I do not own Naruto.

Kono Yo no Kyūseishu

"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle." – Sun Tzu

As the dust scattered across the field, numerous pairs of eyes widened in surprise, some in shock. The concrete groundhad been shattered by the explosions with several tiles collapsing into themselves, while others had shattered completely.

However, what shocked them the most was that the victim of the explosion survived with merely superficial wounds. Lightning crackled around him menacingly while a predatory smirk marred his lips.

Kurotsuchi felt a shiver run up her spine.

She'd caught a glimpse of it, something predatory – animalistic – from the Uzumaki. She could swear that he had glanced at her momentarily with blood red eyes that seemed to vanish as though it were a fabrication of her imagination.

This was not what she had expected.

The Uzumaki was beyond them, that much was clear. It was why the three of them had been deployed. However, if he could figure out how to nullify Deidara's Kibaku Nendo the exact moment before it detonated, then they had severely underestimated him.

Deidara was amongst, if not, the best Genin in Iwagakure. He was already a promising member of the Bakuha Butai, a prodigy they hadn't seen since Bakuton no Gari. If he couldn't take down the Uzumaki now, they would have a problem.

They were so many unknowns surrounding the boy now. When they were sent on this mission, they believed to have a summarised idea of his abilities. But it seems Uzumaki has exceptional deduction abilities, which probably makes him a sensor, and has sufficient control of the Raitōn element to create a bastardised version of the Raikage's Raitōn no Yoroi .

"Shit." Kurotsuchi cussed under her breath.

Their mission was falling apart.

Naruto calmly pulled his sword out of the cracks where he had managed to wedge it in before the explosion. He'd tried to avoid shattering the tile with his strike, however, it was now pointless.

Naruto technically spun his blade, showing of a few skilful swings before settling into a stance. He held the blade in his right hand which was raised, aligning at ear-level.

Deidara was stunned. No one had ever tried nullifying his jutsu. Avoid it? Yes. Destroy it? Definitely. But rendering it useless?

"Come." Naruto calmly gazed at his opponent, waiting for him to attack.

Goading his opponent would cause him to make mistakes he could capitalise on. It was a textbook Shinobi strategy during battle.

"How dare you?" Deidara's face was marred with a scowl. "Art is momentary! How dare you destroy my art?!" He roared furiously.

Deidara dug into his pouch and pulled out a huge mound of clay that seemed to have formed somewhat halfway. Within a few moments, Naruto sensed a large amount of chakra being poured into the mound of clay in his opponent's hands.

The mound expanded and began taking shape. At first, it seemed to grow into a medium sized land animal. However, wings sprouted and grew larger and wider. Soon enough, it was clear what Deidara had created.

"Behold, my greatest piece of art! C1! " Deidara shouted out madly as the clay phoenix took off, flapping its wings high above the spectators. " Kibaku Nendo: Hō! "

Naruto watched as the clay phoenix ascended and began flying around the arena, swiftly increasing its speed. Each flap of its wings blew a gust that would pick up dust and scatter it around the field, blocking his sight.

It was a smart plan to block his vision. However, that meant he had to expect some kind of attack from Deidara. As the thought fleeted through his mind, he sensed something crawling his way.

Naruto's hands swiftly flew through several hand signs. If he couldn't see, they he would just have to clear the area.

" Fūton! " He exclaimed as he took in a very deep breath and clasped his hands into a snake seal. " Daitoppa! "

He blew a gust of wind, turning on his heel to form a dome-like radius around him that scattered the dust and revealed the crux of his opponent's attack.

There, floating through the air, were several dozens of clay creatures ranging from bugs to small birds. He spotted Deidara atop his bird blocking the powerful wind with one of his arms. This was his chance.

" Raitōn: Ōbādoraibu! " Lightning exploded and coated Naruto's body and sword. His unruly hair seemed to spike up. He then raised his sword and pointed it at the dishevelled Deidara. "Watch closely." Then he vanished.

Sparks of lightning appeared in several different areas of the arena in very short time. When the shock of lightning disappeared, all that would remain was a useless mound of clay.

Naruto dashed and cut several clay birds that were floating in the air before stabbing his sword into a clay spider. He vanished again then reappeared in front of Team Suna. As he cut through several clay creatures, he gazed into a pair of blank turquoise eyes before vanishing again.

Within a few seconds, he calmly stepped back on the open field and sheathed his blade. He watched as the clay creatures he cut so swiftly fell apart rain down on the field, only further infuriating their creator.

"You bastard!" Deidara screamed as he commanded his phoenix to swiftly fly straight towards Naruto. "Eat this! Kat- "

The command he'd meant to give died down in his throat when he felt his bird halve beneath him. For a few moments, he glided through the air, turning his head to search for his opponent.

In the distance, Naruto vanished and reappeared on top of him again. His cold blue eyes focused on Deidara's eyes. Then, he saw Naruto's hands reaching for him, crackling with lightning.

" Raitōn: Jibashi! "

Deidara cried out in pain until he saw black.

"Shōsha, Uzumaki Naruto."

Kurotsuchi felt a sudden shiverof fear run up her spine.

This is crazy!

