August 1st. Konoha.
Hovering above thousands of rooftops across the Village, I watched roughly a hundred thousand people moving through the streets. Like ants along well-worn trails, a big chunk of them were heading toward the very building I was floating above.
A hemisphere with its top sliced off rose above the surrounding trees. Inside, despite the hemispherical shape on the outside, the walls were straight, extremely thick and solid. Good preparation for what this building was meant to serve as, namely an arena for genin.
Pressed right up against this rounded structure was another building, rising even higher above it, divided into three spacious stands connected by massive corridors. A "Colosseum" needs a crowd thirsting for blood and spectacle, after all! Unlike the first structure, the stands were built in an Asian style, with ornate, curved roofs on the sides and a more elaborate double pagoda crowning the center.
The stands, each holding several thousand spectators, were steadily filling up. Among them were several hundred shinobi. Dozens of ANBU agents were crammed into the dark corners of the bleachers, and just as many hadn't bothered hiding at all. Plenty of regular shinobi without masks were present too.
About thirty minutes remained until the exam started. I used the time to reflect on the past month.
My plans to capture the material were still very much in play, and I'd continued preparing for them, if not obsessively, then at least steadily.
All the puppets would eventually gather in one place on their own. Capturing them wouldn't exactly be a problem, but it was also an opportunity to give people close to me some genuinely valuable experience.
Karin had finally taken up the shinobi path, though she was still at the very beginning of it. That emotion-fueled fireball of a person wanted nothing more than to reach the level where Hinata and Sakura stood in relation to me. It was cute and kind of entertaining to watch. But she still had a very long way to go before reaching that, or before becoming a shinobi I'd trust with real fieldwork. She was trying her hardest to be useful to me, though. So she might not have to stay in that status for too long.
Hinata had made an enormous leap in strength. The new, stronger body meshed perfectly with the fact that she mostly relied on her clan's taijutsu. On top of that, with her upgraded brain and its jumped-up capabilities, she'd picked up several more clan techniques. All of this, in just a couple of weeks, had elevated her so high that even an S-rank shinobi would feel pretty bummed if they tangled with her. But at the same time, she definitely wouldn't be able to beat someone like Orochimaru.
The upcoming capture operation would be a trial for her: not too dangerous, but definitely useful and necessary for her growth.
Sakura had expanded and made her strength more fundamental rather than growing taller, so to speak, broadening her arsenal instead. Following a path similar to Hiruzen's, she'd learned another element: Lightning. After the fight with Orochimaru, she'd matured considerably, finally coming to see herself as a strong and capable kunoichi. If they clashed again now, I'd put my money on my pink-haired samurai hamster... I find that label pretty funny, honestly, considering Sakura can't swing a sword to save her life.
Jiraiya would be joining the operation as well. With my help if needed.
He'd been in a genuinely rotten mood lately. They'd started refusing him entry at arcades and other entertainment spots, plus the restaurants and bars where he might have drowned his sorrows over the previous fact. On top of that, I once saw him being chased by hospital orderlies who had clearly mistaken him for an escaped psych ward patient, while the "Sage" himself screamed back at them that he was normal.
People around here aren't exactly tolerant...
And to top it all off, a rumor had started going around among the shinobi that Jiraiya was one of those, you know, the kind who come in from the back. That last bit wounded the "Standard of Perversion and Ladies' Man" right down to the depths of his soul, as Jiraiya himself told me recently when I'd just casually asked how he was doing. In that same conversation, he started practically begging me to let him stop wearing that damned outfit. Offered bribes. Promised to teach me the most valuable and greatest of his skills: the art of seducing women! But after patiently listening to all of it... how could I? How could I possibly deny myself the pleasure of rejecting every single one of his proposals with a malicious grin and walking away to the sound of my own villainous laughter?
I spent about twenty minutes lost in those memories before it was time to head down. Things were about to start, and showing up late is just bad form.
"Speaking of which, where are Sasuke and Kakashi?" I hadn't noticed them anywhere nearby.
I scanned the area from the air.
A second of concentration, and Sage Mode markings appeared on my face, immediately lighting up the exact location of the "Three Sharingan" duo on my sensory map.
