43 2/2

Sakura could only blink as Temari screamed in horror, trapped in the genjutsu she had used on her. She approached Temari, kunai in hand, as she stood there, screaming with glazed eyes staring at nothingness. Feeling the drain on her chakra, she let it drop, unable to maintain it anymore, before moving quickly.

Moving quickly, Sakura got behind Temari, putting the kunai to her throat. Temari, reacting to Sakura grabbing her, immediately began screaming and struggling, looking around wildly. It took her a few moments to realize her situation, and she panted heavily, eyes wide with fear before narrowing in rage.

"Surrender," Sakura said, catching the grins of Ino and her teammates at the sight of her catching Temari off guard.

Temari just started to growl, letting out a scream of rage as she jerked her head back, smashing Sakura's nose. The pink haired kunoichi stumbled back, blood flowing from her nose and tears from her eyes, as Temari whirled, swinging her closed fan against Sakura's stomach. Sakura bent over, the air driven from her lungs, as Temari now brought her fan around and smashed it into Sakura's back, knocking her flat.

"YOU FUCKING BITCH! I'LL KILL YOU!" Temari shouted, as she prepared to smash her fan into the back of Sakura's head, only to be stopped by Hayate.

"That's enough," he said, before kneeling next to Sakura, who was lying there, trying to breathe, blood still seeping from her nose and now her mouth as well. She was weakly struggling to get up, but failing to do so.

Hayate nodded quietly. "Sakura Haruno is unable to fight. Temari of Suna is the victor," Hayate said, as medics rushed out to get Sakura.

Temari glared hatefully at the pink haired kunoichi, spitting on the ground near her, before storming way, back towards the railing. She slowed a bit as she neared Gaara, moving as far from him as possible to bypass him, putting Kankuro and her sensei Baki between her and her youngest brother.

Ino could only stare in horror as Sakura's bloody form was carried away, starting to follow, but was stopped by Anko. "You can't. You'll be disqualified," Anko said quietly.

"She needs me! I need to go check on her!" Ino said, only for Anko to keep holding onto her.

"She'd never forgive herself if she knew she was the cause of you forfeiting. Wait till your match, and then go see to her," Anko said.

Ino looked to her, before slowly and grimly nodding. Her gaze shot to Temari though, her eyes narrowing in anger and hatred. Temari just glared back at her, her previous arrogance gone, replaced both by anger and fear.

Karin, who had been watching, could only gape in horror, seeing the girl as she was taken out. She looked to Naruto, who looked back to her. "I-I'm going to go see if I can help her," she said, as she rushed off after the medics.

Lee meanwhile also looked quite disturbed and angry, clenching his fists. "Temari-san's actions were quite unnecessary," he said, watching the Suna kunoichi from his position.

Neji just scoffed quietly, arms crossed as he leaned against the wall. 'It was her fate to lose. She should have surrendered when Temari-san gave her the chance. Her defeat and injuries are her own doing for trying to resist fate," Neji said.

Lee turned to him, glaring and preparing to step towards him, only to be stopped by Gai. "Neji, you should not speak of your comrades like that, when they tried their hardest," he said, as Neji just seemed to ignore his words, turning to where the names were being picked. His eyes widened slightly as the two names appeared: Hinata Mitarashi versus Kankuro.

Hinata glanced towards Kankuro, eye's narrowed. "Guess it's my turn," she said, as she adjusted her bracers. "And it looks like it's up to me to show these Suna shinobi why you don't screw with Konoha," she said.

"Don't get too overconfident Hinata," Naruto warned. "These shinobi are dangerous, and so far, it seems they're very violent."

"He's right imouto," Anko said seriously. "Don't underestimate him."

Hinata nodded, before looking to Ino, and nudging her. "Hey…for Sakura, right?" She asked, holding up her hand.

Ino looked at her, before grabbing it. "For Sakura," she whispered.

Hinata grinned, as she vaulted over the rail, landing, while Kankuro stood across from her, gripping the strap of his bundle.

Kankuro smirked, sliding his bundle off and setting it to the side. "You really want to fight me, little girl?" He asked. "You've seen what my brother and sister can do. Do you really think you can beat me?" He asked.