Her pink eyes were wide open in shock and fear. No Genin had ever defeated Deidara. He was the Tsuchikage's protégé.

The Uzumaki truly was beyond them.

It was uncommon for Shinobi to be able to use three elemental affinities effectively. But this boy had switched through two opposite elements as though he was changing his direction during a stroll. His Kenjutsu skills were beyond what they knew. And his speed?

Now, Kurotsuchi understood her grandfather's fears.

As he turned to head back to the bleachers, his icy blue eyes caught her vibrant pink. She almost cowered when a silhouette of an older blonde man covered the boy. When he looked away, she breathed a incredible sigh of relief.

The Tsuchikage was right. They had to deal with the Namikaze spawn.

"That…that was crazy." Temari muttered in awe. "I didn't expect that kid to be that strong." She said as she watched the boy move away from the field.

When they had first run into the boy, she'd imagined him to be a pretty decent Shinobi after how he had handled Kankurō. But now, it seemed that he was much more powerful than he had let on.

As she turned to her youngest brother, a shiver ran up her spine as she saw the crazed look marring his visage.

Gaara was smiling.

"Whoa, that was pretty crazy." Anko commented as she watched Naruto go up the stairs. "I didn't think that kid was capable of using two elements. He's pretty strong."

Hiruzen nodded in agreement. It surprised him, however, that Naruto had used an extent of his abilities during this match. He supposed that he had been caught off guard by Deidara's Bakutōn .

"Indeed he is." Hiruzen commented. "Although, I do believe he still has more to offer."

Hiruzen nodded proudly when Naruto gazed at him as he went up the stairs. The boy truly deserves his pride.

"Yo." Naruto greeted as he leaned on the railing.

"That was an excellent battle." Kimimaro applauded. "Especially considering your opponent's Kekkei Genkai."

"I honestly didn't expect you to find a way around it that quickly. Especially since that was your first time seeing his ability." Haku commented before nudging at Kimimaro. "I almost thought we'd be going to the finals without our team leader."

Kimimaro smacked Haku's elbow away irritably. "Of course you would think that."

"Think what?" Haku asked amusedly.

Naruto chuckled at Haku's implication. Kimimaro only frowned then looked away, intending to ignore the masked boy.

They turned to the screen to watch it fly through the remaining names for the next matchup. It stopped and Naruto's interest was piqued.

"Can Tsurugi Misumi and Yamanaka Ino come down to the field?" Genma announced the next matchup.

Ino eyed her opponent, analysing him and attempting to gauge his abilities. Reading their opponents was amongst the very first things taught to a Yamanaka child.

As part of their training to understand the Hiden techniques of their clan, they were taught the functions and applications of the mind and, subsequently, the body. At some point after their training and gaining experience, they could decipher plans with mere eye contact.

However, she always had the knack to go further than that. Her father had labelled it an advanced mind art only unique to Ino. With that ability, she could read someone's mind with mere eye contact.

Her opponent stared into her eyes and she saw it all. Arrogance, pride and a superiority complex oozed out of him.

"I'll win this one easily."

"Why am I even here wasting my time?"

"I'll just use that technique."

"Orochimaru knows I'm better than this."

Ino frowned at the familiarity of the name but ignored it. Realising her opponent was about to attack, she ran through several hand signs and stopped with the rat seal.

"Hah! None of your little mind techniques will affect me!" Misumi shouted as he dashed towards Ino.

Ino stumbled backwards, trying to create distance between herself and Misumi, but he stretched his arm and caught her. With a strength she didn't expect from him, he pulled her towards him into a submission hold.

"Now, I'm going to crush you!" Then he pulled hard and the sound of popping joints resounded in the arena along with the cries and screams from Ino.

And with one strong pull, he snapped her spine.

Ino's screams of pain echoed throughout the arena causing the spectators to flinch in shock. People called out to the girl beneath him and he grinned appreciatively underneath his mask.

However, the girl beneath his started cackling and laughing, causing that terrifying voice to freeze him on the spot. Misumi started breathing harshly, his body shivering as though he was hyperventilating.

"Now, now, Misumi-kun, why would you do that to the one who gave you this power?" A sinister and hoarse voice called out to him.

The girl beneath him writhed and spasmed before opening her mouth painfully wide until a hand held at the front of her mouth from the inside. The hand pulled and the girl's mouth opened wider than was humanly possible, pulling out a dark haired figure from within.

Misumi cried out in terror and let go of the bodies. He crawled backwards until he hit a wall, screaming out in fear as he watched the man who had come out of the girl's mouth approach him.

"I think I might have to run a few…tests on you, Misumi-kun…" Orochimaru grinned as he reached for the boy who was crying out in terror.

Suddenly, Misumi who had been screaming for the last few seconds, fell to his knees and collapsed while frothing at the mouth.

Ino merely let go of her hand seal and watched as a pair of medics ran in to check on her opponent who was seemingly having a seizure.

"Shōsha, Yamanaka Ino!" Genma suddenly announced. "Can I get more medics here!?"

Ino numbly watched as more medics arrived and carried the boy out of the arena to the infirmary. She jolted in surprise when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, don't be too hard on yourself." Genma started consolingly. "Genjutsu affects people differently. It just happens that his fears were something far worse than we can imagine."

