Sasuke / Kiba's POV (Trial of Nio - Land of Iron)
Sasuke faced down the three shinobi confidently. He knew Shikamaru would never condone him attacking them head-on like this henceforth he had supported splitting up. Shikamaru had given each of them several ideas on how to get points with no risk. To be fair to the Nara , it was a good plan. But not his own, these exams offered him a lot. It would be meaningless if he merely succeeded. He needed to excel, to be tested, to know where he stood. Sasuke was confident no single Genin could stand against him. So he had set out to find a good challenge. Kiba and Choji were never quite top tiers. But they were respectable in their own right. The blonde Suna shinobi was an unknown risk. It would be nice to test him. After all, he needed to show the world that the Uchiha were on another level.
Besides it was clear the group was down a man and somewhat injured. A nice advantage for Sasuke and likely he would need it. The group now seeming more confident surrounded the crouched Uchiha.
"Sasuke, it's good to see ya buddy! You wouldn't happen to be looking for trouble would you?" Kiba asked jovially as he and Akamaru stood in front of the Uchiha.
"I am seeking trouble mutt." Sasuke replied curtly. He never understood why Kiba seemed so confident in himself. He considered him a joke.
"Sasuke, surely you don't think you can take us all out." Choji nervously stated as he prepared for combat. "We might hurt you." Choji knew Sasuke was no joke. But surely not even he could take all three of them. He was nothing like that monster earlier.
"Let's not be naive, he knew what would happen when he came here." Sen chided as she drew her fans.
"The woman is right, besides you all cannot touch me." Sasuke stated arrogantly.
This must've served as some unspoken signal. Sen slashed at Sasuke's back with her double fans. Sasuke reflected this casually with a single kunai. Kicking out as he did, smacking Choji in the face and sending him stumbling back. Akamaru launched forward at the throat of Sasuke. He ducked under the attack, before blocking a kick from Kiba. The power of the move sent him sliding back. Sasuke took the moment to stare down at his opponents. "I'm disappointed." Sasuke said in a bored tone.
"I would be too after that perfo-" Kiba started before Sasuke was suddenly in front of him, fist cocked back for an attack. Kiba barely ducked the blow, rolling away from him. Sasuke attempted to pursue him but was blocked by Choji's enlarged palm. It flew towards him forcing him to roll to the side.
This left him in the path of Sen who spun as she unleashed a blast of wind.
"Twin Breeze Blades!" She called two blades of wind flying towards the rolling Uchiha. Sasuke rose to his feet as they came close, calmly disappearing right as the blades cut into him. Sen screamed in panic as she narrowly avoided a kunai slash from Sasuke who was now somehow in front of her. He kicked Akamaru who attempted to attack him from behind. But this left him open to Kiba who flew in with a drop kick. Sasuke barely managed to raise his guard after being smashed into and driven into a nearby snow bank.
"Cocky bastard." Kiba complained as he stood before the now-buried Uchiha.
"He was no joke." Choji replied walking up as well. Sen merely slashed in front of the two talking men with a fan interrupting them. The two men watched confused as Sen seemed to randomly fearfully jump back. Before Kiba caught on with a startle cry.
"Kai!"
As he did so he saw Sasuke unleashing a high kick to his face. Choji somehow reacted in time, managing to shove Kiba out of the way. Sasuke growled angrily before disappearing and reappearing inside of Choji's guard with a viscous body uppercut. Choji gasped for air as he collapsed. Kiba jumped away trying to avoid Sasuke. But the Uchiha saw this and fired off several kunai. Kiba closed his eyes, prepared to be riddled with them. But as he did he heard a call that saved his ass.
"Wind Style: Wind Breakthrough!" Sen called. A gust of wind caught Kiba, the kunai, and Sasuke sending them all flying back. Kiba used this to his advantage, spinning in the air with a smile.
"Thanks for the assist! This is over! Fang Over Fang!" Kiba called as he became a blur flying towards the Uchiha. Sasuke merely smiled as his Sharingan turned on allowing him to see the perfect counter. He twirled slightly in the air allowing him to avoid the blow. As he did so he managed to snag the boy's hood on his hoodie. Before he suddenly disappeared with Kiba in tow. Before Sen or Choji could hope to figure this out they both appeared in front of them, Sasuke tossing Kiba into Sen the two crashing and turning into a painful ball of limbs. Choji growled as his fist grew he fired it off towards the smiling Sasuke. Choji's vision was blocked as he felt something hit his fist. He smiled at the lucky blow unaware of Sasuke falling from above.
Unleashing a powerful and merciless kick to the top of Choji's skull. It drove him into the ground with a powerful boom as Choji fell unconscious due to the blow.
Kiba and Sen untangled and stared as Sasuke cracked his neck. "I didn't think I needed my eyes for this." He stated sounding somewhat annoyed. "I suppose I shouldn't underestimate you anymore." As he stalked forward intending to defeat the two as well. Before to the shock of him and Kiba, Sen raced forward, bowing to the Uchiha.
"We surrender. Take your points." Sen said darkly.
"Sen?!" Kiba asked, alarmed.
"Think about it for a second!" Sen countered hotly. "He just fended us off while holding back and now we're down another man. We can't afford to be beaten here!"
"So what? We just give up?!" Kiba asked angrily as he and Akamaru stood in front of Sen, seemingly still convinced to fight.