Hinata just watched him, eyes narrowing slightly. "You have no idea what I'm capable of," she said, before smiling. "I might just surprise you."

"Fight!" Hayate yelled, as Hinata activated her Byakugan. Her eyes widened, before she grinned.

Kankuro frowned, as he readied himself, gripping his bundle as if he was about to unwrap it. Hinata quickly rushed forward, throwing a kunai at Kankuro, who dodged to the side, still gripping the bundle. Hinata pulled out another kunai, moving closer as if to slash at Kankuro. He raised his arm to intercept her arm, only for her to spin away, slashing at the bundle to rip the strap he was holding, before kicking it away from Kankuro. She spun, throwing the kunai dead center into Kankuro's chest before turning, delivering several quick jabs to the bundle.

Kankuro collapsed to the ground, as if he suddenly had become boneless, while the bundle hit the ground, a male voice letting out a cry of pain from inside the bundle. The wrappings unraveled, revealing a second Kankuro who slowly stood up, while the first Kankuro began to crack, hardened sand falling off of him, revealing underneath a wooden puppet.

Kankuro growled, rubbing his right arm. "What did you do to me?!" He demanded, his arm feeling numb, and his chakra out of synch.

Hinata just smirked as she slid into her combat stance. "My name might by Mitarashi, but once upon a time, I was a member of the Hyuuga. The Byakugan lets me see a person's chakra, and so I was able to see that you were hiding in the bundle, disguising your puppet. And I could see the chakra strings you had connected to your puppet. So instead of attacking the puppet, and falling into your trap, I struck at you, disabling your chakra points in your right arm there to disrupt your control of your puppet."

Kankuro glared at her, as he lowered his left arm, and started to twitch his fingers. The puppet began to move, one arm starting to rise up as a blade extended from it, only for Hinata to strike out with her chakra infused hand at the air, severing the chakra strings. The arm dropped down, as Hinata smirked. "You think I wouldn't see those either?" She asked.

Kankuro's eyes widened, as Hinata suddenly was upon him, delivering several rapid jabs and strikes, causing his body to spasm and jerk, before falling over.

Hinata just grinned down at him. "Guess this little girl was the worst opponent you could face," she said, patting his forehead as he lay there, glaring at her. (2)

Hayate declared her the winner, and she walked off, leaving her defeated and humiliated opponent behind. He just glared, struggling to get up, but failing, as two medics put him onto a stretcher and carrying him away.

Hinata smiled as she joined her teammates, with Anko having a barely suppressed smile. "Well…that was rather quick," she said.

"I guess I was the worst opponent he could ask for," Hinata said, shrugging her shoulders but grinning.

Anko nodded, before flicking her forehead, making her yelp. "Next time, don't antagonize your opponent once you've defeated him. It's a great way to earn enemies," she said.

Nearby, Neji glared in her direction, before scoffing. Obviously that Suna shinobi had been incredibly weak, to have been defeated by her. He had expected more considering his teammates, but obviously he was their weak link. It mattered little. He'd deal with her in the next part of the exam, as fate decreed.

Baki meanwhile was frowning, seeing how easily Kankuro was taken down. He knew that the boy was still a rookie with regards to utilizing puppets in combat, but the fight with that Hinata girl had shown perhaps one of the greatest weaknesses the puppet shinobi of Suna faced. And that was something which, regarding their future plans, they had to be wary of.

The random generator began selecting two more names, and soon enough, the next combatants were revealed. Kiba blinked as he saw he was now facing the Oto genin Dosu. This made him frown, as he remembered him in the Forest, and what his bracer had done to him and Akamaru. He glanced down at his canine partner, who whimpered softly as they saw Dosu preparing to head down to the arena. He gripped the rail, as two parts of him warred with each other. The more animalistic part of him, born of the Inuzuka's connection to their canine partners, was demanding he fight this enemy, and prove his strength and worth. But another part of him, his rationale, more human side, reasoned that the fight would be pointless, and the outcome almost guaranteed.

