Chapter 12

Chunin Finals Part 2

" Thinking"

" Flashback "

After the first round of the third task had finished, everyone was given 30 minutes to take a rest and gather their bearings before they moved onto the second round and onto their next fights.

Mikoto, Tsunade, Mana, Shizune and Hiruzen had come down from their spots in the crowds and wanted to see how the trio were doing and to make sure they had no major injuries despite already knowing they were all perfectly fine.

The adults praised each one of them, especially Naruto since his sword technique had apparently been the talk of the crowd since he used it. Watching him take down two shinobi's and a big rock golem in a single move was something to be impressed with.

"That was a great first round Naruto-kun. You are doing very well and you won it with revealing little of your strengths." Hiruzen said, greatly impressed with is surrogate grandson and students performance.

"Well deception is a ninja's main skill. Though I get the feeling the next fight with Yugito is going to a lot tougher. I'm going to have to bring out a few of my tougher cards and put them into play."

"Well just know you have our full support. You will show that Kumo Kunoichi who is the boss around here." Tsunade said pumping her fist in the air making Naruto grin.

Up in the Kage box Minato wanted to go down and speak with Naruto since what he saw amazed him. He did not realize Naruto was so far along in his shinobi training. In fact he made that match almost look too easy. 'Why am I only beginning to notice it now? What have I been doing not to notice how accomplished Naruto is becoming as a shinobi?'

He knew Mikoto would be a good fit for him as a sensei since Mikoto was a well rounded shinobi that was a sort of jack of trades in each of the three main shinobi fields. He did ask Kakashi since Kakashi had become quite the famous shinobi and could be a good influence and good sensei but Kakashi turned it down saying he did not have the time to play sensei.

'Once the chunin exams are over maybe I should test Naruto myself; maybe he took more after me in terms of being a shinobi.'

Back in Konoha though, Kushina was thinking the same thing.

She was a Kenjutsu master and what she saw from Naruto with that attack was very impressive. What looked like a single strike was actually multiple strikes that had been struck at such a fast speed you had to watch carefully to even see it.

She was currently standing outside of the Konoha stadium bathrooms as she waited for the twins to finish making their business so they could go back and not miss any of the matches. Mina was huddled next to her holding on to her skirt looking around the room since it was a new place.

'I wonder who taught him and why did he not come to me for training in Kenjutsu? Or did he ask me? Did he ask me and did I just brush him off?' She thought since she was wondering to what sort of shinobi training she had actually provided her son.

Once Naruto got back she too knew that she would have to talk with Naruto about where he got his skill set from.

Back in the Suna stadium the waiting bell signaled making everyone know that it was time for the second round to begin.

Naruto, Itachi and Anko went back to the box where they already found Yugito waiting for them. She looked over at them when they came in as well and looked Naruto over before turning away.

"Why does she keep doing that?" Anko asked since Yugito had kept glancing at Naruto and turning away quite a number of times.

"No idea. Maybe she is trying to figure me out. Strengths, weaknesses, what makes me tick; you know that sort of thing."

"That could be it. She does strike me as more intelligent than her teammates and the others in the competition. You will have to watch her closely. She could be a wild card." Itachi muttered as Naruto nodded, thinking the same thing " And how you been Naruto?" - Itachi asked as Naruto was going to answer than

As they entered the box, Pakura reappeared on the fields.

"The second round to the third part of the Chunin exams will begin now! Would Anko Mitsarashi and Itachi Uchiha of the leaf village please come down onto the field?"

The crowd cheered as the two genin names were announce and they all knew that for the earlier performances that this match was going to be a good one.

"Alright guys you are up. Don't disappoint." Naruto said as Anko and Itachi walked onto the field side by side. Once they were in the center of the field Itachi kept walking a small distance before he stopped and turned around to face Anko.

In the stands, Mikoto took a deep breath. Though she knew deep down that Itachi would likely win between the two, she knew Anko was not going to give up easily and was going to give him a run for his money.

On the field, the two teammates and friends looked at each other. "Good luck Anko-san." Itachi said as he smiled at her.

Anko returned it. "You too Itachi."

"The next match is about to begin. Are you both ready?" Pakura asked as both Itachi and Anko nodded and both readied in their respective stances. Pakura looked between them before swinging her arm down.

"HAJIME!"

When the word was said Itachi and Anko pushed back a little, both with their hands in their pouches and as quick as lightning began storming one another with shurikens.

None made it past the collision center as the shurikens all found themselves getting rebounded of the others shurikaes and were littering the ground as well as the wall. A few of the shinobi's even had to duck their heads to avoid getting a shuriken stuck in their heads.

On the field after a minute of throwing shuriken at one another they eventually stopped but not before Anko put her hands on the ground with blood on the edges of her fingertips.

