Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Hinata Chronicles ❯ The Chunin Exam: The Battle Between Cloud and Leaf ( Chapter 14 )

The Hinata Chronicles

--------------------------------------------

The Chunin Exam: The Battle Between Cloud and Leaf

--------------------------------------------

 

“Wake up! Baka!” Sakura yelled as she trying to shake her sleeping friend awake.

“Sakura chan?” Naruto sleepily said stretching then rubbing his eyes.

“The exam's today baka! You made it to the last four remember?” Sakura said as she placed the cup of instant ramen on the table. Naruto, being a true `ramen' addict shot up as soon as he smelted the delicious aroma. He instantly dug in.

How can he eat ramen everyday and wake up excited about it? Sakura thought shaking her head.

 

As they walked to the arena Naruto suddenly notices Sakura.

“Eh? Sakura. Why are you so nice to me?” Naruto asked.

Sakura paused then smiled.

“It's a good luck gift. You better win. Got it?” Sakura said with her usual angry yet sexy tone. The tone that suits Naruto best.

 

The next few battles were one of the most important ones. Thus even the Kazekage was present along with Temari and Konkoru. They and another fifty shinobi from The Hidden Sand were there to witness the battle. A representative of the sand made it to the semi-finals. Although Leaf and Wind were allies, they still wish for their `boy' to win. It would definitely increase their prestige. Tsunade and Gaara sat at the main VIP seat while the crowd settled down as the examiner and all four contestants took centre stage.

 

The examiner announced the next battle.

The parings were laid up randomly by a shuffle machine so no one would be suspicious of anything. The shuffle machine started. Seconds later, stopped.

“The next battle, Uzumaki Naruto versus Shinju Kin.

 

I wanted to fight him. Hinata thought. She took a look at the hooded figure beside her. He'll do fine I guess.

“Ganbate both of you!” Hinata said as they passed her.

 

“Cant believe we're against each other eh? Naruto kun?” Kin said. Naruto shot back in disbelief.

“Kin chan? What? What?” Naruto yelled.

“Begin” the examiner called.

 

“Ma, lets begin.” Kin said as she threw half a dozen kunai towards him. Naruto avoided them with a sudden rash.

“Chotto matte!” Naruto held his hands up. More kunais. What he didn't realize was that this time it was attached to an explosive tag. He retreated safely just on time.

“What the hell are you doing? Trying to kill me?” Naruto yelled as he leaped around avoiding all her kunais, shurikens and occasional exploding tags. Kin thought. The sannin's student wouldn't fight her. She looked up to the VIP seat to see Yuu and a big white haired old man laughing away.

“Fight me baka!” Kin yelled furiously. She's getting bored and rather embarrassed.

 

“You're the baka. A man never attacks a woman.” Naruto said still trying to avoid all her attacks. I will not accept this gender discrimination. Kin thought furiously. Who does he think he is? She grinned evilly.

“Fine then, I'll make you.” Kin made a simple hand gesture then mumbled a seal.

 

Instantly the world around Naruto whirled away into darkness. He stood there looking around, alerted. He turned around to see himself facing the back of a person only he would recognize.

 

“Haku” Naruto called. He's alive?

The black haired figure turned towards him. His eyes were sad.

“You didn't keep your word. You failed to keep your `way of the ninja'.” Haku's voice hardened. Silence. Naruto froze.

“You've failed. I blame you!” Haku yelled.

Naruto tensed. His eyes widened. He knew what Haku meant.

“I tried! I did my best!”

“You failed.” Haku muttered his last words then faded into darkness.

“Haku! Haku!” He ran forward until a voice called him from the back.

 

“Naruto”

Naruto looked back, he knew that voice.

“Iruka sensei! What_” Naruto couldn't finish.

“I'm disappointed. Naruto. What are you doing now? Look at you. Why are you here?” Iruka's voice was disappointed.

“What? Naruto gasped.

What's going on? What are they talking about? Naruto was in confusion.

 

“You should have been stronger.” The voice was coming from a distance.

“Sandaime! What are they talking about?” Naruto was relieved seeing the Third.

“Be quiet. Explain to me how you could have failed? Now!” Sarutobi's voice was angered.

“Explain what? What did I do? Sandaime!” Naruto yelled as The Third vanished.

 

Back at the stadium, everyone was paying their full attention to the centre stage.

“Why is that blond kid yelling?”

“What's going on?”

“What is he talking about?”

 

Sakura tensed. She knew Haku. Genjetsu. I don't think she even knows a single thing about his past but ménage to create an illusion. This girl's good. She was silently praying that Naruto would make it out.

Tsunade looked at the brown haired cloud shinobi.

“What an interesting bloodline don't you think? Kazekage?” Tsunade commented.

Gaara turn to look at the Hokage. She had a point. Gaara wouldn't want to relive his past for anything in the world. His attention was caught back to the battlefield

 

“Gaara! That's a lie! I never betrayed my friends!” Naruto felt his knees getting weaker. The constant emotional tension was taking its toll.

