and Ninjutsu in tandem. Hinata painfully stood up and rested into her stance with a wince. 'I need to do something. But what can I do? I could use the air palm, but it can only do so much. Even if I land a direct hit on him, it'll leave me open for his summons to attack. Not to mention it's much too costly to use repetitively.'
Sai smiled at her as his horde of various ink animals paused and writhed around him. "I must admit to being disappointed. I had prepared quite the strategy for you in case you proved to be as strong as your cousin. It seems you are not, though. The Hyuga heiress is shockingly unremarkable. I doubt I needed my little trick." He sounded oddly disconnected from his words as if reading them off instead of choosing them.
Hinata reigned in a flare of anger at his biting consideration of her skills. Instead, she tried to focus on the essential parts. "A trick?" She asked patiently.
"Oh, it is normally considerably bad sportsmanship to do so, isn't it? Then again, as shinobi, we're expected to see underneath. Though I'm sure the others managed to find out, unlike you." Sai teased. Hinata felt the little ember of anger flare up at that, but she managed to control it. "I spent the time before this match drawing up creations. See, my technique relies on actually drawing and fueling my ink drawings. By preparing them ahead of time, I can release a shocking amount at once. Costly for my chakra, but it makes more offense unrelenting. Dangerous depending on my foe, but a weak heiress lacks the raw power to deal with such. I had prepared them in case you proved to be like your cousin. Luckily, you are a much weaker version."
Hinata could feel shame once again. She hated how familiar it felt. She had felt when she had been defeated by Hananbi and dismissed by her father at a time hated by Neji, it seemed to be a recurring theme in her life. Hinata had sworn she wouldn't be ashamed again. She had trained hard to ensure such, she was making an honest effort.
"No effort to even defend yourself?" Sai continued. "I suppose some simply aren't cut out to be shinobi…
Hinata's mind went black.
"Cut out to be shinobi…" It echoed in her mind.
Hinata was tired of being looked down on. Sasuke had done this, too. She had proven herself to him… she'd do the same with Sai.
Sai's POV
"I am," Hinata said darkly. She had created that recent jutsu, she knew it was still being prepared, and it was a little costly and unstable. But she refused to let anyone look down on her anymore. "Gentle Fist: Precise Beam." She said as she clasped one hand in another while facing Sai. Her Byakugan almost seemed to shine as she prepared her attack, her anger nearly palpable. Sai smiled, seemingly not afraid of such. Suddenly, chakra shot from her hands with absurd speed, quickly piercing a coyote at the left edge of the group. Hinata shouted in fury as she swung her clasped hands sweepingly. Sai flinched at the speed of it before ducking as the small beam sliced through the summons around him, merely bisecting him if not for his reaction. Hinata saw this and swept her hands again, Sai jumped over this, chucking out several scrolls with art and flaring his chakra to summon various larger birds. Hinata did not react to such swiping up with her beam at Sai. Two birds grabbed both of his shoulders and barely hauled him out of the way. Sai chucked two more scrolls, which burst with dog-sized moles that dug into the ground below before Hinata's beam sliced through both birds, causing Sai to crash bodily into the ground. He rolled as soon as he recovered from the painful impact, watching as the beam sliced a small trench through the tough topsoil.
'She was holding a technique like this in her kit?' He thought as he acrobatically dived over her beam. 'Need to get in close, problematic. It keeps her hands full, though, if I get in fast enough, I should be able to take her down. How interesting this turned out to be.'
