Battle between Jinchurikis!
Edited by: Lazy_Cat#6384
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Chapter 101: Battle between Jinchurikis!
Jutsu of the day:
Courtesy of Sunshine Fur Ball.
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Continued from Chapter 100
[Fuse]
.
After I announced Hinata-sama as the winner, I took a look at the stadium.
It was filled with holes and ditches due to the intense fight.
I was about to fix it with an earth Jutsu, but I felt a slight jolt of electricity at my back, which was a signal from Mitsu-sama.
So, as a dutiful servant, I sought him out in the crowd and saw him smiling as he shook his head.
The message was clear.
'Let the terrain be.'
Of course, I complied with his request. He always has some sort of plan about these things… He always does.
And I was proven right not too long after.
After I called for the next match, which was between the Nara Heir and the Kazekage's daughter, the brilliance of the Nara heir was shown.
It was a slow match, as the Nara heir took full advantage of the terrain.
He lodged himself in the tree as he did in the first fight.
The girl did her best to attack him without getting caught by his shadow. The fight was similar to the one before.
But Temari was much more patient than Tenten. She was okay to wait for hours if she had to.
The match drawled out for 40 minutes when the crowd started shouting and jeering at the Nara heir, and even the patient girl was looking murderous.
That was when… The match abruptly ended.
Apparently, the Nara heir did something ridiculous.
He used the shadow of the stadium itself to hide his Jutsu while making a fake grab at the Temari girl while using the ditches, which kept all of her attention as she herself thought she was being smart.
But alas…
She nor anyone else even realized that another shadow tendril was making its whole way around the stadium to grab her.
What concentration!
The Nara boy was a born Ninja. And I was sure he will make a Chunin after this exam and a Jonin the day he completes the requirements.
But what baffled the whole crowd was…
"I quit… I don't have enough chakra to face my next opponent… And Hinata is scary." He announced.
Much to the stupor of the crowd.
And I did my best to hold in a chuckle.
'It's as you said, Mitsu-sama… He indeed quit… Such a strange boy.' I thought.
Even his opponent was staring at him shell-shocked.
I could only shake my head as I announced, "Winner of the second Quarterfinals, Temari."
That brought the girl out of her daze as she started shouting at the boy, who seemed uninterested.
"Troublesome blonde…" He muttered.
And that earned the boy a chorus of Boos.
…
The third match of the Quarterfinal didn't happen.
Hyuga Neji was in no condition to fight, even though he insisted. But after what happened to Rock Lee, Might Guy was adamant about not letting the Hyuga participate.
Which earned the Uchiha a free pass to the Semifinals. Which he didn't particularly like.
So, this brought us to the final match of the Quarterfinals.
Uzumaki Naruto vs Gaara.
Jinchuriki vs Jinchuriki.
One has no idea of his Jinchuriki status. While the other had a close contact with his Biju for all his life. It was not a good experience.
[A/N: Naruto never failed in this timeline. So Mizuki's incident didn't happen. Mizuki tried to steal the scroll of seals and was caught.]
It baffled me how no one, not even my master, told the Uzumaki of his status.
Yes, it was an S-ranked secret… But since when did that stop him?
I don't know what my Master is planning… But I am sure he will tell the boy about his status very soon…
Well, no point in dwelling on it…
I took a breath and announced the next match, "Fourth match of the Quarter Finals, Uzumaki Naruto vs Gaara. Contestants, please come to the arena."
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[General]
.
Uzumaki Naruto was a lot of things to the people of Konoha.
At the start, he was the demon child. The demon taken human form. The calamity. Their source of sorrow.
But with time, that was rectified.
And it was their beloved prince who helped them see that there was no demon in front of them.
Just a helpless orphan child, who sought approval.
They already knew… Of course, they knew… But human nature was such that it helped them cope by blaming all their sorrow on something tangible…
It helped them to blame someone for their losses, instead of trying to fight their demons…
But once their prince employed the boy in his services… People slowly started being accepting.
If not accepting, then tolerating.
Slowly, that changed to appreciation.
Now after the years of actually interacting with the boy, they felt shame that once they even dared to harm such a wonderful smiling and kind boy.
They felt shame upon their very being.
How could a kid that smiled so much, who tried to be of help any way he could, with the childish dream of becoming the Hokage, ever be a demon?
Then it was found that the boy was indeed from the Uzumaki clan. Not much information was found, not even the boy knew of his parentage. But the villagers knew that he was a relative of their current Hokage.
But that didn't change the boy.
Ney, he was still the sweet and hardworking lad they came to know. He never flaunted his status of being the Hokage's relative.
Uzumaki Naruto was many things. But he wasn't a demon child. No, he was not.
The boy who strived for their approval, their acknowledgment now had it.
Yes, there might still be some… Maybe many who still see him as the demon… Some who still loathe him for their loss. But there were also those who actually appreciated him.
And that was shown as he entered the arena.