"No, we let him win this and have the chance to make points later. We challenge him and lose and we may have to drop out of the exams." Sen explained in a frustrated tone.
"She is correct." Sasuke added plainly. Sensing that the surrender would go through with a minor push.
Kiba felt his hands clench hard enough to break his skin. There was no nice way to put it. So far in this exam, he had been outperformed. Were there many shinobi this far above him? "FINE!" He growled as he and Akamaru stepped back. The large dog whining at this. Sasuke nodded as if bored with the show before tapping Sen once. After this, he started to stalk away.
"Wait, what about the other points?" Kiba called out, his confusion winning out at his anger for the moment.
"My teammates will get them or I'll do this again." Sasuke replied plainly as he left the two standing shinobi (and one unconscious one) alone.
"No offense but I hate you Leaf shinobi!" Sen yelled, annoyed. "Besides, being Chunin isn't worth this level of trouble." She stalked forward with rage being obvious. "I withdraw, good luck Kiba." Sen stated as she walked back towards the bottom of the mountain. Pulling out the tag for medical personnel and releasing it to get aid for Choji and herself.
"None taken." As the samurai appeared, they grabbed Choji and escorted Sen off of the mountain. While he would likely be fine he had taken a nasty blow to the head and was disoriented. So it would be best for him to drop out for now.
Kiba would make sure he passed now. No matter what.
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Suigetsu's POV (Trial of Nio - Land of Iron)
He wasn't sure when but they had caught wind of him. An impressive feat considering his level of mastery of the Silent Killing technique. Truthfully it mattered little. The more they traveled the more they ran the risk of running into another team. Suigetsu could take his time to decide his method of attack. With only the two of them, he was sure he could beat them in an outright fight, especially if one considered their obvious injuries but one of them was a Cloud Shinobi. Which just so happened to be a village full of his weakness. He was still confident he could best the two but no need to be too risky.
What was infuriating was that the two seemed determined to keep running. With a frown, Suigetsu decided enough was enough. He burst from behind a long sword in hand as he slashed at both their heads. He beheaded the two with relative ease before they suddenly became shadows and enveloped him. He tried to brute force his way through the shadows as they lifted him into the air but couldn't. He couldn't even become water…
"KAI!" Suigetsu yelled as he dispelled the genjutsu he had been placed in. As he did so he awoke to reality where Karui pierced his chest through. Yuno standing in front of him, Sharingans glowing.
"Decent effort you weird bastard!" Karui yelled at the man as she pulled her blade out of him mercilessly.
"You're not even that cute." Yuno panted to the man. "Enjoy my Sudden Shadow Binding Genjutsu?"
Suigetsu stumbled forward as liquid leaked from his body. "I may not be cute…" He started as he turned towards the two…revealing the hole in his chest dripping with water. "But that attack was." He finished as he flashed forward swinging his longsword at Karui. The woman caught the slash but dropped to the ground suddenly. The ground beneath them cracked as Suigetsu whispered to Karui. "Water Style: Great Water Arm!" His strength increased greatly and slowly overwhelmed her. Before he could finish Yuno appeared, slashing his arm in half with a kunai. The arm turned into water as Suigetsu laughed mockingly.
"It's super effective! Water Style: Drowning Bubble Jutsu!" He called as the water that was his arm wrapped around the head of Yuno. The woman flailed as she struggled to breathe. But her attacks went through the liquid body of the man without effect. Karui thrusted her blade into the man several times as well. But to both of their dismay, it didn't stop. Yuno slowed down as she drowned. Suigetsu chuckled as he activated the technique again. This time trapping Karui. "Shame it ends here. Was hoping you two weren't scrubs." Suigetsu taunted as Yuno slowly fainted. Suigetsu chuckled as he released her. "One down. One to go. Already got my points anyway."
But as soon after releasing Yuno he flinched as he suddenly got a debilitating headache. He screamed as his jutsu released Karui as well. "N-never underestimate a Uchiha." Yuno struggled as Suigetsu slowly climbed to his feet. The two of them stared for a moment as Suigetsu seemed to struggle to get himself together. "That was my False Pain Jutsu. Luckily you're still affected by Genjutsu." She taunted.
Suigetsu growled as he stumbled a bit. "Think a bit of pain will save you?" He asked angrily.
"NO BUT THIS WILL!" "Cloud Style: Lighting Flash Slice!" Karui called as her blade, now covered in lightning, slashed into the back of Suigetsu. He cried out as he stumbled back. She had never used the style before. Her control was all off and she could feel her chakra drain too quickly. It seemed she lacked the efficiency to use the technique Omoi had shown her. Damn it.
"You do know the lighting style! You two are more trouble than you're worth." Suigetsu growled. The man jumped into the air into a tree above the path. "But next time you won't be so lucky!" He called as he retreated. "Besides, I completed my goal anyway. HAHAH!" Suigetsu taunted as he left.
"Karui you said you didn't have mastery over lightning style." Yuno said tiredly as she sat on the ground. "Let's rest for the night…" She noticed Karui was face down on the path. "Or you forced it." She joked to herself.
The young woman sighed as she walked over to the other woman. "Thank you, you were much more interesting than I thought." She said sadly as she reached into her pocket and called for an aide for the woman. Quickly a Samurai appeared, giving first aid to the woman and lifting her for transport. Upon seeing the beaten state of Yuno he offered to take her back as well. Yuno refused of course.