And so, he surprised everyone when he raised his hand. "I forfeit," he said, somewhat reluctantly. "I've already been on the other side of his jutsu. I know what he can do, and that I can't beat him," he reasoned.

Sasuke frowned as he moved over to him. "Kiba, are you sure?" He asked. "You could get a strong first blow in, before he could attack you."

Kiba shook his head. "No…I'm not going to put Akamaru through a fight with this guy, and if I can't fight with him, I'm handicapping myself. Better to fight another day," he said.

Hayate sighed. "Very well. Kiba Inuzuka forfeits the match. Dosu Kintu wins," he said.

Dosu however didn't seem that upset. In truth, he was happy to be advancing, as it would make his goal all the more attainable. He glanced at his sensei, who had returned sometime during Naruto and Karui's match, and glared slightly. He knew now Orochimaru had sacrificed the three of them to test his newest future pawn's power. So, he fully intended to fight Sasuke in the finals, and kill him, both to prove his strength, and to foil Orochimaru for offering them up like lambs to the slaughter.

Kakashi frowned slightly at Kiba's forfeit, but couldn't fault his reasoning. He knew that it showed a level of maturity in Kiba, which was good, given his brash and childish behavior in the past. Sighing, he settled for the fact that out of his team of three, at least Sasuke had passed to the next round.

The next set of combatants caused everyone, from Konoha at least, to stare at the board in surprise: Chouji Akamichi versus Shikamaru Nara.

The two friends and teammates looked at each other, before Shikamaru let out a groan. "Troublesome," he said, rubbing his forehead. "Asuma-sensei, can I just forfeit too?" He asked.

Asuma frowned at Shikamaru. "No, you can't. Unlike Kiba, you don't have a valid reason. You two get down there and fight," he said.

Chouji chuckled nervously as he followed Shikamaru down. "W-Well at least I know I won't get beaten up too much," he said, as they arrived on the floor.

Shikamaru sighed as he looked lazily at Chouji. "Just do your best Chouji, alright? Show them what you've got."

Chouji nodded, as Hayate looked at the pair of them, seeing they were ready, before nodding. "Alright then. Fight!" he shouted.

Immediately, Chouji puffed up into a giant ball, using his clan's jutsu, the Baika no Jutsu (Multi-Size Expansion), before drawing his arms, legs, and head inside. "Here I come Shikamaru! Nikudan Sensha! (Human Bullet Tank)" He shouted, charging towards Shikamaru.

Shikamaru dodged to one side, watching Chouji roll by and turn back towards him, before he dodged again. "You're being troublesome Chouji. I don't like having to move so much," he complained.

Chouji simply wheeled back around to him, as Shikamaru quickly dodged to the side, pulling out a couple of kunai with explosive tags attached to them. He threw the first one down in Chouji's path, causing him to veer to the side as it exploded, causing him to smash into a wall. Before Chouji could back up, Shikamaru tossed the other kunai with explosive tag down, exploding again and smashing Chouji back into the wall. Due to his size and bulk, it didn't cause a lot of damage, but it kept him there as Shikamaru jumping onto Chouji's bulk, and slammed a smoke bomb down into the neck hole of Chouji's shirt. He jumped off, as said bomb exploded, forcing Chouji back into his normal form as he coughed while smoke seeped out of his shirt.

Chouji staggered a bit, coughing for air, as Shikamaru winced a bit. "Sorry Chouji," he said, as Chouji slumped against the wall, only to freeze as Shikamaru caught him in his Kagemane no jutsu. Shikamaru sighed, as he lowered his hands, slowly standing up, with Chouji doing the same.

"What now Shikamaru?" Chouji asked, watching his friend.

Shikamaru let out a tired sigh. "Well…you can surrender…or I can knock you out," he said, turning his head so Chouji could see the wall right next to his head.

Chouji let out a frustrated sigh. "…fine. I surrender," he said, looking disappointed he had been taken out so quickly.

Hayate nodded as he declared the fight over, while Shikamaru just sighed softly. "Troublesome," he said, not really wanting to advance, but knowing Asuma and his own mom would chew him out if he hadn't tried. He patted Chouji on the back, seeing how he was down. "Hey, c'mon man, cheer up. You did your best," he said.

