Chapter 22 - Preliminaries 2

The next match was then Choji Akimichi vs Dosu Kinuta. At first Choji didn't want to fight but his Jounin instructor convinced him with food. Choji, knowing that Dosu focuses on sound based attacks , plugged his ears by transforming himself into a round like figure, and rolling at high speed toward Dosu. But Dosu was able to overcome that by transmitting sound through the water in Choji's body, defeating him. "The winner is Dosu Kinuta". Choji walked back to his team dejected at his loss. The next match was Neji Hyūga vs Hinata Hyūga

'People from the same clan huh?' Thought Naruto as the battle began

"I have one thing to tell you before the battle begins Lady Hinata, withdraw. People can't ever change, a failure will always be a failure, that personality and strength won't change. Changing yourself is absolutely something you can't do" said the boy named Neji, as he opened his eyes to reveal the eyes belonging only to the Hyūga clan, The Byakugan.

'This man is infuriating, why won't she respond and argue back' thought Naruto with a frown on his face, Karin and Haku were able to tell that he was unhappy toward the treatment of the girl

'I can't give up' thought Hinata as she also activated her byakugan. She then gets into the same stance that Neji gets into, an open palm like stance

"BEGIN" and like that the battle started. Hinata dashes toward Neji in an attempt to hit him, he dodges and goes for a counter attack, she dodges that also. This goes on for a minute and it looks like they are on equal grounds, That's when Neji interrupted the chakra flow in her arms, disabling her to use the gentle fist. He then send her back flying and she coughs up blood. But she stills stands up and goes to hit him again, he hits her in her ċhėst making her drop. Looking like the match was over Hatake was about to announce that Neji won, when suddenly Hinata stood up again.

"Why do you stand up? If you continue your really going to die" asked Neji

"I can tell that you are suffering much more than I, you are the one who is torn up over the fate of the head and branch family" she responds. This angers Neji so much that he dashed toward Hinata with the intent to kill, but he was suddenly stopped in his tracks when he was slammed down onto the floor.

"Don't you think that's enough?" Said Naruto with his Hand in Neji, preventing him from getting up. "You sprouted all that nonsense about her being weak and never able to change, but don't you see? She saw that she was weaker than you and still chose to fight rather than give up. She gave it her all and didn't give up, so do you know what that means? She is strong, stronger than you who believes in people never changing, she changed." He said while looking at her also with a smile. This shocks Hinata as all her life people have seen her as weak, but this boy had called her strong, for the first time. No one believed in her, but he did.

"Thank you" she says, but she then suddenly falls over with blood dripping out, right before she hit the ground Naruto caught her.

"The winner is Neji Hyūga" announced Hatake. Nurses came and out Hinata on to a stretcher and took her away

"Thank you" said the Jounin instructor of the Hinata who was named Kurenai

"It's nothing really, I couldn't stand by and do nothing" Naruto said with a smile as he walked back to his team. Everyone was looking at him

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'Naruto, you have truly grown into a strong and good man' thought Hiruzen with a smile.

"Hey don't be getting any weird ideas Hiruzen-san, so do you wanna play Shogi? Or read the new book in the icha icha series" asked Hisui with his hand over Hiruzen's shoulder

'I hate this man' he thought

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The next match is Kiba inuzuka vs Kin Tsuchi. It was honestly a pretty fast fight, with her senbon, bells, and wires. Kin was able to defeat Kiba who wasn't much of a thinker. If it was Shikamaru he would have won. Moving on to the next fight, it was Naruto Uzamaki vs Kankurō. Naruto was happy and he got on the arena ready to fight. So did Kankuro, trying to seek revenge from before

"Isn't this a coincidence?" Said Naruto

"Indeed, but now I can finally beat you to a pulp" said Kankuro with a ċȯċky smile

"Well how are you gonna do that when your hiding behind your puppet?" Naruto asked. This shocked Kankuro and confused the people in the crowd

"How did you find out?" Asked Kankuro

"I didn't sense anything from the puppet, but I couldn't send you under the bandages" Naruto responded

"Very well, you're gonna have to deal with me then" said Kankuro as he got out from the bandages and his puppet became more puppet like. He was controlling it using chakra strings from his finger tips.

"Before we battle, I have to ask you a question. pick a number between one through a hundred " Naruto asked

"What kind of question is that? Fine two" Kankuro said

"So be it it, I'll finish this battle 2 seconds" Naruto declared with a smirk

"What did you say 2 seconds, bastard I'll finish this battle in 1 second" Kankuro declared

"BEGIN". Kankuro controls his puppet to go after Naruto, but suddenly Naruto vanishes in a bright yellow light and appears beside Kankuro, he then proceeds to punch him square in the face sending him flying and knocking him out. Everyone in the crowd is shocked, the most shocked are the Jounin and above.