How could she back out without meeting more interesting people?
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Shikamaru / Temari's POV (Trial of Nio - Land of Iron)
Shikamaru and Lee continued to observe the group. Tracking them silently as they unknowingly padded towards the trap they had laid ahead. With his quick mind and Lee's endless energy, they had prepared quite an array of traps for their unaware prey. In truth he would've preferred them moving together but with his team holding…..
One antisocial genius who wished to fight against strong opponents.
.
One violent sociopath who wished to fight against strong opponents.
.
And one hardworking idiot who wished to fight against strong opponents.
.
Who knew they likely wouldn't go for any reasonable plan. As such he had learned of their abilities and sent them off. His gut told him the two would manage somehow and he and Lee at the very least could get one as well. But the team they had run across was an interesting one.
He recognized both Ino and Shino and they were troubling. Ino had never been all that powerful but she had a solid head on her shoulders and could be very clever. Shino was similar but significantly more powerful and intelligent. Add to that Cloud Shinobi he had no info on. And a Suna woman he saw already was a long-range fighter. They were certainly a team to be wary of. In direct combat doubtless, they could defeat the two of them. Worse yet Shino had subtly created a perimeter of small insects to patrol the area around them. Meaning no one who came close would do so without their knowledge.
Luckily he had already figured out how to score points on them without combat. And the secret was Lee. Lee was absurdly fast and apparently could become even faster. Originally Shikamaru had intended for him to blitz the others but there was too much risk. Instead, they had set an array of traps to give the man the perfect shot. He would race in, make contact and get out. If things worked out perfectly they would escape before they had the chance to defend themselves.
It was Omoi who triggered their first trap. The young man unknowingly stepped on a trip wire. Suddenly a huge log flew into the clearing towards the group from a hill in front of them. Omoi, who had been on guard, flew forward with his sword drawn. "Cloud Style: Crescent Moon Beheading!" He flashed forward the slash managing to slice the log in two.
The group all flinched as they realized they were in an ambush. Tens of kunai and shuriken flew from the surrounding woods. Ino and Shino flashed forward and skillfully deflected these with ease. Shikamaru body flickered behind the group. He threw a large amount of Kunai each tagged with explosive tags. Temari stood on her horse with a smile.
"Nice try slacker!" She called as she swung her fan. A powerful gust of wind sent the kunai and Shikamaru flying back as the sound of explosions deafened any other noise they could catch onto before….
"Now Lee!" Shikamaru called. As soon as he finished this a green blur flew into the clearing landing on Temari's shoulders.
"Yosh!" Lee screamed as Temari lost balance due to his weight. The two stumbled, Lee jumping off Temari, and Temari falling off the horse. Shino and Ino both flew in to attack the man but he merely gave them a blindingly white smile as he raced past both of the group. Simply being too quick for them to react. Lee ran into the forest screaming out apologies.
Omoi, seeing him escape and being closer than the others, raced forward to combat Shikamaru. Who merely smirked at the approaching man. "I wouldn't." He informed blandly. Right as Omoi drew close Shikamaru jumped up revealing the approaching horse behind him. He had timed the jump perfectly landing on the horse. Omoi threw himself to the side. Aware if he had harmed the horse he would fail. This allowed Shikamaru to race past the group.
"Sorry about that. We needed the point and pointless combat is a real drag." Shikamaru called out as he raced by. His horse carried him further up the mountain as he informed, "Something to keep you busy for my escape!"
As he said this he threw a kunai to sever a rope he had set up before. With this, a large amount of tree trunks rolled down the hill towards the group. Ino, Shino, and Omoi all flinched at the approaching debris. But a snarling Temari merely swung her fan with a scream. "Wind Style: Wind Cutter Jutsu!" She called. Her attack produced a strong gust of wind as blades of wind sliced through the logs with ease as the gust threw them from their original path. Sawdust, snow, and dust filled the air blocking their vision. Temari merely swung her fan again. Forcing away the disturbance to their vision. And showing the two attackers had escaped. Team Two was silent as their lord and leader seemed frozen. Before the woman snarled. "Oh, that damn slacker will pay for running out on me.!" Ino and Omoi both snickered at this, causing the irate woman to turn to them. "Got a problem?!" She asked furiously. Both Omoi and Ino stiffened up barely holding their mirth, shaking their heads no in hopes of escaping her wrath.
"I think they both find it funny. That is because you made him sound like a lov-" Shino did not get to finish his informing due to Temari chasing him around with her fan. This of course caused Omoi to freak out over their team falling apart.
Ino took back her earlier thought. Her team sucked…..in a way.
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Jiraiya / Hiruzen's POV (Observation Room of Trial of Nio - Land of Iron)
Jiraiya inwardly cackled at the Raikage's reaction to yet another one of his' performing what he called "A PATHETIC EFFORT!". He hid his mirth inside a saucer of sake. Then Mifune and his guards led them to a separate room which held a litany of monitors. Expensive machines were a rarity due to their battery-powered mechanism which never did last too long. On these screens were the video logs on the Trial of Nio. Each monitor followed a different team and allowed them to see how things were going.