Ino nodded numbly. Genma was right. Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu was a fairly simple Genjutsu. However, it's lethality depended on the victim's own fears.

Genma nudged at her to head back to the bleachers and she did so without any fuss.

"Hey, you okay?"

Ino jolted in surprise yet again. Leaning by the railing next to the stairs, Naruto had waited for her, a strange look of worry in his eyes.

She looked up and nodded at the boy, hoping to stave off his worries.

After the incident with the Team from Suna, she'd promised that she wouldn't burden the boy in front of her. She decided that she would be capable of protecting herself and she had done just that.

"Yeah, I'm okay." She finally spoke. Then she blushed faintly. "Are you okay?"

He had taken some brunt of the explosion during his match, so parts of his clothes and body were littered with scratches and cuts. However, he seemed to be unaffected by all that.

Of course, she knew he was strong.

"I would have liked not to get my clothes torn but I'm okay." Naruto stated humorously. "I'll see you around, Yamanaka." He muttered before vanishing in a Shunshin .

Ino walked back to her team, and was pleasantly surprised when Asuma and Shikamaru almost fretted over her.

She couldn't help but smile.

Kimimaro watched the ongoing match intently. Hyūga Neji and the Inuzuka had been called out for the next match while Naruto was away.

"He is good." Kimimaro muttered to Naruto upon his return. "I believe you said he is considered a prodigy?"

Naruto nodded as he watched Neji smoothly dodge a Gatsūga from Inuzuka. The boy wasn't a terrible fighter; he was just unlucky to have to fight Hyūga Neji.

"I see." Kimimaro commented.

The match had been going on for about three minutes with Neji dodging the deadly attacks from the Inuzuka pair while slowly setting them up for a final attack.

Neji hadn't used his Byakugan yet, however, he seemed to be able to see through his opponents attacks, proving his skill and experience when it comes to purely Taijutsu battles.

Kimimaro gazed sternly into the Hyūga boy's eyes when their eyes met before closing them and nodding calmly.

"It's over."

Neji shivered minutely after shifting his gaze from Kimimaro.

Over the past few days, he wondered why Kimimaro caused an innate fear to rise up from within him. That fear, it was a fear similar to the one he felt whenever he faced the elders of the clan.

It was an aura that Kimimaro freely exuded; one that commanded respect and fear on the same set of scales.

And it had commanded him to stop playing around and finish this match immediately.

" Byakugan! " His vision enhanced, magnified and expanded all at the same time.

He could see everything that was within the radius of five hundred metres. He could see through the walls, the medics in the infirmary stabilising the boy who had lost before his match. He could also see Tenten calmly breathing in and out in her sleep.

His eyes could see the people around him. The remaining Genin had varying shades of colour in their chakra. The Yamanaka almost seemed to be a clash of yellow and purple. Hinata's chakra was ever a calming blue. The redhead from Suna seemingly leaked a menacing red, while his teammates had the standard blue.

He spotted the Hokage and felt a sweat drip down his forehead. Such a strong and heavy blue almost made him shiver. No one should have that much chakra. Neji shifted his focus to his recent object of fear and his acquaintances.

The sudden flash of colours almost blinded him, causing him to flinch in recoil. He shivered as he scanned their coils with a lesser focus. The masked boy was seemingly the most normal one of the three, however that was a stretch itself. His chakra was an icy blue that seemed to chill the very air itself.

The Uzumaki's was a clash of multiple colours. A red here, a blue there, some bits of silver and fistful of black. He couldn't even see most of the colours because they were enshrouded almost by a hazy cloud. It was strange and it scared him.

Kimimaro, however, was blank.

Neji ducked underneath the oncoming Gatsūga and flipped backwards to avoid the strike that shattered the tile he had been standing on. Realising that he'd have to retaliate, Neji dashed and landed between the two identical clones.

"You're in my range of divination." He stated as he dipped to his knees and struck swiftly and ferociously. He swift strikes were almost invisible to the naked eye, but the damage was visible. " Hakke Sanjūni Shō! " He shouted as he completed his attack with a final strike.

Kiba and Akamaru rolled across the field unconsciously. It was clear that this attack was final and those two had lost.

"Shōsha, Hyūga Neji."

Neji didn't pay attention to the proctor, rather, he focused on Kimimaro, gauging his chakra system. Suddenly, as though a door opened, a flood of multicoloured chakra struck at his vision.

Neji gasped and shivered fearfully. He stepped backwards once and realised what he was doing. He encompassed himself with his chakra, exuding it from his skin pores, forcibly calming himself. Then, he walked away and headed back to his team.

However, as he walked, he couldn't stop his mind from fretting about and his heart from pounding.

"What are they!?"

Kimimaro shook his head slightly. How dare he attempt to gauge them?

He had realised it when he'd felt something probing at his chakra as though it was trying to open the door to the floodgates. He couldn't fault him.

As competitors, it was fair to gauge your opponent. However, what Neji was trying to see was something beyond his comprehension.

Something that even he kept from Naruto and Haku.

"I guess Neji has identified us as threats." Naruto muttered.