"Wasn't that much though," Chouji mumbled, looking down as they headed up the stairs to rejoin Shino. That is until a hand stopped Chouji, making her look up and see Ino there.

"Hey, don't be down Chouji," she said. "You gave your best, and I know Shikamaru gave you his best in return. Right?" She asked Shikamaru, who just nodded.

"Yeah, c'mon Chouji. You really think I wouldn't give you my best man? We're friends, and you're going to get my best, whether it's sparring or fighting side by side. Just don't make me do much else though," he said.

Chouji gave a grin, and turned back to Ino, blushing a bit. "Thanks Ino-ch…I mean Ino," he said, mumbling the last part as his blush increased and he quickly moved off.

Ino blinked, and blushed slightly as well, as Naruto and Hinata grinned. "Ooohhhh, Ino's got a boyfriend," Hinata teased, as Ino slugged her arm.

Lee meanwhile was frowning, arms crossed. "Gai-sensei, my flames are youth are quickly waning," he said. "I do not like having to wait so long in order to fight," he said.

Gai patted his shoulder. "Do not fret Lee. Your fight will come soon, and your flames will reignite!" He said, grinning at him, causing others around them to cringe at their antics.

The screen began to wind through the remaining six names, to pick the next two contestants. Lee just frowned, looking away, until the names were picked. He glanced back, and grinned, seeing Rock Lee vs Yoroi Akadō. "Yosh! I knew if I acted disinterested, my name would be chosen!" He shouted, as he leapt over the railing energetically.

Neji just huffed quietly, leaning against the wall. "The fool should calm down. His antics are an embarrassment," he said, as Gai frowned at his Hyuuga student.

On the ground, Lee smiled as he faced his opponent, Kabuto's other teammate Yoroi, who stood a full head taller than Lee. He cracked his neck, rolling his shoulders as he readied for the fight. "I don't know which is scarier, kid. Your eyebrows or your fashion sense," he taunted.

Lee just continued to smile, as he slid his left arm behind his back, holding his right hand up to his opponent. "You will find that those are not what you should fear. Come and I'll show you," he said.

As Hayate started the fight, Yoroi rushed forward, preparing to lunge with his right hand, only for Lee to easily sidestep it and slam his shoulder into Yoroi's chest, pushing him back before taking a half step back, launching a fierce and rapid barrage of punches to Yoroi's midsection. The taller, older genin let out cries and gasps for air, before Lee delivered one final punch, driving him back several feet. Lee just continued to smile as he readopted his stance.

Naruto grinned as he watched. "Did you see how fast he punched?" He asked.

Hinata nodded as she watched as well. "Yakumo told me that Lee trains nonstop in taijutsu, pushing himself to extreme limits to be the best," she said.

"What about ninjutsu, or genjutsu?" Ino asked, looking at them.

"He can't use either of them," Hinata said. "His chakra coils never developed properly enough for him to utilize the amounts of chakra necessary to cast ninjutsu or genjutsu. He is capable of things like tree or water walking, but beyond that is impossible. Hence why he's focused entirely on taijutsu."

On the ground, Yoroi growled, as his right hand became wreathed in chakra. "Come here you freak!" He shouted, as he rushed forward, lunging with his hand again. Lee, instead of repeating his previous attack, this time spun and shot a rapid kick straight into Yoroi's chest, sending him flying back and smashing into the wall.

"I fail to see how trying to perform the same attack twice would work," he said with a polite grin. "However, if that is your strategy, I encourage you to continue trying your best, in hopes you can give me a good fight."

Yoroi staggered forward a couple steps, then growled as he moved, this time leading with a left jab, only for Lee to block it, punch him in the stomach, followed by two more hooks to his face, and then a strong uppercut, that sent Yoroi flying. The older genin smashed into the ground, as Lee retook his stance. This time though, he didn't get up, making Lee frown. "The fight is not over, is it?" He asked, slightly frustrated at not having more of a challenge.

Yoroi however wasn't getting up, causing Hayate to approach and check on him. Finding him unconscious, he stood up. "Yoroi Akadō is unable to fight. Rock Lee wins," he says.