The room was quiet except for the quiet chatter throughout the room. Various officials discussing the exams thus far. Hiruzen, A, and Mifune were seated near the center together. The bodyguards of them were seated nearby at their council. Darui and C sat with them and were relatively good company. Not quite sharing the intensity of their leader.
"Hmm, it seems Team Five is quite the group." C mused out loud. "Not many could escape Omoi that casually. Shikamaru Nara and Rock Lee are ones to watch."
"I think that Gaara guy has it on lock. He took on an entire team. He's not dull but he certainly seems like a problem." Darui replied. The man enjoyed his sip of sake.
"There are quite a few notable ones in this aye Jiraiya?" Tsunade said with a shoulder bump. "The betting is bound to be something else."
"Not that you should partake. With your terrible luck." Jiraiya countered with a smile.
Tsunade frowned at the friendly jab, before she punched Jiraiya softly (her version tended to leave bruises), and threw back her saucer of sake. "Oh shove it, the betting is simply gonna be too juicy to resist."
"Good point! Maybe I'll place a bet of my own!" Jiriaya responded merrily as he refilled Tsunade and his saucers.
"Perhaps you two should hold yourselves with dignity?" C asked, frowning at the two legends.
"Don't be so dull C. Our job is to guard our glorious leader and maintain peace. If a drink does for them, we can call it easy." Darui replied with a smirk. C frowned even further before he sipped at his sake. Flinching at the strength he nursed it silently.
"We're merely doing our jobs and enjoying ourselves." Tsunade said with a smile. "Besides, unlike you, we can handle our liquor."
"I'll cheer for that!" Jiraiya sang happily, two Sannin happily toasting their glasses, shocked to see Darui join them.
"Would you cheer with Konoha Dogs?" C asked, looking gobsmacked.
"For now they are our company. We will have plenty of time to kill each other in the future." Darui answered simply.
"Darui here is right, you know." Tsunade added. Suddenly she seemed less tipsy as she focused. "It's best to be friendly for now. We're professionals." She lectured to C.
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"Beautiful here is right." Jiraiya chimed in as well. Ignoring Tsunade's punishment for the casual call. "Besides, I wanna discuss betting some more."
"Hmm, it would make things less dull." Darui mused.
"Exactly, I will bet 30,000 yen one Naruto Uzumaki will win this tournament."
"Tournament? They still do that for these?" Tsunade asked questionably. "Well, then I got Sasuke Uchiha for it. Those gloomy Uchiha are always somewhat powerful." She explained as she downed yet another saucer of sake.
"Might as well keep it fun. I have Gaara of the Desert as I said earlier. The kid is nothing short of a monster." Darui chimed in.
"Hmph! While I disagree with such actions on the job I relish the chance to take money from degenerates like yourselves." C started. He somehow ignored both Tsunade attempting to throttle him and Jiraiya desperately holding her back. "I will back my sister. She is much ahead of the other Genin in our village and has quite the head on her shoulders."
"You really should watch your mouth." Darui told C. "Those two are S rank. They likely could kill you easily."
"Of course we would." Jiriaya answered merrily.
Hiruzen held back a chuckle as he noticed the group of guards going back and forth. It seemed despite their differences their table was having an interesting time. His own was awkwardly silent. A was harsh towards everything he saw and brought the mood down each time he spoke. Mifune was more polite but seemed to be less than enthused with A's presence. Settling into a polite silence. They watched as Shikamaru Nara and Rock Lee escaped Team One.
"Impressive strategy." Mifune started. "Simple but rather effective. Those Nara's in your village are quite ingenious. To prepare that kind of plan on the move is quite the feat."
"Indeed. The other team learned a valuable lesson. Just because you outnumber someone never makes them harmless." Hiruzen replied happily.
"Perhaps. If they were simply stronger though there would be no need for such treachery." A countered seemingly annoyed with their method of scoring.
"Samurai themselves normally do not move in such ways." Mifune said with a small frown.
"But shinobi move in such ways." Hiruzen explained. "For us, their strategy is not only appropriate but impressive."
"HA! For you weaker villages maybe." A laughed happily. "We prefer to use our might."
"The mightiest warrior can be slain by the smallest blade." Mifune replied.
The group of leaders continued to bicker as they watched the Trial of Nio unfold.
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Mangetsu's POV (Trial of Nio - Land of Iron)
Mangetsu was a man who was anything but normal. He had been born a freak with an unwanted bloodline. He had been born in the land where nature ruled over nature. He had even excelled in such a cruel land. Using his unique abilities he had been determined to become a Mist shinobi. But even with that in mind, the first test had been grueling. Like many before him, he had become close to his classmates. Enjoyed the best childhood a child born in the war-torn land could hope for. Until the Graduation Exam of course. They had been tasked with one mission to become Genin. Be the last one alive.
Calling it a bloodbath was a disservice. It had been a slaughter, his unique bloodline had kept him safe. His natural proclivity for the blade had ensured the others weren't. Some would call it traumatic or unfair but he had realized something in the wanton slaughter. People were simply violent, oh they pretended not to be. They were civil, obedient, and somewhat kind. But in truth, they were never far from killing one another. With that in mind, he had decided to kill as he needed. He had excitedly signed up to be a Genin. Then the civil war started. Yagura had risen to Mizukage quickly being a mere eighteen years old. He united the islands of the Mist purely with his power. No one could stand in his way. Soon though the position of Yagura had affected him. He started to worry about a revolt. Started fearing those who wielded incredible power, otherwise known as any shinobi who were powerful enough to be a threat.
