The next few matches following the sand siblings aren't nearly as one-sided, despite none of the teams being as balanced as the Suna and Kiri teams were. Most consist of two genin, while some unlucky shinobi are forced to go it alone due to the hammering the last two tasks put on their teammates. In those fights the single genin always loses, but not as decidedly as the Kiri team lost to Gaara.
But just because the matches aren't as lopsided doesn't mean they're any less vicious.
I wince as yet another match ends with an Iwa nin slamming their opponent's head against the wall, this time with a slab of rock torn from the floor courtesy of an earth jutsu. That has to be the third one so far. "Those guys are brutal."
"Iwa's had a complex about the Chunin Exams since the debacle that proctor talked about," Hatake says, buried in his orange book. He took it out as soon as the teams for the second match were announced, and hasn't lowered it since. "It's a point of pride for them that they've had the most total genin make it to the finals since the new system started. They're very, ah, determined to maintain that record."
"Who's had the most wins?" Sakura asks.
"Kumo."
"Makes sense," I grunt, leaning forward on the railing. "If they send as many genin as they sent this year all the time, they'd have to suck pretty bad not to get some wins." Hatake nods, turning a page in his book, and across the stadium the samurai clears his throat. Down in the arena the two Iwa genin have moved back up the stairs and the two Kusa genin have been Body Flickered away by the Kumo and Suna proctors. The samurai pulls out another slip from his box.
"Match six," he intones. "Team 5 of Taki, consisting of Tommii Noriko and Fu."
Two staircases to the right of us on the circle, a pair of kunoichi break off from their jonin sensei and head down into the arena. One of them is sporting a long, spiky black ponytail and a gray-blue battle dress, while the other has a crop of short green hair and a bizarre combination of a short skirt, a cut off shirt, and separated sleeves making up her wardrobe.
The light gray cloth shifts as she walks down the steps, revealing the short fishnet shorts hugging her tan legs and the fishnet shirt clinging to her chest, and I'm reminded of Mitarashi.
The samurai plucks another piece of paper. "Versus… Team 9 of Konoha, consisting of Hyuuga Neji and Rock Lee."
My teammates and I turn to look at Gai's team as one, and find Neji and Lee both standing at attention in front of their sensei. They look up at him as he turns from the arena, both of their gazes as hard and unyielding as steel. Gai claps a hand on each of their shoulders.
"There is no such thing as an easy fight," he says. "Do not underestimate either of your opponents, no matter what you might think of them now. Remember what I have taught you, and remember why we are here." Both of them nod firmly.
"Yes, Gai-sensei."
A smile breaks through the sudden seriousness hanging around the three of them, and Gai's teeth shine. "You can do this. I will be with both of you every step of the way." He squeezes their shoulders and lets go. "Good luck."
Lee grins. "We won't let you down, Gai-sensei!" Neji heads for the closest set of stairs, and the spandex-wearing genin shoots us a thumbs up before jogging after him.
"So," I say, turning and leaning on the railing again. "How long do you think it'll take them to win? One minute?" As much as I can't stand Neji's guts, there's no way for me to deny that he's strong. That Sixty-four Palms technique of his is ridiculous, and the Revolving Heaven is even more so if it's everything Hinata cracked it up to be. And Lee…
Yeah, I don't even know why Lee is still a genin.
"I wouldn't be so sure," Hatake says, hands draped over the railing and orange book closed. "That kunoichi with the green hair, Fu, is one of Taki's most talented genin. A real prodigy with water techniques. People say she's going to be the one to take over as leader of the village when Shibuki steps down."
"How do you know about all of the contestants?" Sasuke asks, cocking an eyebrow at him. It's not a bad question. Both of the jonin have provided some sort of commentary on each of the matches so far, whether it's just a breakdown of their fighting styles or a full on description of their careers as shinobi so far. It's starting to get a little unsettling.
Hatake reaches up and taps his flak jacket. "Jonin." Sasuke and I share an eye roll.
"Indeed," Gai agrees. "We spent much of this past week with the other villages' jonin sensei, and learned quite a few things from their spirited praises of their genin."
Hatake sighs. "That isn't what I meant, Gai."
"Spirited praises, huh?" I glance up at Hatake. "Did you brag about us?"