Lee frowned at that, accepting his victory but feeling somewhat cheated after some of the exciting fights they had witnessed before his own. He joined his team, as Gai clapped his shoulder. "Good work Lee," he said with a smile.

"Thank you Gai-sensei," he said quietly. "I'll admit it though, I was hoping for a better fight, to prove my strength and my flames of youth."

Gai gently patted his shoulder. "I understand Lee, but do not be too upset. You will find a suitable challenger in the Finals. Everyone you're facing against will be the best of the best here," he said, as Lee smiled, cheering up at the thought.

The remaining four genin who hadn't fought yet now all stared at screen, waiting to see if their names came up, feeling tension and anxiety as the names randomly sped by on the screen, finally stopping on Ino Yamanaka vs Kin Tsuchi.

Ino gave a smile as she turned to her teammates. "Finally, it's my turn. I was getting way too freaked out waiting," she said, as she reached down and patted her kusarigama.

Anko gave her a confident grin. "Well get down there and make it a clean sweep for Team Eight," she said, as Naruto and Hinata both nodded.

"Thanks sensei. Be back soon," she said, as she moved down the stairs.

Kin meanwhile glared at Ino, recognizing her from the team that had ambushed theirs when they had tried to take out Sasuke Uchiha. She slipped a few senbon into her hand, shifting her stance as Ino settled across from her.

Hayate glanced between them, and then started the fight. Kin immediately held up her hand, senbon in between her fingers, while Ino pulled out her kusarigama and began swinging the ball end around to get the momentum going. Kin just smirked as she threw the senbon at Ino, who sidestepped to avoid them, swinging the weighted ball around and sending it shooting at Kin. Kin ducked under, only for Ino to swing it around and bring it now shooting at Kin from the side, causing the Oto kunoichi to duck and attempt to open the distance between them. Ino pursued her, swinging the chain around to keep the momentum up.

Kin whirled, throwing more of her senbon, this time attempting to get her genjutsu into play. Ino dodged then, and was preparing to swing her kusarigama, when she heard the ringing, and immediately felt the vertigo and disorientation set it. She dropped to one knee, groaning softly.

Kin smirked at that, seeing her opponent caught. "What's the matter blondie? Not feeling too good? Think you might puke?" She asked, as she continued to ring the bells, leaving Ino more disoriented, as she looked up and saw five Kin before her. "Do you need your mommy to come get you medicine for your sick tummy?" She taunted.

Ino growled softly, as she gripped her kusarigama. "Fuck…you…bitch," she managed to get out, before barely managing to swing the chain of her kusarigama down low.

Kin, not expecting this maneuver due to Ino being so disoriented, could only let out a yelp as the chain wrapped around her right leg, before Ino yanked, dragging her off her feet. Her vision clearing, Ino quickly leapt forward, slamming the kama part of her weapon down, with Kin barely moving her head to the side to avoid it. Ino however let go of her weapon and grabbed Kin by the scarf around her neck, driving a devastating punch right into her face. Kin's head snapped back, as Ino lifted her back up, and prepared to drive a second punch in.

Kin, stunned from the blow, still managed to get one foot onto Ino's chest and push her off, before scrabbling to get back to her feet. She barely turned around to face Ino, still shaking her head, when she saw the Yamanaka kunoichi sweep her left sleeve back, revealing a senbon launcher that she quickly used to launch five senbon. Kin tried to dodge to the side, but she was still somewhat disoriented from the blow to her face, causing three of the senbon to puncture her right arm.

Ino dropped her left arm, grabbing her kusarigama and dragging the chain back to her, only to kick the weighted ball at Kin, causing the weighted ball to slam into Kin's chest. The long haired Oto girl let out an 'oof', before disappearing, being replaced by a log, as Ino immediately searched for Kin. Hearing a cry from above, she looked up, seeing Kin drop down with a pair of senbon in each hand. Ino rolled to the side, her hands rapidly moving into a handsign as Kin hit the ground. "Shintenshin no Jutsu!"