“You told me your friends were important. How could you have failed?” Gaara motioned his hands and sand crepted up to curl around his body

“You will die here” It was the old Gaara speaking. Naruto knew that. Before he had a chance to speak a sudden pressure crushed him outside in. His scream was that of immense pain and agony. A sound that sent shivers down the spine of all those who hears it.

“Gaara! Stop!” Naruto yelled. The screaming continued.

 

Gaara tensed on his chair. Both Temari and Konkoru shifted at the sound of his scream.

They knew that scream. It had been three years since Gaara used Desert Funeral on any enemy. Everyone else was more disturbed by the scene they were witnessing. On one end was a disturbed boy yelling and screaming in pain. While on the other side was a girl looking emotionlessly at her victim. No one missed the smirk in her somewhat emotionless face. Though only a shinobi would recognize the attack as a genjutsu.

“What the hell is going on in his mind?” Konkoru asked. The screams were disturbing.

Temari tensed even more when Gaara's eyes begun to show sighs of distress. Naruto, you better beat this. She silently rooted for him. The screams were getting too much.

 

Naruto stopped screaming when the pain suddenly left him. There he saw a figure with familiar black hair, he was wearing a white top with a sword over his back. There was a picture of a fan printed at the back of his shirt. Uchiha.

“Sasuke.” Naruto whispered.

“Baka, you're always weak, as usual.” Sasuke said with his back still facing him.

“She's using a genjutsu, baka. Snap out of it! If not, I'll be glad to take over.” Sasuke's voice was changing into an evil one.

“You.!” Naruto

 

Hinata shot back. She witnessed the whole thing. Byakugan was able to see everything. She saw into Kin's illusion. She remembered the pain that jutsu could cause on people. What is this red chakra coming out of him? What is that creature?

 

The Kyubi laughed and the darkness faded away. Naruto saw that he was back at the arena. He looked down, to see a trail of red chakra flowing rapidly towards the brown hair girl. The red chakra flowed and reached out to grip Kin by the ankle. She reacted quickly and tried to leap away, but it was too late. The red chakra was too fast. It caught her midway from the air and instantly engulfed the victim. Kin yelled in pain as the red chakra around surrounding formed a head. Everyone shot back as they tried to digest what they just saw. All who were alive sixteen years ago knew that face. Those infamous eyes. The Nine Tales.

 

Naruto froze as he helplessly saw his friend being eaten away. Kin was technically being digested by the chakra as her skin started to tear and wounds bleed heavily.

 

“I told you. Now witness `my' power” The Kyubi spoke. Kin screamed even louder, and Naruto was snapped back into movement. He knew what must be done. He placed out his hand and made a few movements with his other.

“Rasengan” Naruto yelled as a ball of blue chakra formed on his hand.

 

“What are you going to do? Kill her for me?” The Kyubi crackled.

Naruto smiled. The Kyubi gasped.

 

Naruto aimed the Rasengan towards his own chest and the collision between both red and blue chakra exploded. Kin and Naruto were thrown backwards in opposite directions and as the dust cleared, the audience gasped in surprised. None expected what happened next.

Both Kin and Naruto did not hit the ground as a layer of sand was beneath them holding them up. Gaara. Naruto recognizes the sand.

The Kazekage was standing at the edge of his balcony, hands forward. The sand gently placed them on the ground and quickly faded into the earth again.

 

Jiraiya knew the seal was weakening so as a precaution he taught Naruto to tackle the problem if neither he, Kakashi or Yamato were nearby. Thank goodness I was paying attention. Naruto remembered his opponent and turned to look at her. She was lying on the ground. He ran closer to see her wounds glowing with green chakra. To his surprise, the wounds were healing right under his nose. Minutes later Kin opened her eyes. Naruto held his hand to her. She smiled while allowing him to pull her up.

 

“I'm sorry Kin chan_” Naruto froze as he looked at his chest to see a kunai jutting out. His eyes widened. She wasn't done.

“The examiner didn't say it was over.” Kin said as she leaped away from him.

Suddenly Naruto puffed up into smoke.

“Kage bunshin!” Kin yelled. She didn't expect that. She instantly alerted and concentrates to feel for his presence.

The ground beneath her shook she instantly jumped away to miss a pair of hand.

“Cant catch me that easily” Kin called.

 

Suddenly a something from above blocked the sun. She threw a kunai to take out the kage bunshin. Within another second Naruto appeared behind her holding his kunai closely at her neck.

“Got cha” Naruto teased.

As if on queue, Kin jumped swiftly leaving behind an exploding tag. The explosion took Naruto by surprise, but he later poofed into smoke.

“Another kage bunshin?” Kin said. How many more? This is getting interesting.

 

Naruto watched her from the trees. This is pointless, she'll just heal every time I hurt her. Guess I have no choice.

“Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu” Immediately hundreds of Narutos appeared and surrounded her.

Kin was taken aback as she tried to think of her next move. This boy's tricky. Guess it's expected from the student of a sannin. She made a few seals.

“Shinju Kin no Jutsu.” The Shinju family jutsu.