"Go win this Naruto!"
"Show them what the sunny boy of Konoha can do!"
"Beat him up, Naruto-Nii!"
"You better win this, idiot."
Naruto was surprised to see this much support from his fellow villagers… Enough to moisten his eyes as he lowered his head to hide his eyes.
He did his best to earn approval, and seeing their support simply invigorated him with energy.
This is what he always wanted after all. And meeting his boss was the starting step that brought him here.
So, he rubbed his eyes dry with his right hand, before he brought it up and gave the crowd his most dazzling smile.
…
"He is quite popular…" Stated The Kazekage.
"Yes, Naruto has helped a lot of people in the village to earn their approval… he didn't always have a good life. But now he is accepted. And his last victory helped in earning him more favors." Tsunade answered with a smile.
Mei and A simply nodded… While Onoki had narrowed eyes as he stared at the blonde.
'So similar…'
…
Gaara was the Jinchuriki of the Ichibi.
His life was as harsh as most Jinchuriki's.
Hated by his own village. His father seeing him as a monster and a weapon… Having no friends…
And even his most trusted individual trying to kill him…
He never thought he would ever get a night of good sleep or have friends…
Well, that was until he met Mitsu a month ago. A month that changed his whole world view.
In another timeline, Gaara would have been jealous of the approval Naruto was getting, when he was the same as him.
But now… Gaara didn't feel the need to seek approval. He had approval. He could finally sleep. He now had friends…
More than one friend!
Most of them weren't used to him yet. They still feel a bit unsettled being near him… But they were his friends nonetheless… His precious companions.
And Uzumaki Naruto… a being similar to him… was one of them.
Though he had no idea why his first friend Mitsu asked him not to tell the blonde boy about his status as a Jinchuriki. But he would comply with his friend's request.
He watched as his blonde friend turned to him with a toothy smile.
He returned with a small barely visible one.
"Are you ready to fight Naruto? Friends are supposed to have good fights no?" Gaara asked.
Naruto seemed amused. But he grinned and said,
"You betcha! But make sure you go all out! Or it won't be fun, ya know!"
"That I shall, my friend."
…
The fight between them started with a bang.
Naruto speed up and tried to slam his Bo on Gaara, only to be blocked by Gaara's sand.
But he didn't seem phased as he kept moving and hitting the sand from different angles, only for Gaara to stand in the epicenter as if he was some sort of statue.
"You need to do better than that Naruto."
"Tsk! Shut up, teme! I will break this sand, believe it!" Naruto shouted as he made a cross sign, and 6 clones appeared as they all started hitting the sand at their highest speed.
But that too ended to no avail.
…
"He is quite fast. Not as fast as that Lee kid, but that's good speed." Commented Onoki.
"That's a good speed for a Chunin, but that will not broch Gaara's defense." Rasa stated.
…
In the VIP box for the female dignitaries,
At the corner where most of the younger noble ladies were sitting, two girls were speaking in a hushed tone.
"Are you sure Naruto-san will be alright?" Suzu, the princess of the Land of the Waves, asked her attendant nervously.
"I am sure Naruto-Niisan will be alright… Haku-senpai did say Naruto-Niisan was trained by the Toad Sage." Karin replied absentmindedly.
Karin was working as one of Mitsu's battle maids to gain experience, as she refused to just sit and be taken care of by Naruto. And she quite enjoyed serving with Haku and Yukina, they taught her all she ever wanted.
And the Kaneko family treated her as their own.
At first, Karin was truly nervous about serving the Daimyo's household. But after spending just a day with them, she knew this was the place for her.
She found older siblings in Princess Hakune, Haku, and Yukina. A friend in Suzu and a mother figure in the Daimyo's wife.
And her actual Master, the Third Prince, was kind to them all. He was also her only close relative Naruto's boss, as the boy liked to call him.
"Really? But I heard from Onii-sama that I should always stay away from the toad sage. Do you know why?" Suzu asked innocently. She was still young and sheltered after all.
Karin had a red face as she answered, "Suzuran! You should listen to Mitsu-sama's advice and stay away from bad men like the toad sage! If you see him, then run the other way and call for guards!"
Suzu seemed scared, but she nodded at the warning.
Somewhere in the stadium, a Sage who was witnessing his student's fight had the urge to sneeze…
…
Even with the aid of his clones, and using his new fighting style, he was unable to even put a dent in Gaara's shield.
"Are you done, Naruto? Maybe you should give up?" Gaara said kindly… If it was anyone else, it would sound like mocking. But Gaara was genuinely trying to be helpful.
Naruto wasn't offended. He grinned easily as he shouted,
"Oh yeah?! I see that you can block 6 simultaneous hits! But what about a hundred! No! FIVE HUNDRED!"
Shouting so hundreds of his clones appeared around the arena as they started their assault!
Gaara looked surprised for the first time, before he too smiled softly as he said, "Very well, try to break through my dome."