The snake saw Itachi and quickly slithered over to him and began to strike at him with quick and precise strike with its mouth as its fangs were bearing out as well as its tongue.

Each time it struck Itachi efficiently dodged its strikes and managed to land a few strikes onto the snake before he pushed himself away and jumped on the wall.

The snake quickly followed after him and did its best to catch up to him but Itachi had showed that he too had trained in his speed as he easily out manoeuvred the big snake. He then jumped in the air away from the wall and where the snake was and made hand signs.

"That's going to hurt." Naruto muttered as many in the crowd thought the same thing. They would not want to be that snake right now.

When the ash cloud disappeared the snake was still there but its skin was burnt in multiple places. "I am going to be sssssssshedding for weekssssss..." The snake hissed out before it disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

When Itachi landed on the ground, Anko came up behind him and pulled a kunai over his neck.

"You should remember to watch your back!" She said as Itachi smiled at her.

"I could tell you the same thing."

Anko eyes winded when Itachi suddenly disappeared in a murder of crows and could hear something soaring through the air and coming towards her. She turned around in time to see kunai heading towards her.

Her eyes counted how many there were and in retaliation threw the same amount of shuriken. Her shuriken collided with Itachi's and cancelled them out.

As she did Itachi appeared in front of her, jump over her shoulder but as he was in the air grabbed her shoulder. He then landed and using his strength threw her across the field with a lot of force.

Anko couldn't dodge in time as she slammed into the walls of the stadium, wincing a little as she rubbed her lower back.

'I think I felt something crack.' She thought as she shakily stood up though her lower back felt like it was on fire. 'I have to tough this out now.'

"She's hurt." Naruto whispered to himself as Tsunade, Mana and Shizune made the same decision.

Anko made a few hand signs and Itachi who had his Sharingan active copied the movements.

Fugaku meanwhile turned to his wife. "That is an Uchiha clan jutsu. Why does someone who is not an Uchiha know it?" He asked as Mikoto shrugged at her husband's question.

"Itachi must have shown her it. She does have a fire affinity so it would be a helpful jutsu to know." Fugaku obviously was not satisfied with the answer but had to accept it since Mikoto had now turned back to the match at hand.

"Doton? Since when do you know Doton?" Anko asked.

"I asked Naruto to show me a Doton that would be handy for defense; though in return I had to promise him that I would show him a Katon jutsu at some point in the future."

"No fair!" She whined, pouting before she went into her pack and grabbed a few senbons. Itachi recognized them as the senbons she used in her previous match that had some kind of venom on them.

Can't get hit by those.' He thought as Anko made her way towards him with three senbons gripped in each of her hands.

She got closer towards him and swung at him but Itachi easily maneuvered out of the way. When she did though Itachi swept her feet and went to hit her in the gut but noticed his legs went through her.

'An illusion.' He thought to himself as he turned around to see a senbon implanted in his shoulder.

"Sometimes you have to go back to basics right?" Anko said as Itachi chuckled.

"Very true and it seems your poison managed to get me. I am guessing my arm will be out of commission for a little while?" He asked as she nodded. "Then I guess I better get rid of it before it spread too far." He said.

As he said that he grabbed a kunai with his other hand and drove it into the wound where the senbon went in; effectively getting the poison out of his system.

Many in the audience were surprised to see him do such an act, but the shinobi saw it as dedication since not many would willingly injure themselves in order to get rid of the poison.

"That should be enough..." He said before he quickly hit Anko in her stomach as she looked at him in surprise at what he had just done.

"You're not the only one who can go back to basics." He said as Anko turned around to try and stop him but instead felt a thud hit the back of neck. Her eyes went dreary and her vision went black before she collapsed to the ground knocked out.

Itachi looked towards Pakura who nodded. "The winner of the match is Itachi Uchiha of Konoha!"

The crowd cheered and clapped at the two genin who gave them another good performance as Itachi's siblings once again cheered loudly for their big brother.

Itachi looked down at Anko and quickly picked her and carried her over to the medic pay where they would take a quickly look over her and check her vitals were all fine.

"You did good Anko-san. You pushed me quite a bit. I look forward to any future battles we should have!" He said as he patted his friend's shoulders before he made his way back the contestant's box.

In the stands, Mikoto gave both her son and her female student a loud round of applause knowing that they both deserved it and that she was very proud of both of them.

"Good fight. Anko put you through the ringer." He said as Itachi winced a little from the cut on his shoulder.

"Yes well as tough as that was it is now your turn to fight against some feminine fury." He said as they looked over to see Yugito move on to the field.

"Looks like it is my turn again." Naruto said as he cracked his shoulders and followed after.