He had started by disbanding the current version of the Seven Deadly Swordsman of the Mist. Several members died, others defected, and some went missing. They had been Mangetsu's goal but he had accepted it. Then several notables in the Anbu and Jounin forces went missing. Finally and arguably most cruelly Yagura had ordered the gathering and extermination of all those who opposed him. Most of which happened to be bloodline clan members, the only ones who could possibly oppose Yagura.
Luckily or unluckily depending on how you viewed it he and Suigetsu had been out on a mission. When they returned they discovered many of the major clans had been crushed or left. Even more concerning was the fate of the Hozuki clan. The two young boys were never ones to followly rules closely and as such once they heard their clan had been imprisoned like many others they had moved to free them. Even at their young age with their powerful bloodline ability, they had gotten much further than most Genin could ever hope to. They cut their way through the prison searching for their lost brethren.
Certainly unlucky they had encountered a team of Anbu led by Yagura. The two boys never truly being fearful of death had been unflinching in their assault. They were crushed of course. A single Anbu would've likely been enough to stop them. A kage and a whole squad had proved too much for them of course. Once they were defeated they had been imprisoned for weeks. It had been a hard process and Mangetsu was sure it had affected them both mentally. Oddly this was merely a prelude to their future. After they had both nearly given up, Yagura had called for a meeting with them.
In this meeting he had offered them a deal neither could refuse. It had turned out during their little assault that they had impressed Yagura. The man offered them to serve under him as his dogs. If they did as he said when he said it, they were offered to earn the freedom of their clan. The two boys knowing death had awaited them had joined Yagura. They committed assassinations, theft, blackmail, any number of morally compromised missions.
While the two did as they were told they realized the evil that was Yagura. He ruled over the village almost as some kind of deity. Killing any that opposed him and doing whatever he pleased. Mangetsu and Suigetsu had slowly resented their career. They had no choice of course, even if they hated him they would serve honorably to gain the freedom of their loved ones. As such he needed to insure he passed.
He had planned to attack the team who had managed to get the better of them. But to his shock, they had fully escaped. The unfamiliar land acted as a natural deterrent to tracking. He had been prepared to hold back before he saw a lone shinobi trotting through the woods on a horse. Mangetsu had to admit that the guy had a decent idea of avoiding the paths. But here it had led to his misfortune. Mangetsu nearly giggled as he dropped below wielding his blade.
The hooded boy looked up, having sensed him somehow. He jumped off his horse and threw several pellets at him. The pellets burst cloaking the area in smoke. Mangetsu merely smiled, opening his eyes and body flickering towards the sound of the guy. He popped in front of him, kicking him back into the smoke.
"Poor Choice!" He called arrogantly. "Prepare to die blind!" He charged into the smoke sheathing his blade for now. He unleashed a kick for his head but the man ducked the kick, landing his own in response. The hit flew through his liquefying body. Mangetsu smiled as he grabbed him by the throat. "Sorry, I guess you're an amateur." He said cruelly as he prepared to crush his throat. Before he could he had his head removed. Akamaru popped into himself. Freeing the dog, both of them merely attempted to retreat.
"Run buddy! This guy is some kind of freak!" Kiba said to Akamaru leaving him open to a kick to his midsection. The powerful blow sent him flying back. Akamaru attempted to bite his throat but was smacked down cruelly. The dog yelped as it fell into the snow.
"That makes two points!" Mangetsu said cruelly as he stooped down to pick up the downed Kiba. "Now for the third, I'll take your lif-" Mangetsu was interrupted as he was suddenly pierced with a kunai. Luckily it missed his vital organs but it somehow was bleeding blood. "H-How?!" Mangetsu asked as Yuno pulled the kunai out cruelly. Magetsu fell as Yuno's band glowed. Before he could recover Kiba suddenly rushed forward and kicked Mangetsu in the head, sending him collapsing into the ground. Before he could recover, Yuno stabbed him in his leg. Now that Mangetsu was facing the woman he saw her Sharingan eyes. As well as the lightning nature chakra flowing into his body.
"Ran into your creep of a brother!" 'Thanks, Karui, without you using lightning I would never have been able to copy it.' Yuno yelled angrily as she gained her second point. Kiba realized the chance he had, wailed on the man viciously. A left, a right, a stomp, Akamaru having recovered joined in biting anywhere exposed. His anger at being helpless and the bastard enjoying it being unleashed. Yuno smiled as she allowed him to get his revenge. Mangetsu looked about done. Yuno merely smirked as she tapped him once more. At the end of Kiba's wrath, the two Leaf Genin stared at the beaten-down Mangetsu. Before they could ponder what to do with him he suddenly poofed, a black mannequin taking his place.
"Get back here you damn bastard!" Kiba roared before Yuno suddenly covered his mouth. The two made eye contact for a second before jumping back. They stared each other down before Kiba nodded. Displaying Kiba thanks for the save without either of them risking each other's company. They parted ways on horses both knowing that the Trial of Nio wasn't quite finished for them.