Kimimaro nodded. Of course, Naruto would have sensed it as well.

"I want to see how he would fare against either one of us here." Kimimaro commented. Then he smirked. "Haku would most probably lose."

"I heard that!" Haku scoffed irritably.

Atsui, perhaps for the first time today, frowned as he faced his opponent. What caught his attention first were his opponents vibrant pink eyes.

"Hajime!" The proctor announced before leaping away.

His opponent – Kurotsuchi, if he remembered correctly, took the initiative and attacked first with a swift kick to Atsui's head.

Atsui blocked the attack and attempted to grab the leg, however, it was quickly withdrawn and changed trajectory, going to sweep at his legs. He jumped into the air and drew his katana from his back, slashing downwards. His attack clashed with a rock-covered fist that managed to push him backwards.

" Dōton: Kengan! " Kurotsuchi launched herself, spearing forward her rock-covered fist. The blunt force caused Atsui to be sent flying until he crashed into the wall.

Kurotsuchi released her techniques, believing her opponent to have been knocked out, however, she was forced to dodge as slash by a hairs breath.

She spun to kick at Atsui, but with great flexibility, Atsui twisted over the attack and jabbed his sword forward, cutting at Kurotsuchi's shoulder.

"Shit!" She cried out as she leapt away from her opponent.

Atsui landed in a crouch and rose to his feet, flicking the blood of his blade. He grinned excitedly as he sped through several hand signs.

"Prepare to be hot!" Atsui shouted wildly. " Katōn: Gōkakyū! "

Atsui expelled a large fireball that shot at Kurotsuchi who was still reeling from the cut she had received. Her eyes widened in surprise but she swiftly flew through hand signs.

" Dōton: Doryūheki! " A wall rose between the attack and Kurotsuchi, blocking the fiery attack and forcing it to die out.

As she breathed a sigh of relief, a shadow leapt over the wall with a blazing sword in its hand. Atsui spun with his sword in hand.

" Kumo-Ryū: Kaengiri! " As Atsui slashed, a wave of fire followed his slice intent on cutting and burning his opponent.

As he neared Kurotsuchi, she dashed forward with rocks gathering around her hand and clashed with Atsui.

A wave of heat blew across the field as both attacks clashed. Atsui's sword seemed to melt through Kurotsuchi's rock-covered fist, but his eyes widened when his sword was stuck, causing her to smirk.

" Dōton: Kengan! " Kurotsuchi roared as she struck Atsui with her other rock-covered hand, shooting the boy to the opposing wall.

A loud crash resounded and dust blew from the place of impact. As the dust began to lift, Atsui remained stuck in the wall, unconscious and bleeding from his mouth.

"Shōsha, Kurotsuchi of Iwagakure." Genma announced her victory.

"She's definitely strong." Haku commented.

Kimimaro nodded. She seemed tenacious enough to battle for longer had her opponent not been knocked out. They had to be careful around her; she was probably hiding more abilities.

"So she increased the weight and thickness of the rock fist before blocking with it? Impressive." Naruto commented.

He had watched the match intently. From the way she had been eyeing him, he'd figured that she had an idea of who he was – it wasn't that difficult to figure out after all. Kurotsuchi seemed well trained in hand-to-hand combat and Dōton ninjutsu.

"Yes very impressive."

"Ah, it seems Ōnoki's granddaughter is as talented as her father." Hiruzen commented appreciatively. "A prime example of a good kunoichi, no?" He asked, shifting his gaze to Anko.

"She seems decent enough. Could probably give some of the Chūnin in the village a run for their money." Anko shrugged complacently. "Aren't you worried about them, Hokage-sama?" She asked curiously.

"I have men watching them." Hiruzen calmly replied. "It would be careless of me not to."

After all, if Ōnoki felt comfortable with sending his granddaughter and protégé to a veritable lion's den, then there was a lot awfully suspicious of them.

Ōnoki hadn't sent a team to the exams hosted by Konoha since before the Third Shinobi World War after all.

"Hey, Kurotsuchi, are you sure that you're okay?" Akatsuchi asked worriedly. The large boy had been worrying for the past five minutes.

"I said I'm fine, you idiot!" Kurotsuchi groaned for the umpteenth time.

Akatsuchi finally got the memo as he stepped away from the irate girl. He was just trying to make sure his friend was okay.

"Can Akatsuchi of Iwagakure and Rock Lee of Konohagakure come down to the field?"

"Yosh!" A loud voice shouted from the other end of the of the arena.

The spandex wearing boy leapt over the railing and landed on the field smoothly, waiting for his opponent to come.

"You're up against a nut job." Kurotsuchi smirked.

Akatsuchi sighed and made way to the stairs. His opponent seemed like the crazy Taijutsu type, so he'd have to hit him hard.

"Don't lose!" Kurotsuchi shouted out to him from behind.

"It's Rock Lee's turn." Naruto announced

The spandex wearing boy was shouting over to his sensei excitedly as he waited for his opponent to arrive. The boy he was going to fight, Akatsuchi, was nervously walking down the stairs.

"He's probably figured that Rock Lee might best him if he doesn't hit hard enough from the start." Haku commented. "How fast is Rock Lee?"