Instantly the sky turned yellow and pillars of cloud shot down from the sky destroying all the kage bunshin one by one. Just as the all slowly disappeared, the last one remained.

“Guess you're the real one then huh?”

I'm running low on chakra, but this should finish him. She motioned her hands forming some seals and instantly a rain of yellow needles fell from the sky. Naruto froze and looked up in shock. The needles landed on him and Naruto yelled in pain as they pierced his skin making them bleed.

“This should finish you off.” She lifted her hand to pull another pillar of cloud when she felt two hands gripping her feet. In an instant, she was pulled into the ground till the neck.

 

The sky returned blue. She struggled and tries to move but this attack completely immobilized her. It was over. The bleeding Naruto disappeared with a puff of smoke and another Naruto jumped down from a nearby tree.

He was on the tree the entire time. Wow, that's smart. That baka is smiling, though.. No one missed the circular tear of his shirt on his chest.

He saved my life.

 

Naruto walked over to squat at her side then played with her hair. He was smiling happily.

“Ne, Kin chan. I win.” Naruto teased.

“Oh yeah?” Kin challenged she struggled to move but could not. Her goofy attempt made Naruto laugh rolling on the floor.

The examiner shook his head and announced the winner.

“Uzumaki Naruto.” The audience roared. Naruto lifted both hands and happily waved them while running around the stadium.

 

Tamiko, Yuu and Hinata appeared beside her. Kin blushed, embarrassed by the condition she was in. Tamiko was taking full advantage of this opportunity.

“Ha ha, you're blushing Kin.” Tamiko said as he pulled his cheeks up and down.

She pulled back as much as she could, the launched her head forward to bite him. Tamiko jumped back.

“Kin, you were great.” Hinata said. Yuu nodded and called for Naruto. Naruto paused suspicious that the sensei might want to take revenge.

“Will you release my student now?” Yuu smiled. Naruto jump back into realization nodded. He placed his hand on the ground and released the seal.

“Kai” Naruto said out loud. Just then a group of familiar friends ran down to congratulate him.

As soon as the ground was loosened, Kin jumped up to launched at her brother who in return ran away.

 

“It's amazing the she could still run around after a battle like that. I thought Naruto was the only one that's able to do that.” Sakura said.

“Don't speak too soon, Sakura.” Ino poked her at the shoulder.

At a distance, Kin paused and suddenly collapsed to the ground.

 

“Hey, Naruto. When did you learn to control your chakra like that?” Shikamaru asked.

“Shikamaru!” Naruto jumped.

“I thought you were an examiner in this chunin exam? Where were you?” Naruto asked.

“Ma, It's too troublesome to discuss this now.” Just as he finished, he looked up to the Kazekage's seat to see her looking at him. He looked away. This is going to be troublesome. Choji noticed.

“Shikamaru, why is Temari of the Sand looking at you like that?” he asked. Shikamaru jumped back.

“Er, she is, erm looking at….” He stammered looking left and right. Trying to change the topic, he mindlessly asked Naruto a question

“Naruto, what was that red chakra just now?”

Everyone was silence at the mention of the red chakra. Among all who gathered there, only one person besides Naruto knew. Sakura. He couldn't make up his mind whether to let them know. He feared that they would stay away and avoided him. Just like before.

This time, it won't happen. I'm sure of it. Just as he opened his mouth to speak a puff of smoke appeared.

“Jiraiya sama!” all of them chorused together.

“Eh! Ero Senin!” Naruto yelled. Everyone echoed wondering who Naruto was talking about.

“Ah! Shut up Naruto. Eh, hehe. Sorry I have to take your friend with me.” he bent lower and carried Naruto over his back.

“What's going on?” Naruto asked wriggling around.

“Stop moving, it's unfair that you've grown so big. Remember, I'm already an old man.” Jiraiya complained.

“Yamato's waiting” Jiraiya whispered, only Naruto could hear.

“Ma, see you later” With that both Jiraiya and Naruto disappeared.

 

Both Sakura and Hinata knew where he would be going. The seal is weakening.

 

“Thank you for saving them just now. If it wasn't for your sand, they would have been seriously injured.” Tsunade said.

“Naruto is my friend. I'm told that that's what friends do.” Gaara's voice was monotonous. Both Temari and Konkoru smiled. They were glad for `his' friend. If it wasn't for Naruto, Gaara and the entire Hidden Sand wouldn't be as it is today.

“I'm anxious for the next battle.” Gaara added.

Tsunade grinned.

“Wanna place a bet? Kazekage sama?” Gaara looked at her with a small hint of interest. She does live up to her reputation. Though, Gibiki's unstoppable. Temari silently noted, then continued to look down at a particularly `troublesome' sight.

 

---------------------

Author's Note

---------------------

I'm not suggesting any further relationships…yet. I still can't decide any of it. If you have any ideas on how you think the story should go or who should be with who, do share with me. I'd love it. I'm really getting excited. The next chapter's gonna be even more deadly. Love it! Up next, Hyuuga vs. Sakte