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Naruto / Shikamaru's POV (Trial of Nio - Land of Iron)
Things had been tense for the blonde since Gaara's little romp. While he refused to say what had happened during it. But the third point added to their wrist had made it clear he had seen combat and somehow had come out of it unharmed. While they were pleased they could now finish the exam they all felt the weight of knowing Gaara had likely killed whoever he ran into. Samui seemed to take it personally due to Gaara technically disobeying her orders. Similar to himself, Fuu seemed to take it poorly as well. Multiple times he himself had sniped at the redhead for his apparent murderous impulses. Personally, Naruto wanted to kick his ass. Admittedly though Gaara unnerved him somewhat. He was murderous, impulsive, and powerful. For now, Naruto decided to let it be.
They now raced through the path at the maximum speed the horse could manage. It was a slow jog compared to them but rules are rules. As they did so Naruto spawned various clones to patrol the area and form a tight perimeter. Samui sat behind Gaara on the horse with Naruto running in front. Fuu kept an aerial view of the group. Acting as the group's eye from the sky.
Samui had been right to keep her there because shortly after she signaled that a team was nearby. She flowed down as a group of forty clones responded to the notification. Intending to see who was coming and how strong they may be. He was shocked when the clones reported they saw Ino and Shino but grimly willed the clones to interfere. "I'm on it!" Naruto told the team, as feedback from his slain clones came to him. With this, the group pushed the horse even more. Hoping to escape them while they struggled against the army of blonde Uzumaki's.
They continued on this path before they were shocked as Fuu suddenly started dodging head-sized fireballs.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flame!" Sasuke called his group running onto their path slightly behind Team Two. Sasuke seemed focused on holding Fuu back from helping them with her long-range jutsu.
Samui frowned at this development. "Two teams? This is becoming uncool." She complained as she tapped Gaara on the back. "Mind helping out murderous and unfriendly?" She asked Gaara with a sassy stare. Gaara glared back but, with a pop of his gourd unleashed several tendrils of sand. The tendrils flew forward as they attempted to grab and crush their pursuers.
Suigetsu chuckled wildly. "Now this is more my style! Speaking of which, Water Style: Double Water Gun!" He called excitedly, raising both hands with finger extended and firing off his technique. The small blast of water flew through the tendrils. Both are not even slowed by the sand.
Samui's eyes widened as Gaara's narrowed. The busty blonde stood precariously on the steed as she drew her tanto. "Cool Twin Bisection." She said simply as her tanto glowed with the power of her chakra. She slashed twice, each sending a blast of chakra towards the water blast. Each smashed into the other with a boom. The powerful techniques cancel each other out. Team Two smiled at this while Team Five frowned.
Sasuke growled annoyed that Fuu seemed to dodge his attacks with ease. "Can't you bind them, Nara?" He asked, his voice dripping with annoyance.
"We'd need to be much closer." He responded.
"I cannot truly aid here! Forgive me for my lack of youth!" Lee answered weeping tears of shame as he rode on the horse with Shikamaru.
Sasuke sighed annoyed, as he ran before Suigetsu leaped in front of the group excitedly.
"So we just need to get close right? Couldn't we just run up to them. We're faster than the horse." Suigetsu asked.
"It's not worth the risk. Besides, the horse needs to get in front of them. That's it!" Shikamaru called with a smirk. "This is gonna be a big drag, but are you able to use the Water Dragon Jutsu right?"
"Hmm, I see a decent idea, definitely risky though." Sasuke commented.
"Any idea is better than failure!" Lee added helpfully.
"Well yeah, it's almost a right of passage in the Mist." Suigetsu answered.
"Fire it off! Everyone! Hop onto it! Shadow Stitching Jutsu!" Shikamaru called as suddenly he and Lee were wrapped in shadows. Binding them to the horse.
"Whatever you bossy dick!" Suigetsu called as he weaved hand signs. "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" A large dragon made of water formed and roared. Before it could take off Suigetsu turned to water and merged into the attack. Shikamaru and Lee were lifted by its head as it launched itself forward. Sasuke attached himself skillfully to the dragon using chakra control.
Team Two all flinched as they watched the dragonfly by. They were aiming for the finish! Naruto and Samui each used their swords to attack them with separate cries.
"Cool Flashing Beheading!" Samui called as a bolt of lightning flew from her blade.
"Uzumaki Style: Raging Wave!" Naruto added. Both slashing attacks did manage to hit the dragon but got dragged along while Naruto was getting pummeled by the raging water..
"Please don't complain too much." Gaara interrupted their panic calmly. Suddenly sand burst from beneath the snowy ground. It formed a large disc beneath them and slowly rose into the air. It raised them out of the air and suddenly it went flying. Samui got knocked out of the horse from the force. Naruto barely managed to catch her in their flight as he caught the tendril very generously offered by Gaara whilst on his flight. Fuu flew with them free from their trap as they saw a quickly approaching finish line marked with a large flag saying goal.
Even from so far up they could discern that the mountain was flat on top, housing several buildings and a large stadium.
Though this did little to help them as they fell once they realized the sand was not floating but had rather jumped!
Gaara formed a shield around him and the horse. Fuu managed to grab Samui and Naruto and somehow hold up both of the young adults. Gaara crashed into the ground as Sasuke's group did. While Gaara's defenses held up, cracking the ground he landed on and then slowly falling apart to allow him and the terrified horse out. Meanwhile, Naruto and Samui were lowered to the ground by a happy Fuu. Samui seemingly clutched onto Naruto before realizing as such and letting go allowing her to stand on her own two feet.