"Well, same as always," I noted that they were definitely going to be late since they were still outside Konoha's walls, still busy with something, and not moving this direction at all. "Whatever, screw 'em."
I focused, and with a spatial technique, the view in front of me swapped out for a panoramic window looking down on the treetops below and Konoha's buildings in the distance. Turning to the side, my eyes took in a not particularly luxurious room furnished with couches and coffee tables. This was the waiting room for the genin finalists. And crawling across one of those tables were the beetles of my former classmate, who was watching them in his usual fashion.
I greeted Shino and made my way over to a different couch, where Sakura and Hinata had decided to get into a poker slaughter. I joined them; there were still a few hands to squeeze in before the fights started.
Hinata technically wasn't supposed to be here since she wasn't competing, but actually, it was fine.
Nobody else came into the room, preferring not even the little balcony attached to it but just the bleachers outside, usually clustering with people they knew. But just before it was time for everything to begin, one more guest showed up.
A pale figure with slightly sunken eyes walked in and headed straight toward me. Then, dropping to his knees, the top of his long black hair hit the floor and he announced:
"I thank you, Uzumaki-san! I cannot find the words to express my full gratitude for what you've done for the Hyuga clan."
"Uh-huh..." I gave Neji a strange look. Then cast a wary glance at Hinata. "I hope this isn't a family thing, banging your head on the floor," then turned back to the guy. "You can get up."
He did.
And what was all that about? Because of my actions with the Hyuga clan, and of course many other factors that had pushed the clan head into making sweeping changes. The de facto removal of the Caged Bird Seal, access for all clan members to previously restricted techniques, and as a result, a decline in the despotism toward the branch family plus a rise in the clan's overall strength. The last part was obviously thanks to the techniques becoming available.
In short, I had more than a small part in making the dream hidden inside Neji, possibly the goal of his entire life, come true.
"How's Maito-san? Still won't quit?" I shifted the subject to the guy's worn-out look while the girls kept giving Neji strange glances.
"No. But nothing I can't survive."
"Bold claim. We are talking about Maito-san," I nodded gravely, as if discussing a serious diagnosis.
We exchanged a few more unremarkable lines before being cut short. Because finally, the exam began.
Down on the arena floor stood a single figure.
Shiranui Genma, a Tokubetsu Jonin of Konoha in a black bandana worn backwards, impassively shifted the senbon in his mouth.
Some time prior, there had been an accident. The previous proctor had been found with multiple severe injuries and was currently in a coma he wouldn't be coming out of for another month.
Konoha had its suspicions about what happened, since traces of chakra belonging to one specific Suna genin commander had been found at the scene of the half-dead shinobi. But the Leaf hadn't raised a stink about it. Canceling the exam over something like this would have projected weakness: how could they guarantee the safety of their clients if they couldn't even ensure it in their own house? Plus, it could have been grounds for breaking the alliance with Sand. Politics. So the Leaf just "took it." As in, decided to pretend they hadn't seen anything.
It was exactly because of these events that a new proctor had been appointed for the chunin exam's final stage.
"The final stage of the Chunin Exam is hereby declared open! First match: Uchiha Sasuke versus Hyuga Neji!" Genma announced loudly.
Hearing those names, the stands erupted. Two shinobi from the most ancient and powerful clans were about to clash. The fact that only one Uchiha remained only added fuel, making the upcoming spectacle truly one of a kind.
After Shiranui's words, Neji soon dropped down to the arena. But... no Sasuke. Thirty seconds. A minute.
Watching from the balcony, I could see the tension building across the crowd and more and more high-ranking officials starting to throw looks toward the Hokage from the VIP boxes beside him.
Next to Hiruzen sat a figure in the white and blue robes of the Kazekage.
"What's the problem? Where is your other genin?" the figure asked.
"He'll be here shortly. But if he doesn't show within four minutes, we'll disqualify him."
Hiruzen was nervous. After saying that, he looked at me with hope.
I shrugged and gave a nod, then rolled up my sleeves. But the old man's anxiety only grew at the sight. He'd clearly sensed I was about to do something inappropriate.
Under the gazes of Hinata, Sakura, and Shino, I raised one arm high, then in one motion jammed it elbow-deep into my pants pocket.