Everyone could only watch, some in confusion, others in anticipation, as Ino slumped over unconscious. Kin remained crouched for a few moments, before slowly standing up, and turning to Ino. She smirked, slowly bringing her senbon needles up, as she approached her, as if preparing to jab them into Ino's unconscious body.

On the walkway, Team eight was all tense, watching in growing horror as it seemed that Ino had failed in her attempt to catch Kin in her signature jutsu. That is, until Kin suddenly just dropped her senbon and shrugged, raising her hand. "Proctor, I forfeit. I clearly can't win against someone of her skill and ability," she said, smirking the whole time.

Almost everyone face planted as they heard those words, as Anko grumbled quietly about getting her student back for scaring her like that. Hayate just shook his head as he came over to them. "Ino Yamanaka is the winner by forfeit," he said.

Kin smiled at him. "Would you mind making sure she doesn't do anything until I'm back on my feet? I don't think she's going to be too happy," she said, indicating her body, before she suddenly slumped over, and Ino jerked, opening her eyes up.

Kin blinked, shaking her head, before growling. "You little bitch!" She shouted, preparing to lunge at Ino, only to be stopped by Hayate.

"Enough. Either seek medical treatment or return to your team. Now," He ordered, as Ino got to her feet, grabbing her kusarigama.

Kin glared hatefully at Ino, before turning and stalking off, as Ino just grinned, stowing her weapon and moving to join her team, only for Anko to smack her lightly upside the head. "Ooww, what's that for sensei?!"

"Didn't you hear my warning to Hinata? Next time, don't play around like that," she said. "Just end the match, and don't taunt your foe too much. It's never a good idea to make enemies you don't need to have."

Ino frowned a bit, glancing down. "Sorry sensei," she said.

Anko just sighed. "That being said, good work Ino. Well done," she said, making In perk up a bit.

Hayate meanwhile signaled for the last two contestants to come down. "Neji Hyuuga and Omoi of Kumo. Please take your positions," he said.

A very noticeable tension filled the air, as the last two genin faced each other. Omoi shifted a bit, feeling the cold hard stare of his opponent, as everyone watched the scene with anticipation or fear.

Neji finally spoke up. "It would seem fate is most kind to me this day. It has delivered you into my hands, so that some small measure of justice might be taken against your village for its actions ten years ago," he said.

Omoi gripped the hilt of his katana, frowning. "It was your village that killed our ambassador," he said. "We only demanded justice for his death."

"Your ambassador broke into the Hyuuga mansion and attempted to kidnap a member of the Hyuuga clan," Neji countered. "Even if it were not under your Raikage's orders, your village still unjustly called for the head of the one who killed him when you had no right to demand justice for a criminal's death. And because of your village's actions, my father was sacrificed to appease your village's lust for bloodlines."

As Omoi's eyes widened, Neji slowly gained a smirk. "Yes, I am Neji Hyuuga, son of Hizashi Hyuuga, the man sacrificed to Kumo so as to prevent you from getting our bloodline, but also to prevent war between the villages. My father was taken from me because of the cowardice of the Hyuuga's main family and the duplicity of your village's leader. And now…fate has decreed that I shall have my revenge," he said, as he slipped into his Jyuuken stance.

Sarutobi frowned as Neji finished his speech, wondering if he should stop this match before it began. He didn't want Kumo to have a chance to cause an international incident. But at the same time, there was nothing he could, as everyone else had already fought. Sighing, he signaled to Hayate to start the match, but also added another handsign indicating he should watch the fight closely.

Hayate nodded, turning to the two. "Begin," he said.

Immediately, Neji was on Omoi, Byakugan activated as he ducked inside Omoi's guard before he could bring his sword up, and jabbing at Omoi's right shoulder. The Kumo genin quickly dodged back, but Neji pressed the attack, not letting up as he launched a flurry of jabs and pokes at his opponent with blinding speed. It was all Omoi could do to dodge the attacks or try to block with his sword.

At the railing, Karui growled, gripping the rail. "C'mon Omoi, stop letting that asshole push you back! Fight!" She shouted, as Kirabi watched his student worriedly.

