Chapter Text
The rest of the matches passed by relatively quickly. A quick summary:
Right after my match was Kankuro from the Sand Siblings versus some guy from Kabuto's team, Misumi-something. Kankuro won using a puppet, and breaking stuff. Pretty gross, but whatever. My match was also rather disgusting. Or, at least the end was.
The fifth match was unexpected, but also kind of entertaining. Sakura Haruno versus Ino Yamanaka. After a whole lot of theatrics and hair-cutting, the match was declared a tie as both girls knocked each other out.
After that was the girl from Gai's team, Tenten, versus the second-oldest of the Sand Siblings, Temari. That match was over very quickly. Tenten was strong, but her weapons couldn't compete with Temari's fan and wind control.
The seventh match was Shikamaru versus one of the Sound shinobi, the girl named Kin. I thought Shikamaru was going to lose that one, but then his intelligence proved me totally wrong. I guess I've been underestimating that lazy bastard.
After that surprising match was the oldest of the Suna team, Kaizen, versus Asami from Shikamaru's team. That match... That was interesting. Both opponents had special abilities- Kaizen having the rare Steel Release, and Asami having a Hidden technique called the Water Collection Technique. They were fighting for a while, but then it was revealed that Kaizen was just playing around. He quickly finished the match once that fact was revealed.
Ninth was Naruto versus Kiba Inuzuka, Akamaru's owner. The little dog participated in the fight, but Naruto used his... ingenuity, to win the match. Surprising many people. And hurting my nose and ears.
Tenth was Kiba's friend Kouta, who was Shiki's owner, versus another of the Sound ninja, a completely blind boy named Taishi. But the Sound nin was not to be messed around with, as Taishi was incredibly sensitive to movement, and managed to dodge all of Kouta and Shiki's attacks. And then Taishi proved to be another summoner, who used bats to aid his genjutsu attacks. Which eventually proved to be the wolf-boy's downfall, as Kouta and Shiki knocked themselves out at the same time because of a genjutsu.
After that was one of the worst matches I've ever seen. Shy little Hinata versus her cousin Neji, who coincidentally had a stick up his ass and a grudge against Hinata. Neji and Hinata were at it for a while using their Byakugans, but Neji was stronger, and he beat Hinata severely. It took multiple Jonin to hold the boy back from killing Hinata.
The twelfth match was another bad one. Gaara versus Lee. The youthful boy's spirit was nothing against Gaara's raw power and ultimate defense. And even when Lee got serious and opened some of the Eight Chakra Gates, Gaara still won by crushing Lee's limbs. I even overheard some people saying that with his injuries, Lee would never be a ninja again.
The final match was Choji versus the last of the Sound shinobi, the creepy bandaged guy named Dosu. By that point I was getting bored, but I did see that Dosu won using his sound waves, just like the rest of the Sound ninja.
"Congratulations to the twelve of you who have won the honor of competing in the Third Exam," Hayate coughed as eleven of the winners gathered in front of him. We stood in a line facing the sick man, all of us except for Sasuke, who was still gone. I stood between Naruto and Gaara, calmly ignoring any of the glances Gaara sent my way.
"I will now explain the main test," Lord Hokage said, stepping forward to stand slightly in front of Hayate. "As you were told before, the main matches will be seen by everybody. So I want you all to display your full power, without holding back. Which is why the finals will be held one month from now!"
Whispers broke out among the other contestants. The Hokage was giving us a month to prepare, knowing that we'd been observing the other competitors. This was a time to train our strength, and prepare to face any opponent.
"But with that in mind, we will be assigning the matches now," Anko said, stepping forward with a small box with slips of paper inside. "On each piece of paper is a number. Take one, and that will determine your opponent."
One by one, all the Genin stepped up and grabbed a paper from the box. When it was my turn, I grabbed the number 6, then backed off. Once we all got our numbers, Ibiki walked up with a large piece of paper that was rolled up.
"This is the match arrangements," Lord Hokage announced, and Ibiki unrolled the paper. And the matches were decided.