Naruto seemed to contemplate for a moment. Ever since he'd come across the boy training during his final year at the Academy, he'd always considered Rock Lee to be an incredible fighter.

"He's probably faster than you when you're using your Makyō Hyōshō ." Naruto informed firmly.

Haku was silent for several moments before leaning on the railing and sighing.

"That fast, huh?"

"Are both fighters ready?" Genma asked as he raised his hand. Rock Lee and Akatsuchi nodded. "Hajime!"

" Dōton: Kengan! " Akatsuchi coated his large hand with a cluster rocks and ran towards his opponent who had already taken a stance. "Take this!"

Akatsuchi rock-covered fist struck Rock Lee. As he felt his hit connect, he expected his opponent to be sent flying, not to be met with a firm resistance.

"You really are as strong as you look, Akatsuchi-san!" Lee shouted as he pushed back the large boy's fist.

Akatsuchi was shocked when Lee managed to push him back, causing him to stumble on his feet and giving the boy the chance to disappear.

Lee reappeared at the near the wall and dashed faster than most could see, spinning in the air and began kicking the large Akatsuchi upwards.

By the second kick, Akatsuchi's size couldn't compare to the force that kept on kicking him into the air. As Akatsuchi floated in the air, Lee vanished and reappeared above him.

" Konoha Daisenpū! " Lee raised his leg and brought it down and struck Akatsuchi's chest with a heel drop.

Akatsuchi shot to the ground and struck the open area where Deidara set off his explosions, crashing into the open ground. Lee landed on the ground and took a stance.

Genma went over to Akatsuchi to check his vitals. He then raised a hand and announced.

"Shōsha, Rock Lee of Konohagakure." Genma announced before signalling for the medics to come and attend Akatsuchi.

"I won, Gai-sensei!" Lee shouted to his sensei, a brilliant grin marring his face.

"Atta boy, Lee!" Gai shouted excitedly at his student as he leapt over the railing and proceeded to hug the boy.

The spectators watched on in amazement and humour until it became weird when both sensei and student began to cry while shouting out each other's names.

Haku whistled in amazement. Naruto chuckled while Kimimaro watched on stoically.

"That was a swift match." Kimimaro commented. "That boy really is strong."

Naruto and Haku nodded. Although the boy hadn't shown much, it was clear that he was extremely strong and fast. The whole altercation had taken less than a minute.

"His Taijutsu style, the Gōken, also known as the Strong Fist, is the exact opposite of the Hyūga's Jyūken, also known as the Gentle Fist." Naruto started informatively. "The practitioners of this style use brute strength and power in every one of their attacks. I wouldn't be surprised if his opponent broke several bones."

The medics had finally arrived and managed to turn over the large Iwa boy. They managed to put him onto a stretcher and carry him out of the arena.

"A destructive force, is it?" Kimimaro muttered to himself. "He's a dangerous opponent indeed."

Shikamaru groaned when he realised that he was fighting in the last match. Although, he was grateful that he hadn't gone up against either one of the two from the previous match.

Asuma sighed as he watched his student complain inwardly.

"Come on, you'll probably win against the next guy." Asuma tried to convince his student.

Of all the Genin who had fought, only the boy from Suna remained. From what he could tell from the lump on his back, that boy was a puppeteer, so he wouldn't be a close combatant. However, the same applied for Shikamaru.

"Stop being so lazy, Shikamaru." Ino lorded over the boy. "Even Chōji fought and he doesn't like that!"

Shikamaru groaned harder, this time in agreement. Chōji truly was a soft boy who tried to avoid any, if not all, conflicts.

"But Asuma promised to buy him a buffet. I don't think that was fair." Shikamaru muttered lazily.

Ino clicked her tongue when she realised that he was right.

"Now, for the last match. Can Nara Shikamaru and Kankurō of Sunagakure come down to the field?"

Genma called out to the last pair.

Shikamaru groaned yet again.

"Proctor, I forfeit." Kankurō suddenly announced from where he was.

Shikamaru perked up, in surprise, but narrowed his eyes curiously. Sure the guy was a puppeteer, but he probably had the better chances of winning against him.

"Are you sure?" Genma asked curiously and Kankurō nodded. "Alright then. Shōsha, Nara Shikamaru."

Asuma clapped a hand on Shikamaru's shoulder and the boy recoiled from the force of it.

"Seems like you got lucky, kid." Asuma laughed aloud at the humour of it all. "And you're going straight to the finals."

Shikamaru groaned some more when that realisation struck him.

Hiruzen watched as the thirteen Genin gathered before him. He realised that with the odd number of finalists, there matches would have to be set up differently.

"The Chūnin Exam Finals will be held three weeks from now at a designated arena." Genma informed. "Now, before we leave here, you kids will have to draw lots that will set up your matches."

Anko stepped forward and walked through the finalists, letting them draw paper tags from the basket in her hands. After they had all drawn their lots, they announced their numbers to Genma.

A few minutes passed and the large screen lit up with the finalists matchups.

Round One: Hyūga Hinata vs Yuki Haku.