"Now where is he..." I muttered, while everyone around responded with varying degrees of bewilderment at what they were seeing: my pants pocket clearly shouldn't have been able to fit that much arm.
I decided to play it up, masking my ability to open portals. My hand withdrew from the pocket where the spatial rift had been open, only for my other hand to plunge just as deep into the second pocket.
"Ah, there we go."
My hand grabbed Sasuke, who was currently kilometers away, then I forcibly applied a Transformation Technique on him, changing his shape. From the outside, it looked like I simply pulled a small black figure out of my pocket, which then transformed into a bug-eyed Uchiha.
"And while I'm at it, the other one." I started patting myself down, then as if suddenly remembering, reached behind me for my pouch, unclipped it, flipped it upside down, and started smacking it. But instead of kunai and other ninja gear falling out, with the next smack, Kakashi tumbled out onto the floor with a "splat."
Sakura put on a stoic face and looked away, as if everything was fine. Hinata pressed her hands to her face in her usual gesture. Shino adjusted his glasses, catching the light. None of them said a word, but the amount of meaning conveyed was immense.
"Well then, we can get started," Hiruzen gestured at the "Kazekage" and the other officials who had been watching this scene. The old man was holding his composure at maximum capacity, projecting "we have this under control" and "yes, this is just how we store shinobi."
When Orochimaru turned his gaze to me, I gave him a cheerful little wave and turned back around.
"What was that?" Sasuke asked.
"Pulled you out of my pocket. Wasn't that obvious? Also, you've got a fight, so go, fight."
Sluggishly turning his gaze down to the arena, the Uchiha simply vanished with a whoosh in a Body Flicker.
"You, as always," remarked Kakashi, who'd already dusted himself off.
After that, we turned our attention to the match.
Genma, getting a nod from Hiruzen, confirmed with Sasuke and Neji that they were ready, got confirmation, gave the signal, and jumped back.
As true shinobi, rather than just getting right into the brawl, the sons of great clans wanted to exchange a few words first. But Neji was a bit worn out from Gai's training, and his head was still half with the clan and its changes. Sasuke was rattled by his entrance and the spectacle of how his sensei had been extracted. So what ended up happening was they just stared at each other in silence for a solid ten seconds, then nodded and launched forward at the same time.
Exchanging blows and kicking up dust, they circled once, then both activated their dojutsu simultaneously. The fight immediately shifted to another level. Their speed jumped. By a lot.
Neji's fingertips flared with chakra, and both fighters' hands began colliding at a speed that had no business existing at the genin level. Sasuke, having overestimated his opponent, was barely keeping up with his Sharingan, predicting Neji's movements with enormous difficulty and just barely managing to parry the strikes with his palms. Waves of chakra burst outward from each impact with a boom.
A couple more seconds, and the Uchiha spotted a good opening and leaped back a dozen meters.
"How do you like Hyuga taijutsu? Understand now why we consider ourselves the best at this?" Neji asked calmly, though with a certain arrogance bleeding through.
"Not bad," Sasuke replied with the same brand of arrogance. "But I can do more."
The moment those words left his mouth, the Uchiha's chakra began emanating in dark waves. Black markings spread across his skin.
"I've got a surprise or two for you as well," Neji's lips twisted into a smirk. A slightly crooked one.
He'd seen what the Uchiha was capable of when those cursed marks appeared. And though the Hyuga had trained hard, and recently trained a ridiculous, insane amount, he didn't rate his own chances that highly.
The "Kazekage," meanwhile, leaned forward slightly, visible confusion surfacing on the exposed part of his face above the veil. Up close, Orochimaru could clearly sense that despite Sasuke activating his Cursed Seal, it had given the Snake zero control over him.
"I doubt that," the black-haired boy said and formed several hand seals, after which his hand blazed to life with a thousand crackling black lightning bolts. "Chidori!"
The air filled with the chirping of birds.
Angling his arm downward, carving a trench in the earth along its path, Sasuke settled into a runner's stance. He surged forward, closing the distance, and Neji immediately began spinning with his own chakra.
The Heavenly Spin formed incredibly fast, possibly faster than its user had ever managed. To be fair, the technique's owner had some serious motivation right now.
