"With the end of that match, there are only four Genin left! Let the first match of the semi-finals begin, Hinata vs Yakumo!"
Saul eyed the two women as they passed, Hinata with that ever gentle smile on her face and Yakumo who looked absolutely serious. Based upon his understanding of the two of them... Even though Yakumo was technically stronger, Hinata would win. Well that was if they actually sparred that is. Saul was curious. What would Hinata do? What were the limits of her... Ambition?
Rock Lee, who had blacked out at the end of their fight, slowly opened up his eyes again.
"Lee!"
Tenten exclaimed.
The entirety of team Guy had moved to sit with them now. Might Guy, Tenten, Lee, only Neji was missing for obvious reasons. Tenten was a woman with two buns on the top of her head, medium breasts, and wore a pink Chinese sleeveless shirt with the standard cargo ninja pants. Now that Saul had actually met her in person however, he felt the girl was quite... Tomboyish.
"Why did you dodge right into his uppercut, idiot!? Saul telegraphed it from a mile away!"
"W-what?" Lee muttered, still dazed, "It was a kick, Tenten. He kicked."
Seeing the confused expression on Tenten's face, Saul explained.
"Lee was under a Genjutsu. What he saw was indeed a kick."
Tenten sucked in a cold breath as she looked up at Saul. This guy... Were all the members of Team Eight just monsters? Aside from Gaara, all of the Chunin exam finalists were members of this team!
Guy grinned. "Your reputation as the foremost Genjutsu expert in Konoha is well deserved, Kurenai. You have trained your disciple well. I was watching the fight carefully, and yet I still didn't notice! When did he form the hand seals to put Lee under a Genjutsu!?"
Kurenai's eyes, which had been closed, flashed open. "I was wondering the same thing. When did you put Lee under a Genjutsu, Saul?" Her red eyes stared at him with curiosity, but Saul felt a hint of pressure.
"I did it during the fight. Didn't you guys see?" He smiled mysteriously.
"Hmmm..." Kurenai glared at him suspiciously, while Guy laughed,
"We're sitting far up in the stands here, he probably did it while his back was turned to us or something! Good on you, Saul. Well done!"
"Thanks..."
Down in the Arena
"Yakumo-chan?"
"Yes?"
Hinata and Yakumo both stood in the field of flowers and sand. There was an implicit trust in the way Hinata stood in the middle of the arena, instead of along its sides or along its walls. She knew Yakumo wouldn't do something sneaky before the fight.
"It's amazing isn't it. That we've both come this far..."
Hinata gazed over to the cracked imprint in the arena walls, where Neji's body had previously smashed into. Her victory over him had not filled her with liberation and joy as she once imagined. Rather, instead she felt bittersweet.
She didn't want to fight him. She was forced into it by the Hyuuga. Her life was always about something else. Honor, the clan pride, the village. Hinata felt as if she was adrift at sea, carried wherever the waves flowed. She was never in control. Rather it was all forced upon her. She never even wanted to be a ninja in the first place...
"It is." Yakumo remarked shortly, coldly.
Hinata knew the woman was just trying to get into a mindset to seriously fight her in the first place. Yakumo was soft like that... She didn't want to hurt anyone, even her enemies. Especially her comrades.
"Hey, Yakumo," Hinata smiled. "Don't worry about anything. I know what's important to you. And now, I'm realizing what's truly important to me. What we both want isn't necessarily in conflict..."
"What do you mean...?"
Before she could clarify, Hiruzen interrupted,
"Hinata vs Kurama Yakumo! Let the fight begin!"
Hinata smiled. For one of the first few times in her life, she didn't just go with the flow, or follow what others had forced upon her. After she defeated Neji, she felt free to pursue the life she truly wanted.
"I SURRENDER!"
Everyone stared at her like they must have not heard correctly. Hinata had showcased speed, strength, and methods that completely eclipsed Yakumo. Especially in her cursed seal state - many Ninja felt she had the strength of a Jonin or more! Yet she was just giving up like this?
*Cough, cough. Ahem!* The attending Chunin, Gekko Hayate cleared his throat.
"Genin Hinata. Are you sure? This fight is essentially a mission assigned to you by the village. It might reflect badly upon you if you just give up while it could still be anyone's match..."
Yakumo spoke up as well, adding, "Y-you don't have to quit just because I'm your teammate..."
Hinata waved her hand shortly, shaking her head. "I am sure. After defeating Neji, these exams no longer hold any meaning to me."
Amidst the stunned silence of the crowd, Hinata body flickered back into her spot next to Saul.
"Hinata forfeits! Kurama Yakumo emerges as the winner! Now for the next match, Saul vs Gaara!"
Saul shook his head. "Kurenai sensei. I am almost completely out of Chakra due to healing multiple people and the fight against Lee. I have no chance of winning. Can you please relay my surrender to the Hokage?"
Hinata nestled herself in his arms, smiling affectionately. She could see it with her Byakugan. Her Saul-kun was lying... His body was full of chakra, circulating throughout at full capacity. She didn't know how he did it, but... Even now, he made his choice to remain with her~💗
Kurenai nodded. "I understand."