There were three blocks of two matches each. If a person won twice, they'd move on to face one of the winners of the other blocks. And so on, until there was just one winner. In the first block was Naruto versus Neji, followed by Sasuke versus Gaara. I was in the second, fighting Kaizen. The other match in our block was Kankuro versus Shino. And in the third and final block, it was Shikamaru versus Temari, then Dosu versus Taishi.
I scanned over the matches, getting intrigued by some of the pairings. 'Sasuke and Gaara... That'll be interesting to watch. Ultimate defense against the Sharingan. And Dosu versus Taishi. Teammates with similar abilities fighting... Definitely different.'
'But keep in mind that we're fighting Kaizen. He's got that Steel Release, so we need to learn how to counter that,' Fenrir cautioned. 'And if we win, we're fighting either bug-boy or puppet-boy.'
'Great...' I groaned. 'With three blocks, we've got two of the Sand Siblings in ours. And even if we managed to win both our first battles, then we're going up against either Naruto, Sasuke, Gaara, or Neji. All of whom are super strong.'
'Yeah, this is definitely not going to be easy. But we've got a month to prepare. We can use it wisely.'
'Of course,' I replied, just now seeing that Lord Hokage was talking again.
"... tournament to judge who has the ability to become a Chunin. You do not necessarily need to win the entire tournament to be promoted," Lord Third was saying. "Meaning that even if a person loses their first match, it is still possible to be promoted!"
Huh. That's interesting.
'And good for us,' Fenrir said. 'It means that we don't necessarily need to beat Kaizen. We just need to show our skills off.'
"So there's a possibility that everyone here could become a Chunin?" Temari asked.
Lord Hokage nodded. "It is. But it is also possible that none of you will get promoted. But by advancing further, you increase your chances of getting noticed." Then the Hokage grinned, and waved his hands. "Alright, that is all! You are dismissed until a month has passed!"
We all began to disperse, Gaara literally dispersing in a swirl of sand. I walked with Naruto out of the arena, listening to the blond chatter all the while.
"... and if I win, I've gotta either face Sasuke or that Gaara kid! So for this month I need a really great sensei! Maybe Kakashi-sensei can teach me...?" Naruto was ranting about the match-ups. I was listening, but not really inputting anything, considering the blond just kept going and going. "Oh yeah, Kiya-chan?"
"Hm?" I asked distractedly.
Naruto co*cked his head, and looked at me curiously. "Who are you going to get to train you? Kakashi-sensei can't train all of us, especially if we might face each other eventually."
I frowned. I hadn't really thought that hard about it. "I... Don't know," I replied hesitantly. "I was just thinking Fenrir would train me for the month."
"Oh yeah! That's right, he can train you! Cool!" And there Naruto goes again. "Kiya-chan?"
"What?" I bit out. Naruto is my teammate, but he talks way too much. I like my peace and quiet, and it's hard to get that with him around.
"Are you going to tell the other Genin about your fight? I'm rather curious myself, actually."
I shook my head. "I'm not telling them anything unless they directly ask. And I can tell you mostly whatever you want, considering you're my teammate."
"Awesome!" Naruto cheered. By now we were out of the arena, and walking down one of Konoha's streets. "But I think Sasuke and Sakura will want to know as well, so let's go to the hospital! I know Sasuke's there, and Sakura-chan's probably with him as well," Naruto frowned at this last part. Right, he's got a crush on Sakura...
'Your team is a dysfunctional love triangle,' Fenrir inputted, snorting.
'So where am I in that?' I asked wryly. 'And how is it a triangle if Sasuke's an emotionless bastard?'
'Hm... I can't say who I ship you with, but right now that red-head's looking nice, minus the blood-thirsty part. And Sasuke likes Naruto, obviously. So it's a love triangle, and you're the dysfunctional part.'
I stifled a laugh, rolling my eyes, but Naruto noticed. "What's so funny?" he asked curiously.