"Good to see you make it Blondie!" A familiar voice rang out. Team Two turned to see another group already there. Team Two. Ino stood in front of the group waving cockily and somewhat angrily to Naruto. Behind her stood a smiling Temari and Omoi. Naruto was sure Shino was smiling as well but it always was impossible to tell with the aloof young man.
"You're blonde too! And how the hell did you get past my clones!" Naruto asked Ino as he walked up to her rubbing the back of his head.
"That would be me." Temari said with a smile. "Took a lot of my reserves but I flew us here. Luckily you and that other team kept each other distracted. We flew right past you all undetected."
"Yes, the second place seems fitting for you, Uzumaki." Shino added. He enjoyed teasing the blonde after all.
"Screw you guys, we kicked ass!" Naruto countered. "Didn't we?" He asked Samui.
"We were incredibly cool." Samui stated with absolute certainty.
"Ya, we were all unstoppable!" Fuu added as well.
"Naruto." Ino said, her voice dropping to her false sweet tone. "You made more female friends?" She asked.
"Of course! You've already met Samui. She's so awesome! And then there's Fuu." The friendly girl mentioned hugged her newest friend excitedly…. Ino's eye twitched.
"Lovely. Wait, why is your teammate leaving?" Ino asked, confused as they all watched Gaara walk a short distance away before turning to face the group.
"That would be because you forgot who else is coming." Gaara informed them plainly.
As he said this the rest of Team Two and Team One all looked up. They saw the falling water dragon and the screaming faces of Team Five. Sasuke merely jumped off before the crash landing with ease close to Gaara. The rest of them crashed into the other finished Genin. The group rolled into a large and painful ball. Samui, Ino, and Naruto were in a bundle of pain. Naruto on the bottom and the prone forms of Ino and Samui on top of him. Shino, Lee, and Fuu also got mixed up in the pile. Fuu, seemingly not hurt, asked if it was some kind of game. Omoi was covered in what he did not know was Suigetsu. The group of hurting and disoriented Genin slowly untangled and climbed to their feet (Ino and Samui both refusing to look at Naruto). Gaara and Sasuke stared down.
"I'm not sure how or why. But I'm certain you're the strongest here. I will defeat you myself and show you the power of the 'Uchiha'." Sasuke said as he stared down the redhead.
"It is because you're trash. You can sense my superiority due to the fact I'm not a pathetic human like yourself." Gaara countered. "On the topic, I thought the Uchiha were nothing more than traitorous scum."
Sasuke's eyes gleamed at the insult as he prepared himself for combat. Gaara looked on as if not bothered at all.
"Enough young ones!" Mifune interrupted as he strolled up the group. "Allow me to show you where you may rest. Congratulations on passing the Trial of Nio. Arrivals according to my sources are - "Team One, Team Two, and Team Five."" At this, he immediately walked off silently showing them where to go. "Also, your finishing positions do hold some level of importance as previously mentioned. Members of Team One will always go last in the final test. An advantage I cannot overtake. Team Two after and Team Five after them."
The Genin wordlessly followed the Samurai. They were much too tired for much else. Pity be to those still in the exams.
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Neji / Kiba's POV (Trial of Nio - Land of Iron)
Neji's team silently traveled. His eyes made it clear they were close to the goal. Seeing the flag even from their current distance. He also noticed another rider taking a separate path. But they had all their points and based on the fact they were solo were likely not a threat nor worth the time to take care of. His eyes also showed that Naruto and Ino had already arrived. It appears he was the slowest here.
Kurotsuchi whooped in joy as she saw the finish line come close. "Ya, we're finally getting off this damn mountain!"
"I don't support the way you said it, but I certainly won't miss this mountain either." Tenten replied casually.
"And why is that Panda?" Sai asked innocently.
"First off ,you're dead meat once this is over." Tenten threatened. Sai seemed confused by this but she merely trucked on. "It's this thin air that makes it feel like I can't breathe."
"Typical Leaf softies!" Kurotsuchi answered happily. "We live on them at home."
"Rich hearing you call us softly considering we defeated you in the last war." Sai added happily. Not even realizing the confrontational nature of her comment. Luckily this worked well on Kurotsuchi who grumbled angrily at that, not quite realizing Sai was a bit of an oddity.
"Ignore him." Tenten offered as she faced palmed. "He does it to everyone, doesn't know any better."
"He's lucky." Kurotsuchi stated with a frown.
"Very much so." Sai answered as he mocked Kurotsuchi's face. Attempting to decipher the expression she was making.
"GET THE FUCK OUT OF OUR WAY!" A deep animal-like voice called. Team Eight watched in shock as a building-sized dog hopped over them. Horse held it safely in its mouth.
They all looked on in shock as the dog raced to the finish dropping the horse and exploded with smoke. Showing a weak-looking Kiba and Akamaru both collapsing as several medical personnel ran over to aid them.
Team Eight finished mere moments after too much less fanfare than Kiba.
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Yuno's POV (Trial of Nio - Land of Iron)
Yuno's life had often been a confusing mess. Before she was born her clan had attempted to throw a coup leading to much of her family being killed or detained. Luckily her father was not a Uchiha and as such she and he had been spared.