She swirled into Sakura blossoms as she vanished. Soon after, the Hokage announced.
"It seems due to Chakra exhaustion due to healing our injured contestants, Saul is unable to fight as well! Gaara of the Sand wins by default! Now for the final match, Yakumo vs Gaara!"
The two both floated down into the arena. Yakumo remained hovering midair above the sands, while Gaara hovered to avoid the bed of flowers beneath. Both did not dare to step into the arena, which their respective opponent had molded into their respective elements.
"Why are you being so cautious?" Yakumo taunted, "Just for little old me?"
Gaara could smell the scent of flowers as he glared at the woman in front of him. He closed his eyes.
"What?"
Gaara cracked an insane grin. "Mother has revealed all your secrets, woman."
The sand around him swirled ominously, clumping up into a sphere. A bloodshot eye hovered midair.
"Hey! You can't use Jutsu before-"
The eye stared at the attending ninja, Hayate, shutting him up with a wave of bloodlust. The Jonin instinctively shivered. What the hell was this guy? Would his blade even have a chance to penetrate his sands?
Seeing this, the third Hokage frowned.
*Tch.* "Your son, Gaara, acts with no regard to authority."
The man underneath the wide brimmed hat grinned. "Gaara only knows one thing... How to kill."
Hiruzen looked away, not responding to this statement. He was starting to get an off feeling about this man, Rasa, the Kazekage of the Sand. What were his true intentions? Weren't they allies?
"...Let the match begin!"
Yakumo, hovering mid air as the supporting winds buffeted around her, frowned. She had to take this man seriously. She had to show everyone the power of the Kurama clan. And most importantly... She scanned the crowds, looking for her father, Murakumo. She hadn't seen him yet. But Yakumo knew he wouldn't miss her match for the world. Most importantly, she had to show to her father and mother, the entire clan, that she was the one in control. Not Id.
"Did your 'mother' tell you about this?"
Yakumo raised her hand up into the air, glowing green. Flowering vines shot up from the ground, wrapping around the sand sphere hovering in midair. She slowly clenched her hand, and the vines lined with thorns burrowed into the sphere of sand, trying to dig Gaara out.
The only thing she could feel however, was her chakra being drained. The vines scraped against a hard shell beneath the sand, unable to penetrate further. As they intruded the sand wrapped around the vines, crushing them. Frustrated, Yakumo swung her hand.
The vines slung the sphere of sand, smashing it against the arena wall! Surprised shouts and screams were heard among the crowd as the entire colosseum shook from the force, causing those walking to stagger and those who were sitting to jump out of their seats. The shell cracked open for a moment, letting everyone see the madly grinning Gaara within the sands. He was making hand seals slowly, one after another. What exactly was he casting?
Yakumo's vines rushed in at the opening, but they were quickly blocked by the shell closing back up. Sands flowed along the vines now, cutting through them piece by piece and speeding towards her!
Yakumo blocked them with a wave of searing fire. A gigantic hand of sand shot up from the ground, but she barely evaded its grasp. More eyes of sand raised up now, filling the skies.
Alright... She wouldn't hold back any longer.
Lightning gathered at her fingertips, then crackled along her hand. It wouldn't harm her, couldn't harm her. But. She hoped that Gaara's defense could withstand the strength of the white hot lightning before it touched him.
*BANG*
A crack of thunder resounded as the lightning arced, jumping from her hand to Gaara's shield in an instant.
"AGH!!!"
The sand surrounding Gaara was glowing red hot where it was struck. Sand crumpled away to reveal a gigantic, almost transparent web of glass.
This is what happened when lightning struck sand. If it was hot enough, the sand would be penetrated, superheated to thousands of degrees for an instant, and then cooled. Gigantic tubes and branches of glass would follow.
It fell down and shattered amongst the sand as Gaara held his burned cheek and cried out in pain.
"Surrender, Gaara. I do not wish to harm you any further."
The red haired man looked at her with eyes full of fear and hatred. No, no, no, no, no!!! He couldn't be hurt like this! He absolutely could never be hurt! The half of his face that was burned by lightning twisted. His teeth lengthened into fangs, and his cheek was shrouded in black patterned sand.
"I WANT TO HEAR YOUR SCREAMS!!! I'LL KILL YOU ALL!!!"
Suddenly Gaara's siblings, Temari and Kankuro jumped into the arena. Temari tried desperately to calm the raging Gaara, while Kankuro carried him away upon his puppet.
"Gaara! Get a hold of yourself! If you give in like this, you're going to do something you'll regret! Remember the mission!"
The man struggled with himself, trying to bring the 'demon' back under control. He allowed himself to be dragged away in silence.
What mission? Yakumo wondered, feeling something was off. Weren't they in a fight just now? Did this count as her win?
The loud cheering and noise from the crowd abruptly turned into silence. Yakumo couldn't see it, but everyone else saw falling feathers. Multiple civilians instantly dozed off, including the nobles. What in the hell was going on?
Author's Note: And so the Chaos begins.