Round Two: Temari vs Nara Shikamaru vs Yamanaka Ino

Round Three: Sabaku no Gaara vs Rock Lee

Round Four: Uzumaki Naruto vs Omoi

Round Five: Kurotsuchi vs Uchiha Sasuke

Round Six: Kaguya Kimimaro vs Hyūga Neji

"Take a good look around, and at your opponent." Genma informed. "Now that you have seen their abilities, take this month to come up with plans or learn new techniques to use against them. The same rules still apply at the finals."

The Genin nodded in agreement at his advice.

"I congratulate you all for reaching this far." Hiruzen started. "Remember, you are here as a representative of your village in front of many a people. Do make your villages proud."

"Hai!" The Genin chorused in unison.

Hiruzen dipped his hat and turned to leave.

"I knew you brats could do it." Tsunade perked up from her desk. Stacks of documents almost hid her person.

"Congratulations." Shizune said as she walked back into the office with TonTon in her arms.

The small pig leapt off from Shizune and onto Haku's head. It petted the boy's head endearingly.

"The last Team I remember making it all the way to the finals was Kotetsu's team." Shizune stifled a sudden giggle. "Funnily enough, they've been Chūnin since then."

Naruto chuckled in amusement. Kotetsu and Izumo were a few years younger than Shizune and Kakashi, but they had been Chūnin for over a decade.

"You know those two slackers could been Jōnin by now." Kakashi announced as he walked into the office. "Yo."

Shizune shrieked and leapt away when Kakashi suddenly appeared behind her. The rest of the room's occupants watched in surprise at her actions.

"I've told you to stop doing that, Kakashi!" Shizune suddenly shouted.

Kakashi blinked and turned to the three Genin who were also watching in surprise. Kimimaro turned back to the book he was reading, while Naruto and Haku shrugged before shifting their attention to something else.

"Shizune…we're twenty eight now." Kakashi muttered weakly. Really, she'd been complaining about the same thing since they were kids.

Shizune blushed in embarrassment and briskly walked out of the office, snatching TonTon from Haku in her haste.

"Strange." Kakashi muttered in confusion. "Ah, Godaime-sama, the sealing was a success."

Tsunade groaned from her desk in annoyance. They knew that it annoyed her yet they still insisted on saying it.

"Watch it, you brat. I haven't taken office yet." Tsunade muttered irritably from her desk. "Sarutobi-sensei should be the one dealing with this shit, not taking some time off."

Within a month of her return, Hiruzen had named her his successor should anything befall him. However, that knowledge was exclusive to Team Jiraiya, Kakashi and Shizune. For now though, her dream of spearheading the Iryō Butai was her reality.

"Anyway, good work." Tsunade said as finally put her pen down. "It seems you brats will need to prepare for the finals."

The three Genin nodded in agreement. They had a month to sufficiently prepare for their opponents – all were powerful in their own right.

"Mou, that's my cue to go and check on my cute little Genin." Kakashi announced as he turned to leave.

"Kakashi, you do remember your orders, correct?" Tsunade firmly questioned the Jōnin. "As it is, Uchiha Sasuke is a flight risk as well as Orochimaru's target. It's your duty to train him and protect him during this month. Am I clear?"

"Crystal clear, Tsunade-sama." Kakashi bowed. Tsunade nodded and allowed him to leave.

"Now, as for you three, Jiraiya is still unavailable." Tsunade placed her chin and leaned on her hand. "Haku, I'm going to further your training."

"Hai, Tsunade-shishō." Haku said as he bowed.

"As for you two, Sarutobi-sensei requested to train you." Tsunade informed the two boys.

Naruto's eyes widened marginally, while Kimimaro showed his surprise similarly as well.

"What is it? From what I've heard, this wouldn't be your first time, Naruto." Tsunade stated amusedly. Naruto seemingly faltered for a moment.

"Ah, yes." He raised a hand to scratch the back of his head sheepishly. "It's just been so long."

"Tsunade-sama, I would like to train alone." Kimimaro stated hesitantly. Tsunade raised an eyebrow questioningly. "I understand that being trained by Hokage-sama is an opportunity not many people get, however, I would have liked to train my Kekkei Genkai alone."

Tsunade calmly mulled for a few moments, while the other boys relayed their various forms of surprise at Kimimaro's suggestion.

"I suggest that you take it up with Sarutobi-sensei, Kimimaro. I have no authority over his request, after all." Tsunade calmly informed the boy who nodded in agreement. "Well, you three better get out of my office. You start tomorrow."

"Hai."

As soon as the boys walked out of the office, Tsunade ducked and searched through her drawers. As soon as she found what she was looking for, she placed the saucer and bottle on the table and poured the brown liquid into the saucer.

She sipped and sunk into her seat with a small euphoric grin on her face.

"Ah, saké, my oldest friend."

Naruto slid open the gate and stepped into the yard. He let small smile spread on his lips as the nostalgia hit him.

The Sarutobi clan compound was a home away from home. It was were he had faced the toughest years of his childhood under the clan of a clan that treated him like one of their own.

"Onii-chan!" Naruto heard a child's voice scream out in excitement.

A dark bullet nearly bulldozed him to the ground but he managed to catch his balance before embarrassing himself in front of Kimimaro. The older boy had just closed the gate behind them.