The complications of life continued in the Trial of Nio. Her team had been an odd group, with none of them being particularly powerful. They had launched an assault on Team Two and had been pushed back viciously, Mubi being killed in the process. Raiga had chosen to stay behind to fight the man which surely had led to his death. Karui and her had been an unlikely pairing to make it through. This is further shown when the waterman appeared and pressed them both with ease. They had been lucky to survive let alone make it out. Well she had, Karui had been too exhausted and had to drop. Then she helped Kiba in the process getting the points needed to pass.
She had wrecked her brain on how to finish the Trial of Nio. But how to do it efficiently without being crushed by another team. She had debated trying to navigate the forest with her steed before she witnessed another team passing her by from the path she just left. She recognized Hinata and the waterman who had attacked them earlier. She also believed the man in the body suit had briefly clashed with Neji. Yuno smiled as an idea passed through her mind.
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Hinata's POV (Trial of Nio Finish Line - Land of Iron)
Hinata had her own reasons for doing this exam. Firstly with the shocking ally of Neji, she had grown heaps and bounds and wished to show such. Furthermore with things at the Hyuga residence heating up it would be security to be promoted here. It would allow her to hold onto her heir position at least until Hanabi achieved the same.
She also wanted to see how she measured up. She had come a long way from her shy self but doubtless, she had even longer to go. The only way to be sure of this would be to try her very best! She owed it to Neji for sticking up for her. She owed to the Side House, retribution for years of discrimination, and she owed herself to show herself she was not a failure. To prove her father wrong.
Hinata and Kankuro had been shocked once they had gotten points. Even more so when an injured Magetsu returned. But with their points in mind, they had raced forward. Kankuro and Mangetsu rode on the horse as Hinata ran from behind. She was focused on making sure no other team snuck up on them. While Kankuro focused on the front. They were having a great time and were quickly approaching the finish.
All three shinobi tensed at this point. If there was an ambush set it would likely be here. Luckily the group faced no opposition as they crossed the line. All three slowly unsensing as Mifune approached.
"I see both of the final teams have finished." He said formally.
"Um old man, there's only one team here." Kankuro answered with a frown as he climbed down the horse.
"Ya, we would know if some clowns were following us." Mangetsu said with utter confidence.
"Easy to say, even easier to be incorrect about." Yuno filled in happily as suddenly she and her horse stood in front of the group. She climbed down herself as Kankuro and Mangetsu seemed to boil with rage. Hinata merely smiled at her friend as Yuno walked up and whispered into her ear. "Thanks for not ratting me out Hinata you little cutie."
"N-no problem Yuno-san." Hinata replied with a subtle smile. The two girls nodded at one another as Yuno walked to the other side of Mifune.
"With that, all teams have passed. If you follow me I'll show you where you can rest and where the rest of the Chunin Exams will be handled." Mifune informed the group, leading the group past a large stadium and several merchants into a smaller building. Inside there was a litany of screens and even the Hokage and Raikage observing from a distance. There was a group of chairs containing other passing Genin as well as various Samurai who watched over them.
"Sit and rest for now. I will announce everything shortly." Mifune told them before marching off towards the two Kage.
It seemed the Trial of Nio had ended.
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Mifune's POV (Observation Room of Trial of Nio - Land of Iron)
With some short barking of samurai officials, the Genin were quickly gathered into a herd patiently standing in front of the three older men. The Raikage radiated power and energy, clearly seeming to be on another level than most. Hiruzen held a captivating aura of his own. While it was more pleasant than the Raikage's, it felt just as powerful.
Mifune supposed he seemed to lack luster in comparison, but samurai cared little for personal glory. He looked down at the group of Genin seeing that the betting of the guard still seemed healthy. He allowed them to bask in the moment for a second. All the better for his speech to cut through the minds of the Genin.
"Firstly," Mifune started. "You have all passed the Trial of Nio and Janus. Congratulations are in order. Furthermore, you all performed well. You make your various homes proud by standing here today. But your duty is not yet done. If you wish to become a Chunin you have one more task in front of you. The final trial is an infamous one. A tournament will be held. In this tournament, you will all be going through various one-on-one battles until one stands. These are to show off your more combat-based skills. This will be held in a month. This allows for the crowd to gather and provide potential business to your homes in time. These matches will be randomly determined. With your place in finishing determining if you fight first or last. To ensure you all can do your best we've given you one month to train and prepare." Mifune raised his hand and clicked a remote. This dropped a thin screen that held the numbers and names of the participants. "This will help us determine the matches and the order. Here are the matchups:
First Match
Kankuro of the Sand VS Kurotsuchi of the Stone
Second Match
Shikamaru Nara VS Suigetsu Hozuki
Third Match
Mangetsu Hozuki VS Omoi of the Cloud
Forth Match
Yuno Uchiha VS Shino Aburame
Fifth Match
Sasuke Uchiha VS Neji Hyuga
Sixth Match
Naruto Uzumaki VS Tenten of the Leaf
Seventh Match
Sai of the Leaf VS Temari of the Sand
Eighth Match
Gaara of the Sand VS Kiba Inuzuka
Ninth Match
Rock Lee VS Fuu of the Waterfall
Tenth Match
Ino Yamanaka VS Samui of the Cloud
Bye Round
Hinata Hyuga
The information was displayed on the board in bracket formation allowing the Genin to see their opponents. In merely one month the Chunin Exams would continue. They all had to prepare.