"Of course," he says, eye quirking up. "I made sure every jonin in the Land of Iron knew that I have the cutest little students in all the Elemental Nations." The sad thing is that I don't think he's lying.
"Quiet you guys," Sakura hisses, waving a hand back at us. "The match is starting."
Down in the arena the two teams stand across from one another, the Konoha proctor standing in the middle of them. Neji is settled into his Gentle Fist stance and Lee is bouncing from foot to foot, stretching out his arms and rolling his neck. The Taki kunoichi with the ponytail, Noriko, is set in a tense stance with her hands held out in front of her. And Fu-
Fu leans forward, reaches around the Konoha proctor, and holds a hand out to Neji and Lee while shooting them a smile that could give Gai a run for his money. "Hey, good luck!"
The low din of chatter floating through the stadium from the spectating teams comes to a screeching halt, and every eye in the building falls on the scantily clad kunoichi. Off to the right her jonin sensei sighs and palms his face.
Neji scoffs, not even bothering to move out of his stance to slap her hand away, but Lee's face lights up. He lunges forward and gives her the most enthusiastic handshake I've ever seen. "To you as well, kunoichi-san! I look forward to seeing your flames burn!"
"That's my Lee," Gai says in a choked voice beside us. Is he actually tearing up? Yup, he's about to cry. How the hell is he a jonin?
The Konoha proctor coughs and the two cheerful genin drop their handshake. "Okay, all of you remember the rules, right?" They all nod, and he raises his arm. "Good. Match six, between Teams 5 of Taki and 9 of Konoha- begin!"
He drops his arm and disappears in a Body Flicker, appearing crouched on the wall, and Neji and Lee blur forward.
Neji makes a run at Noriko while Lee bull rushes Fu, and both of the kunoichi jump back. Noriko jumps first, having already been coiled and ready to spring, and her hands come together in a string of hand seals. She lands several feet back and slaps both hands against the floor. A wall of earth claws its way up from beneath the stone tiles, blocking Neji's path and allowing her to make more space while he moves around it.
Fu forms hand seals of her own, flitting through them twice as fast as her teammate and locking on the hare seal. Lee jumps up to her at the height of her jump, fist cocked back, and then a wave of water spews out of her mouth and hits him full on in the face. He's thrown away from her, swept up by the massive wave and smashed against the far wall.
Neji changes course as soon as she lets loose the jutsu, hopping up onto the earth wall just before the wave hits. He leaps off at Noriko who's in the middle of another string of hand seals, forcing her to retreat farther back lest he rope her into a close encounter.
Fu slaps her hands in a tiger seal and two huge fins of water burst through the layer of water covering the floor from her jutsu, speeding towards Neji in a pincer attack. He stops his pursuit on a dime and pivots, spinning.
"Eight Trigrams: Revolving Heaven!"
The twin blades of water hit the dome of chakra and a screech rings out as they rail against the Hyuuga clan's ultimate defense. A second later they give and glance off the whirring technique, racing in opposite directions and tearing gouges into the walls large enough for me to stand straight up in. The Revolving Heaven fades to wisps and Neji darts out from the middle of it, sights still set on Noriko.
Fu forms the tiger seal again and two more fins burst into being, but before she can send them after Neji again a green blur slams into one of them and it explodes into a thousand harmless droplets. She slides back a step, flicking her hand seal and sending the other fin rocketing at Lee while he's distracted by the scattered remains of the first. By the time he sees it, it's too close and moving too fast to for him to dodge. Not without those gates of his, anyway. How fast can he activate those things?
He doesn't try to activate his gates. He doesn't even try to dodge. He just braces himself, spins, and throws a roundhouse kick at the water jutsu powerful enough to tear a hole in a stone wall.
"YOSH!"
His foot slams into the front of the fin, causing a shockwave that throws ripples across the water covering the floor, and then the fin breaks.
I jerk forward over the railing. "Are you kidding me!?"
"That's my Lee!" Gai bawls, the tears flowing freely down his cheeks now.
Fu slides farther back, eyes wide. "Nice!"
"Thank you, kunoichi-san!" Lee replies in kind. He rushes forward again. "And you as well!"
...
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