"That jutsu, how did he learn that jutsu?" Asked Hiruzen

"Well he had this awesome brother who taught him everything he knows, I think you know him. He goes by the name Hisui Tenno" said Hisui with his arm around Hiruzen still. This angered Hiruzen to no end, he vowed to get revenge on this man even if it costs his life

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'That blonde hair and blue eyes, the last name Uzamaki, the flying thunder god. This child has to be the son of Minato and Kushina' thought every Jounin instructor from konoha

"That is sensei's child. How did he get to the Land of Nox. Is that why Hokage-sama seemed to be angry at the King of Nox?"

"Well um with a staggering two second win, it goes to Naruto Uzamaki" says Hatake. Naruto walks off the stage and smiles toward Gaara. Everyone looks at him with shock at how powerful this boy really is. The final match was Rock lee vs Gaara.

"Hurry up and get down here" said Gaara as he was already in the arena

"Right! That's my student" said The man in the green jumpsuit, who went by the man Might Guy

"I'm happy to be fighting you" said Lee

"I don't know what moves that bowl cut guy has, but he absolutely can't beat gaara" said Kankuro

"Now then, the final match BEGINS" Gaara immediately commands a large amount of sand to try and surround lee, but lee flips to the back before he is captured. Lee then rushes to Gaara in an attempt to hit him but every move he tried would be blocked by sand, he then again moves back in attempt to dodge the sand.

"Blood" says Gaara as the sand then grabs Lee's leg and spins him around, throwing him into a wall. Lee gets up and moves back before sand can get him again. He then jumps onto a a statute

"LEE TAKE THEM OFF" Shouted Might Guy

"But guy Sensei I thought it was only permitted when protecting important people" Lee responded

"I don't care I will allow it" Said guy. Lee then smiles and takes off his leg warmers to reveal weights attached to each leg. He takes them off and drops them, they crash into the ground and creat a crater. Everyone is shocked by how heavy they are

"Now I will be able to fight easier" lee says. It's like he vanishes and he reappears next to gaara and goes for a kick, but again sand blocks it but his leg goes through the sand. He vanishes again and goes for a punch but the same thing happens. He goes around vanishing and trying to hit gaara, but the sand still blocks him.

"Wow, he is almost as fast as you" says Karin

"Indeed he is" Naruto replies, while looking intently at the arena. Finally while using his speed to his advantage, lee finally punches gaara in the face.

"Alright I got him, I know that hurts" lee said excitedly. Gaara then stand up, his face looked cracked all over and he looked maniacal. Sand then started going on his face fixing the cracks

"So he encased himself in sand" said Temari. Gaara then sent large amounts of sand to lee hitting him over and over again

'I can't lose, please guy-Sensei allow this' thought lee as he crossed his arms and his chakra flared, a green aura surrounded him and his skin turned red

"The eight gates huh?" Said Naruto. Lee then vanished and reappeared in front of gaara and kicked him right in the chin, sending gaara flying up, lee jumps and kick him again, then appears next to him and kicks him again over an over again.

'This is my last technique' thought lee as the bandages on his arms got loose and wrapped around Gaara's waist, he then pulled them up along with gaara and punched him right in his stomach "Hidden lotus" he said. After that they both fell and lee was no longer in his eight gates form, he was also exhausted. When everyone though Lee has won, Gaara still moves and sents sand toward Lee which was about to kill him, Might guy stood in front and stopped his attack.

"The winner is" but Hatake was surprised as he saw Lee stand up, so was everyone else.

'After all that he shouldn't be able to move, let alone stand' thought Kakashi in shock

"No lee it's alright, you can stand down" that's when he realizes that lee was unconscious and has been for a while. "Look at you, not even conscious and still determined to show the world what you can do" He cries and and hugs lee. Nurses and doctors took lee away, as he was gravely injured.

"The winner is Gaara" Hatake declares. And like that the preliminaries ended.

"The finals will begin a month from now, look at the screen to see who your fight will be with". Everyone looked and saw Naruto Uzamaki vs Neji Hyūga, Sasuke vs Gaara, Karin Uzamaki vs Temari, Haku Yuuki vs Dosu Kinuta, and Shikamaru Nara vs Kin Tsuchi. "Who ever wins first will fight Shino Aburame." Hatake declared

"Well it was fun, but see you guys in a month" said Naruto as he and his team walked away

"Wait" said Neji

"Yes?" Asked Naruto

"When I beat you, I want you to admit that people never change" said Neji

"Sure, but are you sure it won't be a two second fight?" He said while looking at Kankuro who clenched his fist in anger

"We shall see" Neji said

"Indeed we shall" he responded

'I have to see to the hokage about this, what really happened to the child of sensei?' thought Kakashi

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"Hiruzen-San, I'm really gonna miss you" said Hisui with fake tears. "I know, how about we go to a bar and talk to some women, wouldn't that be fun? I'll even be your wingman"

'As the hokage, I swear that this man shall pay' thought Hiruzen

"I hope your not declaring something in that head of yours, Hiruzen-San" Hisui said with a smile

'Go to hell' Hiruzen thought

'I would rather not' Hisui said using his telepathy, this shocked Hiruzen as that meant he could hear his thoughts 'yes I can' Hisui thought

'Why are you doing this?' Hiruzen thought

'Because you're my best friend' Hisui said with a smile, Hiruzen knew that he could never be free now.