"Yo." Naruto greeted as he put Konohamaru on the ground.

The young boy grinned excitedly, his chipped tooth glaring at the world. He was dressed in his usual yellow t-shirt and blue shorts, but he was covered in patches of mud and had a few twigs stuck in his hair. As if summoning the rest of his clique, Moegi and Udon came running around the house with excited grins on their faces.

"Naruto-san!" Moegi greeted excitedly. Naruto smiled at the orange haired girl and petted her head affectionately.

"Hey, Moegi-chan." He then turned to the last boy who was standing off to the side shyly. "You're not greeting me this time, Udon-kun?"

The bespectacled boy shyly stepped towards Naruto and looked up to the older boy. He reached an arm to the back of his head and scratched it sheepishly.

"G-Gomen, Naruto-san. Welcome back!" Udon stammered out his greeting. He then felt a hand on his head and smiled shyly.

Naruto turned and glanced at Kimimaro who stood off to the side, smiling in amusement. Naruto nudged a finger and gestured to Kimimaro.

"Have you guys met my friend here?"

The kids moved to look at the person behind Naruto. He was tall, had white hair and didn't smile. Udon automatically cowered behind Naruto while Moegi merely blinked in surprise. Konohamaru, however, pointed at Kimimaro.

"Oh! You're that guy Tsunade-san dragged from the training fields near the compound." Konohamaru shouted in surprise. "How did you survive? That old lady is scary!"

At this point Kimimaro was scowling at the sky while Konohamaru was pulling at his shirt, begging to be taught survival skills. It all ended when Moegi dragged Konohamaru by his scarf and threatened to punch him, while Udon played the mediator.

"I hate you." Kimimaro muttered before walking towards the house where Hiruzen was standing by the door.

Naruto smiled sheepishly and quickly followed behind Kimimaro after bidding the kids.

The old man stood by the door dressed in a dark brown training gi that had light brown seams that almost seemed white in colour.

"Welcome, Naruto-kun, Kimimaro-kun." Hiruzen greeted as he smiled amicably. "Follow me to the back." He concluded as he turned to leave.

"Hai." The two boys chorused.

Hiruzen placed his arms at his back and patiently waited for the two boys to be seated before him.

They were in a lush green and open training field. The green grass seemed to glow beautifully under the sun while the trees seemingly drifted and swayed with the breeze.

"I think it's time I reveal some truths to the both of you." Hiruzen started as soon as the two boys settled on the ground.

Naruto and Kimimaro seemed surprised by his words. Curiously, Naruto shifted his gaze, while Kimimaro narrowed his.

"What do you mean, Hokage-sama?" He asked in his confusion.

Hiruzen sighed and settled onto the grass, crossing his legs into a burmese position as though he was meditating.

"I haven't been entirely truthful to you, Naruto." Hiruzen started as he gazed at his adoptive grandson. He turned to Kimimaro. "And to you, Kimimaro-kun."

Naruto chuckled softly and looked up to Hiruzen. The old man nearly faltered as he faced the boy's trustful eyes head on.

"I'd always suspected that you wouldn't have told me everything as a child, so I believed you had reasons for it." Naruto informed the old man, lifting the burden that weighed heavily on him.

Hiruzen sighed softly, thankful that his grandson believed in him so much that he'd trust him regardless of his actions.

"The are reasons why I requested to train you two." Hiruzen raised a fist and lifted fingers, counting off his reasons. "As I have trained you during your childhood, Naruto, I trained your father similarly. Although, I did tutor any talented student back then."

Naruto's eyes widened. He hadn't imagined that his father could have been trained by Hiruzen.

"And, Kimimaro." Hiruzen raised a second finger. "I have fought your father, Urashima, and many of the Kaguya clan during the Second Shinobi World War. So I have an idea of the abilities he used."

Kimimaro's eyes mimicked Naruto's. He didn't know much about his father's past, however, the man had once told him that he had fought several legendary men during the past wars as he was one of Kirigakure's finest warriors.

"And thirdly." Hiruzen raises a third finger and smiled. "I promised both your fathers that if I could, I would make sure that you're capable of surviving against anything that this world might throw your way."

Both boys glanced at each other for a moment before turning back to Hiruzen and nodding their heads with determination brimming in their eyes.

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen smiled and nodded firmly. He gazed at the sky for a moment and watched the clouds form a silhouette of two men. He flashed through several hand signs and smacked his hand on the ground.

" Kuchiyōse: Enkōō Enma! "

Truly, this moment itself was a part of destiny.

Raitōn no Yoroi – Lightning Release Chakra Mode: B-rank; Offensive-Defensive-Supplementary; The user wraps their body in a layer of Lightning chakra which, instead of being used offensively, is used to electrically stimulate the nervous system. The technique speeds up the neural synapses reaction time, and pushes physical prowess to the absolute limit allowing for tremendous speed. The technique has different levels of activation each visibly depicted by the user's hair which stands up when the technique is activated to the fullest. The higher the level, the higher the speed the user can achieve.