Omoi finally caught a break when he used a rapid substitution with a piece of debris from an earlier match, appearing behind Neji and striking at him. Neji easily swayed to the side to avoid the blade, and lashed out, striking several points on Omoi's arm before the Kumo genin could pull away. He winced and shook his left arm out as he felt his chakra fluctuate and his arm grow slightly numb.

Neji just smirked as he held his stance. "I told you. Fate has decreed me the victor, to punish your village for what it did," he said, before lunging at Omoi again. Omoi however managed to bring his sword up, forcing Neji to dodge the stab. Neji moved to strike at his left shoulder, to try and disable his arm.

Omoi danced back, sheathing his katana and trying to run through the hand signs for a jutsu as Neji continued to pursue him. Succeeding, he threw his right hand forward. "Raiton: Sandāboruto! (Lightning Style: Thunderbolt)"

From his hand, a ball of lightning formed, lashing out in Neji's direction with multiple streams of electricity. Neji quickly swayed and dodged through the bolts of electricity, as Omoi drew his sword again, slashing down violently and quickly as Neji drew closer.

Neji, thanks to his Byakugan, saw this movement, but even the forewarning was not enough to allow him to fully escape the sword, as he dodged back. The blade managed to slash a fine line down the front of his top.

Neji glared at him, as Omoi raised his sword again, reading for the next round of fighting. Neji slowly resettled into his stance, as the two stared at each other.

Omoi eventually made the first move, stepping forward while swinging at Neji's left, as Neji leaned back away from the sword, before quickly stepping in. Before Omoi could react, Neji had delivered three quickly palm strikes to his chest, the third actually forcing him to skid backwards, before he coughed up blood. Neji however didn't stop, quickly moving in and to strike at Omoi again, only to find himself hitting a log as Omoi substituted himself. His Byakugan quickly warned him of Omoi appearing behind him and lunging towards him, only for Neji to spin, grabbing Omoi's arm and slamming another palm thrust into his sternum. Omoi staggered back as Neji yanked the katana from his hands and threw it aside, before smirking.

"You are within the range of my divination," he said, as he settled into a new stance. "Hakke Rokuj��yon Shō! (Eight Trigrams, Sixty-Four Palms!)"

Before Omoi could react, Neji moved quickly, hitting him with two blows, followed by four more. He continued to strike at points of Omoi's body, each time doubling the number of blows he hit him with before ending on the sixth-fourth blow.

Omoi was thrown back with that last blow, slamming into the ground and laying there, his body twitching, as he coughed up more blood. Neji just turned his back to his fallen foe. "Proctor, this match is over," he said, walking away.

Hayate quickly called the match, signaling to the medics who rushed over and began stabilizing Omoi so they could take him away. On the walkway, Karui growled angrily. "You bastard!" She shouted, about to jump over the rail, only to be stopped by Kirabi. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU, YOU HEAR ME?! YOU'RE DEAD YOU FUCKER!"

Neji just looked at her, scoffing, before heading up to the walkway to join his teammates. Gai was frowning as he looked at Neji. "Neji, you shouldn't have made this bout personal," he said.

"Sensei, I was merely treating my opponent as I would any enemy who would or could potentially kill me. This fight would not have gone any differently if he had been from Suna, or Iwa, or Kiri," Neji stated calmly. "In this instance, fate merely allowed me to deliver justice to those who were not punished for their crimes."

Gai just frowned, as Neji leaned against the wall. "You will find, Neji, that your view on justice and another person's justice are not the same. Some would call what you did nothing but petty vengeance."

"As you said, sensei," Neji said, not really sounding like he cared for Gai's words.

Sarutobi let out a tired sigh, as he signaled to one of the chuunin standing near him with a box. As the chuunin approached the Hokage, Hayate turned his attention to the genin present. "Will all the victors please come down here, for instructions regarding the finals," he said.