Sai rushed in as two birds flew in with speed from behind, and two moles burst from the ground, flying through the air at her sides. Sai rushed in from the front. 'If she uses Kaiten, it will force her to deactivate the technique.' He thought as he came with ten feet. Hinata did not bother to do so, simply spinning on one foot, slicing through the animals, and nearly removing Sai's feet. Sai continued to close the distance as a mole tunnel in front of him from below and a bird hovered above him from behind. 'She uses it horizontally, attacking from various vertical routes limits her options.' To his shock, Hinata simply jumped out and shifted her weight so she lay sideways in the air. Sai flinched as she sliced vertically, cutting through his summons and himself. To his surprise, it burnt and even cut his skin thinly. But his chakra points that were touched were also sealed. He stumbled, used to the pain, but a decent part of his body felt numb. 'Almost the entire left side.' He leaped back, noticing Hinata had stopped the technique. 'Keep my distance, find an open-"
"Eight Trigrams: Sixteen Heavenly Beams!" Hinata called. As she flared her chakra into her hands. 'The sixty-four palms? At this distance?' He thought as she seemed to prepare for a famous technique. "One Beam!" She called fiercely, jabbing her finger once with impressive speed. As she did, a thin beam of chakra fired, hitting Sai exactly where she had pointed. Sai cried out in pain as the beam hit his left leg, stumbling a bit as it hit. 'She created a medium-distance version?!' "Two Beams!" Sai stumbled more desperately, attempting to stay on his feet. 'Well done, heiress.' He thought. "Four Beams! Eight Beams! Sixteen beams!" Sai could think nothing as the barrage landed flush. Instead, the mix of chakra being cut off and the pain makes him fade into darkness. Hinata finished and eyed down Sai with a glare.
Kakashi appeared whistling merrily. "Is he dead?" He asked casually.
"Dead?!" Hinata said, mortified. "Of course not! I held back with Precise Beam and my finishing technique. I would never kill an ally!"
"Could've fooled me~!" Kakashi replied happily. "Looked like a murder to me~!"
Hinata ran over to the downed Sai and checked on him. Luckily for her, the medics arrived to cart off Sai and provide him the needed aid.
"The winner ("And potential killer." Kakashi teased Hinata with a whisper.) is Hinata Hyuga!" He announced. The crowd roared happily with what seemed to be a classic underdog victory. However, there was little time for this to settle as Naruto's and Kurotsuchi's bodies flickered into the courtyard. Both nodded at Hinata with what seemed to be respect before they both glared at each other. "My my my, it seems the next match is already ready. Hinata, please clear the field, you two wait till I give the mark." Kakashi ordered.
Hinata nodded and, as she walked away, offered Naruto a word. "Neji is unable to wish you much, so good luck," Hinata said with a small smile. "Neji says you're one of the strongest shinobi he's met. So I look forward to seeing what you can do."
"Tch," Naruto said with a shit-eating grin. "Just watch, I will show this lady the difference between us!" Naruto said with confidence.
"Keep talking Shortstack," Kurotsuchi said. "My grandpa always says a shinobi who talks too much dies early."
"Maybe I'm just not afraid of death." Naruto replied confidently. "Besides, I can't die till I'm Hokage."
"Well said. But do you really think that matters? I'm gonna be the Tsuchikage one day. That's way better than some Hokage." Kurotsuchi taunted.
"Why would it matter what kinda Kage we'll be? It's the same thing." Naruto replied, confused.
"It's about pride, idiot." Kurotsuchi said, now seeming somewhat serious. "The Leaf has always embarrassed the stone. Now, I met a Leaf shinobi who shared the same dream and drive as me. It's practically fate! We'll settle the years-old question of which is better. Two future Kage from rival villages clashing. Can't you see this is the perfect opportunity to settle things? Which is better, the Stone or the Leaf? Well, we'll decide right now.!"
"I don't care about that, though." Naruto replied simply. "I love my home, but I don't need it to be proven superior? I did look forward to this fight but for me. I wanna see how strong you are and if I can hang. I don't really care about proving the Leaf is great. I know that to be true anyway."
Kurotsuchi was stunned by his simple logic. She bellowed out laughter at this, laughing for nearly a full minute before settling down. "You really mean that, don't you?"
"Course I play it straight." Naruto said.
Kurotsuchi smiled and shook her head at him. "I suppose you are right. I don't really care about all that drama, either. Just want to make my homeland proud. Let's do it, not for our homes but for ourselves. Though I'm gonna kick your ass."
"Let's do it." Naruto said with a matching smile.
"Naruto Uzumaki VS Kurotsuchi of the Stone! Begin!" Kakashi called as the two dashed forward.