Kibaku Nendo: Hō – Detonating Clay: Phoenix: Deidara moulds clay giving them shape and turning them into explosives. The power and type of explosion is determined by the chakra that he applies to the clay. The explosives are initially palm-sized, making them easy to prepare in advance and then carry into combat. To make practical use of them, however, it is necessary that Deidara enlarge them. This in turn brings the clay creation to life, which Deidara can control remotely depending on how large it was made: an average-sized bird can be sent flying at an opponent as an attack; a large bird can be used as a form of transportation, and once he reaches his destination he can send it flying at an opponent as an attack. To detonate the clay, he makes theSeal of Confrontationand says "katsu".

Fūton: Daitoppa – Wind Release: Great Breakthrough: C-rank, Offensive; If used by a superior Shinobi, it has enough destructive power to knock down a large tree. The wind from the squall blow away all things in the user's line of sight. The technique can also be used in the form of a devastation stream of wind expelled from the user's mouth. There is also a variation of the technique that involved a smaller blast of wind which gets ignited with flame.

Raitōn: Ōbādoraibu – Lightning Release: Overdrive: C-rank, Supplementary; By utilising Lightning Release, the user can speed up the signals that are sent from the brain to the muscles to increase their striking speed. The technique also gives the user cutting capabilities from barehanded attacks and a cloak of lightning able to disperse earth-related attacks.

Raitōn: Jibashi – Lightning Release: C-rank, Offensive; A basic Lightning Release technique that allows the user to create a wave of electricity from their hands. The user can vary its power from a small surge to shock an opponent to a powerful stream of lightning capable of ripping through solid rock.

Mage: Narakumi – Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing: D-rank, Supplementary; This technique subjects targets to visions of their greatest fear, regardless of whether or not they're aware that they're afraid of it. This "fear" can be something that the target is actually scared of or merely the one image that they least want to see.

Gatsūga – Fang Over Fang: C-rank, Offensive; AnInuzukaand theirninkencompanion both perform thePassing Fang, whereby they rotate their bodies and deliver a series of rapid body blows to a target. In order to coordinate their attacks, thus ensuring targets have no opportunity to defend themselves, Inuzuka and their ninken synchronise with each other as much as they can: breathing in unison; using theFour Legs Technique; using theBeast Human Clone. As the users cross back and forth for this attack, the surrounding area is damaged as well, crushing rocks and shaving sections off the ground.

Hakke Sanjūni Shō – Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms: C-rank, Offensive; This is a manoeuvre of theGentle Fistfighting style. It is essentially a halved version of theEight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, but seems to be no less effective. This technique is used to close off the flow of chakra through thirty-twochakra pointsof an opponent'schakra pathway system. This eliminates their ability to usechakrafor quite some time and makes it difficult for them to move.

Dōton: Kengan – Earth Release: Fist Rock: B-rank, Offensive; By encasing their arm in rock, the user can deal a powerful hardened punch against an opponent while being protected from direct contact with their target. If necessary, the weight of the rock can beincreasedto further increase the punch's destructive power.

Katōn: Gōkakyū – Fire Release: Great Fireball: C-rank, Offensive; A technique where chakra kneaded inside the body is converted into fire and expelled from the mouth, either as a massive sphere or as a continuous flamethrower. The released flames will engulf their target, and is capable of leaving a crater in the ground's surface. The scope of this attack is altered by controlling the volume of chakra that is mustered.

Dōton: Doryūheki – Earth Release: Mud Wall: B-rank, Defensive; The user creates a solid wall of earthy as a form of defence. Chakra is either converted to earth within the body and then spat out to form the wall or the user can manipulate pre-existing earth to form the wall. The earth then instantly rises up and takes form.

Kumo-Ryū: Kaengiri – Cloud-Style: Flame Beheading: C-rank, Offensive; The user firstimbuestheir blade withfire, before slashing in the direction of the desired enemy, resulting in the creation of large arcs of intense flame that follow the trajectory of the previous swing. A skilled user of this technique, such asAtsui, is capable of surrounding their immediate area with a circular wall of flames, incinerating multiple targets even if they approach from numerous angles simultaneously.

Konoha Daisenpū – Leaf Great Whirlwind: C-rank, Offensive; While spinning, the user delivers a series of kicks. As they spin faster, they are lifted from the ground, allowing them to kick different areas of their target: first a low kick, then a middle kick, then a high kick. These are finished off with a heel drop. As a result of the spinning, targets cannot see the incoming kicks until just before they're struck.

Kuchiyōse no Jutsu – Summoning Technique: C-rank, Offensive; The summoning technique is a high-level technique, which utilises space-time ninjutsu to transport animals or people across long distances instantly and uses blood as a sacrifice. Before an animal summoning can be performed, a prospective summoner must first sign a contract with a given contract that comes in the form of a scroll, on which the contractor uses their own blood to sign their name and place their fingerprints and once signed it is valid even after the contractor's death as long as the contract itself remains intact. After this, they need only offer an additional donation of blood on the hand they signed the contract with, mould their chakra with hand seals and then plant the hand they signed the contract with at the location they wish to summon. The amount of chakra used during the summoning determines how powerful the summoned creature can be. It is possible for a summoner to summon a group of the same contracted animal, as opposed to a single individual.