The twelve finalists quickly moved to the arena floor, lining up before the Hokage. "You all did extremely well in these fights , and so congratulations are in order," he said, though the way his gaze lingered on Temari, Neji and Gaara indicated he had other thoughts regarding their fights. "The Final part of the Exam will be held within a month's time for now, which will give you all a chance to train and learn new techniques and abilities to surprise your opponents with. The Final exam will be fought in an elimination tournament, where each of you will face one opponent, who you must defeat to reach the next round. Those defeated will be disqualified. However, disqualification does not automatically make you ineligible for promotion, nor does winning the tournament guarantee you your promotion. Instead, you'll be judged on your tactics, fighting style, and your emotions and personality during your matches to determine whether or not you are Chuunin material or not. For now though, we will determine the order of the first rounds of fight. Each of you will draw a piece of paper from this box, and reveal the number you receive," he said, as the chuunin moved forward with the box, allowing each of them to draw a number.

"Five," Sasuke said, holding up his slip.

"Nine," Samui said in her monotone voice.

"Three," Shino stated quietly.

"Six," Gaara said, making Sasuke tense slightly since that most likely meant Gaara would be his opponent.

"Seven," Naruto said as he held up his paper.

"Eleven," Temari said with a frown, not liking she was likely in the last match.

"One," Hinata said, giving a brief grin to Naruto as she waved it at him, making him pout.

"Eight," Dosu said, glancing down at Naruto, his likely opponent.

"Troublesome. Ten," Shikamaru muttered.

"Yosh! I have four!" Lee said energetically, looking at Shino and giving him a nod of respect, as Shino did the same.

"Twelve," Ino said, glaring at Temari, who just smirked at her.

"And I have two," Neji said, smirking as he looked at Hinata, who now was no longer grinning.

Sarutobi nodded as the numbers were noted. "Very well then. So for the first round of the Final exam, the matches will be in this order. Hinata Mitarashi versus Neji Hyuuga, Shino Aburame versus Rock Lee, Sasuke Uchiha versus Gaara, Naruto Uzumaki versus Dosu, Samui versus Shikamaru Nara, and Temari versus Ino Yamanaka."

As the genin all nodded, glancing at their now confirmed opponent, Sarutobi began to conclude his speech. "Remember, this tournament will be fought in front of clients and people from across the Elemental Nations. You are not just fighting for a promotion to become Chuunin, but also to represent your village in front of potential clients. Train hard, and make your villages and fellow shinobi proud. Dismissed," he said.

The sensei of the various teams quickly moved to their students to escort them from the Forest of Death and begin planning their training regimens for the next month, as Sarutobi let out a quiet sigh, feeling the drama and tension of the past nearly hour drain out of him now. Some of the matches had been rather brutal to watch, as these children fought to defeat, cripple, and in one or two cases, even kill each other. And he knew that some of the matches in the Finals would be just as bad, if not worse, than the ones they had witnessed today. Quietly pulling out his pipe and lighting it, he slowly puffed on it for a few moments, before shunshing away. There was much to do to prepare for the coming Finals, as well as dealing with the fall out of Orochimaru's appearance.

And that's chapter.

I'm sorry if these fights seemed rushed in places. Some of them are short on purpose, given how some of the combatants I think are far more powerful or better suited to defeating their opponents then others. But also...well I admit, I rushed this chapter somewhat out of fear of not being able to post or update it for some time, depending on what happens with my situation here.

To repeat my message at the beginning of the chapter, in case you missed it, I may or may not be unable to write or update for an unknown period of time, due to financial problems happening here at home. No I'm not begging people for money, I'm simply letting you all know what might happen. I might disappear for a few days, a couple months, or longer. Or I may not disappear at all. I don't know, to be honest. But I can guarantee that I won't abandon my fanfics. I will finish the ones I'm writing.

Special thanks go out again to my beta's, Bill Alain and Kyuubi123, for their work in editing my chapters.

So, I hope you all did enjoy this chapter, and at least some, if not all the fights that happened. And I'll see you all in my next update. Till then!

1. I know Samui doesn't have a forehead protector or any other Kumo emblem on her person/outfit, but I don't understand why, as it's necessary to identify her allegiance. So I added one in.

2. So yes, this fight was short and one sided, but let's be fair. A Hyuuga would be the worst opponent for Kankuro to face, as they would easily see through his ruse and disable his capability of fighting with little effort. So is this really a big surprise?