And the sand that covered him turned into a spherical spinning dome that blocked attacks from all directions.
Much to Naruto's annoyance.
…
"He can make that many clones? How? Not even him being an Uzumaki would allow him to make that many clones safely!" Onoki stated in shock.
Tsunade didn't answer. But she knew that the other Kage's were already putting two and two together.
…
"Hehehe, what will you do now, Gaki? Will you try to find a creative answer? Or will you slam him with Gamabunta? Or maybe…" Jiraya muttered as he watched his student fight from the top of a tree outside the stadium.
…
"Will Naruto be alright?" Hinata asked without much concern, as she had faith in her teammate.
"Yeah, don't worry about the fur ball. I am pretty sure that noggin of his is already thinking of a solution." Mitsu answered as he hugged Hinata from behind as he rested his head on her shoulder.
Hinata was content at the moment as she watched her friend fight and enjoyed her time with Mitsu.
…
Naruto knew that if he didn't change his tactics, he would never win this.
So he decided to try using the new technique he was learning from his master. The 'Pervy Sage'.
Though he was still stuck at the third step the last time they trained. But he had a good feeling that he can make it work if he could get some help.
Then it hit him like a train that Mitsu was trying so hard to implement.
He DID have help.
He had help all around him.
He grinned at the clones around him as he called for 2 of them.
"You, help me push chakra in the ball. And you! Help me rotate it into a sphere!" He ordered.
And the clones got to work.
The crowd watched what he was doing with bated breath, but those who actually had the knowledge looked horrified.
…
"NO! IT CAN'T BE!" Onoki stood up shouting.
"Sit down, Tsuchikage-dono. I won't be saying it twice." Tsunade said softly, but her eyes were sharp.
Onoki felt indignant.
"You lot have been hiding his spawn all this time?" He asked shaking.
"Yes, so that he wouldn't be assassinated growing up. He has the protection of Konoha, his people, and his ALLIES." Tsunade stated. Enunciating the allies part, making Onoki wince as he looked around him.
The other 3 Kages were looking at him intently.
Understanding his situation, he could only sigh indignantly and sit down. But the fear and hatred that was sown deep down was making him uncomfortable.
"He is not his father, Tsuchikage-dono. He doesn't even know of his heritage yet. But he will. Soon. So don't judge the new generation with what the old did." Tsunade said slowly.
Onoki could see the reason behind those words, and nodded.
He was old. He knew that hate begets hate. And targeting someone who has no idea of such was simply being petty.
He wasn't comfortable enough to forgo his hate for the yellow demon… But he will give his son a chance to prove himself…
…
Naruto's first attempt at making the
But he wasn't done.
He ordered 12 more clones to try making their own
And this time he applied what he learned from his failure.
"Don't push too much chakra too quickly! Spin faster!"
The crowd was holding their breath as they watched the blonde boy creating something out of their legends.
Their beloved fourth Hokage's signature skill.
The Rasengan!
…
"Sensei…" Kakashi muttered as he watched his student recreating his teacher's most prized Jutsu.
He was melancholic as he thought of the old times.
A hand clasped his shoulder. He found Asuma, giving him a light squeeze to comfort him.
The action was much appreciated…
…
After 3 more trials and errors.
He had finally done it.
In his hand was the Jutsu he coveted for so long. The Jutsu of his hero.
He held it up high, showing it to the world as the world cheered.
The crowd went wild as they watched with their excited eyes how the yellow-haired boy created their hero's Jutsu.
"GOOOOO!" They shouted, urging the boy.
Who complied with a great big smile.
Naruto rushed towards the dome with the
He jumped up high to gain momentum as he slammed his hand onto the dome with a shout, "TAKE THIS GAARA!"
The sphere hit the dome, spinning and twisting the portion it hit, as the sand was blown away.
The blonde grinned, thinking that he had done it, only for Gaara to look intent as he shouted, "NOT SO FAST, NARUTO!
And as if the sand was sentient, they converged on Naruto. Similar to the Jutsu Hinata had used to bind Rock Lee earlier, Naruto's body was covered in binding sand, as Gaara had a smile on his face.
But before Naruto could be completely sealed, he saw a smirk on the blonde's face as…
*POOF*
To Gaara and everyone's surprise, it was a clone.
This sent alarms in Gaara's head as he felt something underground.
*Bust*
From the ground bust out another Naruto holding the
Naruto grinned and said, "I win!"
"You win." Gaara stated with a smile as his sand fell limp and back into his gourd, while Naruto's clones all popped one by one.
*CHEEER*
The crowd went wild watching the brilliant victory of their own. And it only grew louder as they watched the two opponents shake their hands, one with a great big grin and the other with a soft small smile.
.
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[A/N: Hey there, beautiful people!
Hohoho. An illustration of this chapter would have been awesome huh? Welp, maybe later when i have free time I will try to make some loose illustrations. No promises.
If you want to join the discord! The link is on the synopsis!]