When they both walked onto the field the Konoha and the Kumo side all erupted into cheers no doubt having been waiting to see this match happen for some time. It was essentially the family of Iwa vs. the family of Konoha. And it was time to see which one was better.

Naruto and Yugito stood apart from one another as the two looked across from one another.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at her calm demeanor and noticed she was not listening to the shouting of the crowds. "You're different from the rest." He said as Yugito raised an eyebrow.

"Different how?"

"For starters you are not insulting me because of who I'm related to. I know my dad can be an ass at times, but you don't need to take it out on me." He said as many in the crowd snickered at his words.

In the Hokage box Minato coughed and looked a little uncomfortable as the other kages laughed in their seats, no doubt finding it funny that the man's son called him what they all thought he was.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I don't hold that petty grudge that others in Kumo carry. While I don't really like you all the same, I don't hold a grudge over what happened in the third war. It was war and casualties and deaths were bound to happen. Even though I agree, your dad can be an ass."

Now Minato just wanted to crawl away as the kages laughed even harder as did Tsunade, Shizune and others in their section.

"What about those times where you just looked at me? Like you hated me?"

"Just observing you; wanting to see what your strengths were, any weak points, what made you tick?"

"And did you get any answers?" He asked as Yugito smirked at him.

"Well I guess you will just have to find out." She said making Naruto back in return." And by the way you cute." - as Naruto blushed

Everyone saw it from his family and the Kages

" Nara-chan don't tell me" - all thought

"Okay love birds if you two are done flirting with each other." Pakura said as Naruto and Yugito blushed a little and looked the other way drawing a few laughs from everyone. " Then we can begin this match

They both nodded and got in their respective stances

"HAJIME!"

As Both Naruto and Yugito jumped out 3 feet away from each other

" Blue fire how?" - Naruto thought to himself than got out of his thoughts

As both Yugito and Naruto land on the ground as both ran to each other and Yugito pulls out her Katana and Naruto was in shocked she knew Kenjutsu as Naruto took out his Shisui as both battle in Kenjutsu and Yugito was in the same level as Naruto, blocked hitting as both went to attack as Naruto dropped his Shisui and held in his left and managed to cut Yugito on the left arm and Yugito hit Naruto on the right arm. As both bleed out but both were healing

" me to but I don't know why?" - Yugito replied as she focused back in the battle

Yugito and Naruto goes once again as Naruto was defending while Yugito was attacking as She shows her flexibility as Naruto was awes with her flexibility, than Naruto started to punch and kick her as Yugito was blocking them as well as Naruto does an low kick as she fell but before he goes on the ground she land on her hands and kick Naruto on the chin which send Naruto flying and he hand in his legs. As both are going to love this match they know it

The crowd was in enjoying the Son of Yondamie Hokage and the Niece of the Yondamie Raikage as Mana, and Tsunade loved the girl as both saw how good she is in taijutsu and kenjutsu. Minato and Kushian was just in awes in Naruto fight they haven't seen how good Naruto was.

Naruto said

" You're good but I think it's time we both stop holding back." - Naruto said as he smirks

" I agreed give me your all because you will lose this match." - Yugito as craws came from Yugito fingers as both Ran to their Jutsu they thought the same thing

' Fūton, Sūtion and Raiton jutsu?' Kushina thought as she watched the screen of her son fighting the Kumo kunoichi. 'How does he have three elements? He should have taken after either myself or Minato yet he has inherited both along with another.'

As Yugito ran to Naruto and went to define from a few quick strikes from Yugito though he was too fast and managed to block each strike and counter with his own though she would block and do the same.

Eventually her kunai and Naruto sword locked onto each other and began fighting for dominance. When they entered a stalemate Naruto used his superior physical strength and pushed her back and sent her flying back a couple of meters.

'So he is not all show. He has physical strength too.' She thought.

Yugito easily back flipped and landed on her feet. "!" Naruto called as three shadow clones shot forward and began attacking Yugito as Naruto placed a hand on his blades hilt.

"He's going for it again." Hiruzen said as Tsuande nodded.

"It's early for him to be going for it again."

When he watched the clones get her in the right spot charged. "!" He said as he suddenly shot forward and went to slash Yugito again.

However when Yugito saw what he was doing and noticed him ready to charge, she already knew the general dynamics of the attack. She ran forward towards one of the Naruto clones and jumped onto its shoulder before pushing herself into the air.

In the air she successfully dodged the attack as Naruto went passed, having missed his target. Up in the Kage box Ay grinned at his niece display.

"She dodged it." Naruto said surprised before he saw Yugito performing hand seals again.

"That trick won't work with me. You need the opponent to be staying in a spot to let it hit. It's a direct hit move so if their moving then you won't be able to hit them." She said as Naruto grinned.