"Fenrir just made a funny comment, that's all," I replied. Naruto doesn't need to know that Fenrir's probably mentally planning the blond's wedding to Sasuke. Wouldn't go over well at this age. Give em' a few years.
"Okay... To the hospital!" And without another word, I was being dragged through the semi-crowded streets, heading for the building that was Konoha's very own medical center. We rushed inside, pushing past patients and guests alike, Naruto not even bothering to check us in.
I pulled my hyperactive teammate to a halt. "Naruto... Do you have any idea where we're going?"
Naruto paused in trying to pull me along. "... No," he admitted, hanging his head.
I rolled my eyes, then started to sniff the air. Up a floor... Right above us. That's where Sasuke and Kakashi's scents were the strongest. "This way." It was now my turn to pull Naruto along, and I led us to the nearest staircase. After a quick ascent, I followed my nose straight to the room.
Kakashi was just then walking out, and he shut the door softly behind him. The Jonin saw us coming, and put a finger to his lips before Naruto could shout something, like the blond was probably planning.
"Hey guys," Kakashi said quietly. "Naruto, please don't start yelling. This is a hospital, and Sasuke needs rest."
"Oh," Naruto looked momentarily disappointed. Then he brightened up. "Well, I was going to have Kiya-chan explain some stuff, but she can do that later! For now, Kakashi-sensei, can you train me for the Third Round?"
Kakashi shook his head. "I can't. But I've organized it so that both of you have someone to train you."
"The same person?" I asked. Kakashi nodded. "Not a chance, then," I shrugged. "No offense, Naruto, but I don't think one guy can handle both of us. Fen can train me."
"Talk to the Hokage before you go off and do that," Kakashi urged me, looking a bit worried. Does he still not trust Fenrir or something? "If you're going to leave the village, you need to tell him." Oh.
"And why can't you train me?" Naruto yelled.
Kakashi frowned at Naruto, putting his finger to his lips. "Quiet. And it's because I'm training Sasuke."
"Favoritism..." I coughed quietly. Kakashi shot me a glare, but didn't deny it. Wow, such a great sensei I've got. *sarcasm*
"But who's going to train me?" Naruto whined, slightly quieter. At least he's kind of listening.
"Me," A weird guy wearing glasses said, walking up behind us. Has he been here the whole time?
"Agh! Not you!" Naruto yelled. Naruto knows this random guy? But anyways, that's my cue to leave. Naruto's just gonna be making more and more noise, and I'm not needed anymore.
I waved at Kakashi and Naruto as I walked away, planning on retracing my steps out of the building. "Later. I'm gonna go talk to the Hokage."
"Bye, Kiya-chan!" Naruto yelled, waving his hand frantically in the air. "Stop by the hospital about noon tomorrow, and you can answer questions!"
"No promises," I called in reply, before going back down the stairs and out of the building. Thankfully, the Hokage building and the hospital weren't that far apart, so it didn't take long to walk there.
Once I got to the huge red building, I went up to the Hokage's office and knocked on the door. Hope he's not in a meeting...
A voice inside said to enter, so I did, and softly closed the door behind me. Lord Third sat at his desk, a pipe in his mouth, and papers scattered all over. He was evidently doing paperwork, as he had a pen posed over a sheet laying in front of him. "Lord Third?" I asked.
"Yes? What is it, Kiyomi-chan?" the Hokage asked curiously, putting the pen down.
I stepped forward. "I was wondering if you-know-who could be my sensei for the next month. He can train me for the Exam, and it saves someone the trouble of teaching me." I didn't want to mention Fenrir's name, in case anyone was listening in, and got curious.
"Fenrir?" the Hokage questioned. I nodded, mentally sweatdropping. There go my plans against eavesdroppers. "Hm, well that's fine and all, but I actually have someone in mind that can teach you."
"Who?"
"An old student of mine who owes me a few favors." Was the vague reply. "He is aware of the Elemental Beasts, and has studied them extensively. He is perfectly able to train you. And he's rather strong as well."