The Uchiha, sprinting in, had decided he was a rhinoceros, and whatever stood in his path was that path's problem. He wound back and drove his hand into the spinning sphere with everything he had, punching through it... only to bend at an angle that would have instantly won him the grand trophy in limbo. Because the Heavenly Spin rotates, and its current twisted Sasuke's arm in such a way that he nearly sliced off his own head with his Chidori.
I closed my eyes at the sight. Good thing I wasn't his sensei. Otherwise I'd be a lot more ashamed right now.
Hastily killing the technique, the Uchiha tried to jump back, when unexpectedly, the sphere in front of him also dissolved, and...
"Eight Trigrams: Mountain Crusher." With those words from Neji, a white explosion of chakra erupted from his hand, flinging Sasuke like a ragdoll dozens of meters across the arena and into the wall.
The Uchiha slammed into the wall with a crash, sending cracks spreading through it. Wheezing, the guy collapsed onto the grass. He felt something rising in his throat and then, to his own shock, spat out a clot of blood.
Mountain Crusher was a complex technique that, true to its name, was meant to crush mountains. But Neji hadn't had enough time, and more importantly, enough strength to fully master it. Still, even what he managed was enough to deal a serious blow... though it didn't exactly make the Hyuga feel any better either.
A wave of pure, hate-filled chakra rolled across the arena.
Rising to his feet, billows of darkness poured off Sasuke. Thanks to the senjutsu chakra he'd absorbed, his pressure was so intense that only a handful of jonin or a reasonably strong Kage could match it.
Neji felt uneasy. Clenching his jaw, he took his stance, preparing to use the Heavenly Spin again. And for good reason.
With burning crimson eyes, three tomoe blazing in each, Sasuke wiped the blood.
"Time to finish this," he said with cold rage. "You'll lose after one technique of mine."
With those words, coiling his legs, the Uchiha sprang a dozen meters up and caught himself on the wall with his hands and feet, stopping there.
Looking down at the Hyuga, Sasuke began rapidly forming hand seals while taking a deep, full breath.
"Katon: Great Fire Devastation!"
With a deafening roar, an expanding torrent of black-crimson flame erupted from the Uchiha's mouth.
Neji barely managed to spin up the sphere before it was completely engulfed in fire.
Burning without mercy, the furious element consumed part of the arena wall opposite the stands and nearly all the ground below. The entire building complex shuddered from the impact of the roaring flames, then began to shake violently.
For a couple of seconds, the roar of fire was all anyone could hear, until it finally died down.
Spitting out a plume of smoke, Sasuke grimaced from his slightly singed lips and index fingers and landed.
It had gotten hot. Looking around the arena, he saw no one. Only the stench of scorched earth and burned vegetation hit his nose, bringing a cruel satisfaction to the Uchiha's face.
The crowd, mesmerized by the spectacle, sat in stunned, trembling silence.
But a few seconds later, the proctor dropped down onto the charred field, and right behind him, straight from the balcony where a certain modest blond happened to be standing, came Neji. I'd pulled him out with a spatial technique the moment his Heavenly Spin broke.
Genma walked across the arena with a... proctorly look, shuddered, then raised his gaze toward Uzumaki with a complicated expression.
"Was that the teacher's technique?..." he thought, attributing the Hyuga's teleportation to the Flying Thunder God.
The officials around the Kage were sweating, trading anxious glances. Orochimaru under his disguise was watching me with more interest than ever before. While also showing appropriate surprise, as befitting the natural reaction of his cover identity.
Hiruzen, meanwhile, put on a smug face and glanced at the "Kazekage," essentially saying: "See what ours can do? Yours don't even compare."
"I would say..." Genma took one more look at the arena, met the Uchiha's eyes, then quickly redirected his gaze toward the Hokage. Receiving a gesture, he declared with confidence: "The winner is Uchiha Sasuke! Next match: Sabaku no Gaara versus Uzumaki Naruto!"
The stands, silent until now, erupted with ovations. Because that was only the first match! What would the rest of them show?!
_____
You can support me and read up to 20 upcoming chapters ahead of release at –> patreon.com/Welydora