The arena buzzed with energy as Naruto and Kiba dropped into the center ring.
"You don't stand a chance, Naruto! My nose tells me you're scared stiff!" Kiba said as he gave a cocky grin.
Naruto just gave a lazy smirk, hands behind his head. "Heh. You're the one who's gonna eat dirt, dog-breath."
Kiba growled and snapped a soldier pill into Akamaru's mouth. The little white dog instantly transformed into a clone of Kiba, and together they charged with Fang Over Fang, spiraling toward Naruto in a blur.
But Naruto's eyes narrowed seriously.
'Kakashi-sensei said not to fool around in real battles…'
He bent his knees, inhaled sharply, and with a loud shout, unleashed a massive gust of wind chakra, enhanced by his training with Kakashi. He couldn't learn the justus very well so he taught me this.
The spinning Kiba and Akamaru got caught mid-attack, thrown wildly off course, and slammed into the arena wall with a crash.
Hayate blinked.
Naruto appeared in a flicker of movement, his fists wreathed in controlled chakra. Before Kiba could even shake his head clear, Naruto decked him clean across the jaw, sending the Inuzuka skidding across the floor.
Kiba struggled to his knees, dazed, but Naruto was already behind him.
One sharp chop to the back of the neck, and Kiba slumped unconscious.
Silence filled the stadium for a moment before Kiba's teammates shouted in shock.
Kurenai looked at Naruto and shook her head. She knew Kiba had no chance to win but she still let him as to not damage his pride.
She glanced at Kakashi who was next to her and stretched her hand and gave him a strong pinch on the waist.
'Um?' Kakashi turned to her in confusion. Although he didn't know what was happening he just held her hand briefly as she went to check on Kiba.
Naruto in the arena wiped his hands and gave a big thumbs-up to Sakura and Sasuke.
"Piece of cake," he said, grinning.
"Winner: Naruto Uzumaki!" Hayate announced.
"Next! Ino Yamanaka vs Sakura Haruno!" Hayate announced.
The two girls faced off, tension thick in the air.
"Ino," Sakura said quietly, "I'm not the same weakling anymore."
"We'll see about that, Billboard," Ino smirked.
The match began, and Sakura moved instantly, water chakra lacing her movements from Kurenai's training. She slid around Ino's kunai throw with ease and fired a Water Release: Water Bullet straight at her.
"Since when can you use ninjutsu?!" Ino dodged clumsily, surprised.
Sakura didn't answer. She charged in close, forcing Ino to cast her Mind Transfer Jutsu. Sakura had expected it and immediately used a clone created behind her to intercept the technique.
Ino gasped as her soul was yanked into a dummy instead of Sakura.
Before she could recover, Sakura leaped high and slammed a chakra-infused punch into the floor near Ino, the force cracking the arena and tossing Ino to the ground, stunned.
Sakura moved in and pinned her effortlessly.
Hayate raised his hand. "Winner: Sakura Haruno!"
Ino groaned miserably as Sakura helped her up.
"You've gotten strong," Ino muttered grudgingly.
"I had good teachers." Sakura just smiled.
"Next! Gaara vs Rock Lee!" Hayate announced
The tension was palpable.
Gaara stood motionless, arms folded, sand swirling lazily around him.
Rock Lee grinned eagerly, dropping into his fighting stance. "I won't hold back!"
Without warning, Lee launched forward, faster than the eye could follow, kicking at Gaara's head.
Clang!
The sand shield intercepted automatically.
Lee flurried faster, spinning, ducking, feinting, but every strike was blocked.
Gritting his teeth, Lee reached for his leg weights and, with a mighty effort, dropped them.
BOOM!
The arena shook from the impact.
Now Lee was a green blur, attacking so fast that even the sand struggled to keep up.
For a brief instant, Lee's kick broke through and connected with Gaara's jaw.
The audience gasped.
Gaara was thrown back slightly, a crack appearing on his sand armor.
His expression twisted in rage.
The ground beneath him shifted.
A tidal wave of sand exploded upward.
Lee tried to dodge, but the sand was everywhere, binding his legs, and his arms, trapping him mid-air.
"Sand Coffin," Gaara whispered.
The arena shuddered as Lee's body was crushed in the grip of sand but at the last moment, Gai flashed to the arena, shouting to the medics, to save his student from serious harm.
Lee's body was gently caught by the medics.
"Winner: Gaara," Hayate declared, though his face was grim.
"Next! Hinata Hyuga vs Neji Hyuga!" Hayate announced.
Hinata and Neji faced each other, sharing the cold, silent stare of the Hyuga clan.
"Give up, Hinata," Neji said flatly. "You have no chance."
Hinata's hands trembled, but then she straightened as she thought of Naruto.
"I… will not run away," she whispered.
The match began.
Neji struck swiftly with Gentle Fist blows, aiming to shut down her chakra points.
But Hinata, thanks to Naruto's encouragement and Kurenai's harsh training, moved faster than before, deflecting several strikes with her own Gentle Fist.
Still, Neji's mastery was overwhelming. His attacks were sharper, his control perfect.
Bit by bit, he wore her down, striking her arms, her legs, her chest.
Hinata gasped for breath, blood dripping from her mouth.
"You're weak," Neji said coldly, stepping forward for the finishing blow.
But Hinata forced herself upright.
"I will never give up."
She charged with everything she had left.
Neji's palm flashed, and with a brutal final blow, Hinata collapsed.
The medics rushed in as Naruto shouted her name from the stands.
"Winner: Neji Hyuga."
"Next! Temari vs Tenten!" Hayate announced.
Tenten smiled confidently as she summoned dozens of weapons, flinging them with deadly accuracy at Temari.
Temari barely looked fazed.
She snapped open her giant iron fan, revealing three purple moons.
With one massive swing, a violent gust of wind blasted through the arena, scattering Tenten's weapons like leaves.
Tenten tried again, sending chains, spears, and shuriken, but Temari's next swing sent Tenten herself spinning helplessly into the air.
Before Tenten could recover, Temari pinned her down onto her own iron fan with a burst of wind.
The proctor quickly called it.
"Winner: Temari!"
Tenten groaned in defeat, while Temari smirked smugly.
The exhausted genin regrouped, bruised but alive.
The proctor, Hayate Gekko, stepped forward and coughed into his hand.
"We've seen the preliminary rounds. Now, the final tournament bracket will be decided."
The large screen flickered to life, names shuffling at random.
The matchups appeared:
Naruto Uzumaki vs Neji Hyuga
Sasuke Uchiha vs Gaara
Shino Aburame vs Kankuro
Temari vs Shikamaru Nara
The crowd buzzed with excitement.
"You all have one month. Use it well." Hayate coughed again and said.
Naruto's fists clenched with determination.
Sasuke's dark eyes flickered toward Gaara, cold and sharp.