'What makes this guy better than me?' Fenrir asked sharply. I repeated the question to the Hokage.
"Well, for one, he has the same chakra elements as you do," the Hokage explained. "He knows of all the Elemental Beasts, so he can teach you some stuff. And he's a master of spying techniques, which I believe will suit your quiet nature well."
'That might be a good thing...' Fenrir muttered. 'I'm rubbish at genjutsu, and being taught by someone with the same chakra elements as you would be nice. I only know so much about Lightning and Water attacks.'
'And learning some spying tricks would be fun,' I added. 'So you're okay with it?'
'... Yeah, sure. As long as I can train you some, it's fine.'
"Fenrir says he's fine with it," I reported to the Hokage. "So where is this person, and what's their name?"
"His name is Ryuuko," the Hokage said, reaching into his desk. He pulled out a rolled up scroll, and unfurled it to reveal a map of the shinobi world. "You see this mountain range that runs through the Land of Fire?" I nodded, seeing the line of triangles running through the red-painted region on the map. "Ryuuko lives on the mountain closest to the river. You'll have to travel there, and I'll send a messenger bird ahead of you to warn him."
"How long will it take to get there?" I asked. On the map, the mountain Lord Hokage was talking about didn't seem to be that far away, but I didn't know the scale of the map. It could take weeks to get there, and I don't have weeks.
Lord Third thought for a minute. "It should take you about a day, if you leave first thing in the morning." I nodded. That wasn't too bad. Could be much worse. "And in order to maximize your training time, I suggest you leave tomorrow."
"Okay," I agreed. "I'll pack tonight, then leave pretty early." I then turned around, and started to walk towards the door.
"Wait, one more thing!" I stopped and turned back around. "When you find Ryuuko, tell him... Tell him that he needs an heir. He'll understand." I shrugged at the words, but committed them to memory, and left the office.
'An heir... What did the geezer mean by that?' Fenrir asked as I was walking down the road towards Hachi's house. I haven't seen my guardian in a while, being so busy with the Exam and all. 'Was he trying to imply something?'
'Maybe,' I replied. 'But I want a teacher who can train me in ninjutsu and genjutsu attacks. Which, no offense, you can't do very well.'
'True...'
I made it to mine and Hachi's apartment, and quietly opened the front door. "I'm home," I called.
"Kitchen!" Was the shouted reply. So I headed towards the kitchen, and saw that my gray-haired guardian was wearing an apron, and putting a pan into the oven. "Welcome back. How'd the exam go?"
"I passed," I shrugged, hopping onto the countertop. From the smell in the air, Hachi was cooking a beef shoulder. Yum, meat. "But that was just the preliminary round. The actual thing is in a month."
"Cool," Hachi said, taking off the apron and hanging it in the cabinet. "Need me to train you?"
"Nope," I shook my head. "Lord Hokage arranged it so that I'm training with an old student of his that lives in the mountains. So I'm leaving in the morning."
"Gotcha. Take care of yourself, kid."
"Always." Then I hopped down, and headed towards my room. "I'm gonna go pack." A grunt was my answer, so I rolled my eyes and entered my room.
Time to pack.
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That night, I was laying in bed. It was late, but I just couldn't seem to sleep. And it wasn't nerves or anything. I just didn't want to sleep.
'Too bad,' Fenrir snorted. 'You need sleep, so go to sleep.'
'I've been trying,' I growled back, rolling onto my side. 'But it's not working!'
'Then go for a walk, clear your mind, and try again.'
That's not a bad idea, so I got out of bed, grabbed my jacket, slipped some shoes on, and climbed out the window.
Konoha at night is quite nice, warm, but not as hot as it would be during the day. The moon wasn't full, but waning, being three-quarters full. There was no breeze, and I could smell everything clearly.
Being bored, I just started jumping from rooftop to rooftop, not going anywhere, just jumping. It was relaxing, and also easy training. Then I caught a whiff of a familiar scent, so I abruptly turned, and headed in that direction.
Why was he out here, and why now? At this late hour?
