Chapter 92: The Defining Factor!

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Sasuke's POV (Courtyard of Iron Arena - Land of Iron)

Sasuke wielded the blade of flames as he eyed his opponent. Despite the competitive clash, Fuu seemed mostly undamaged and not tired at all. Meanwhile, Sasuke had used a fair bit of his chakra. He had thought the lanterns would be the finish to this fight. After all, it was powerful and challenging to deal with the technique, and he had managed to hide away while using it. But she had homed in on him rather quickly. And even when the jutsu did land it wasn't incredibly effective.

'I wasn't expecting this level of competition from her. I figured she was a tank but would be dealt with easily enough. It's clear to me now that isn't the case. She's durable enough to take on powerful ninjutsu head one with minimal damage. Her flight makes her quick and mobile in unpredictable ways. She also has access to some powerful insect-based forms. So far, she seems to have a basic one, more of an all-rounder form; when she unleashed that powerful explosive attack, it seemed like she lost her wings. Now, this newest form allowed her to tank five of his demon lanterns. So, there are three forms. She has an all-rounder, which increased her offense and defense to roughly a similar level, an offensive one that gave her access to ranged attacks, and a defensive one that seemed to improve her already impressive defense. I need to destroy her now before she finds a route to end this. Before she can switch!' Sasuke decided as he blurred forward.

Sasuke appeared behind Fuu; as soon as he did so, Fuu spun, attempting to backhand him, but met nothing but air. Sasuke had already reappeared before her, lunging forward with his blade. Fuu gasped as it stabbed her shallowly. With a screech of pain, Fuu jumped backward through the air to get distance; it merely played into Sasuke's hand.

'Good, I didn't think her armor would provide much defense against Besmirched Flambe. The heat simply burns from within. Which is perfect. She sacrifices speed and mobility for armor, a critical flaw when I can bypass it. And without your pesky wings, I have air superiority!' Sasuke thought as he flexed chakra all throughout his body. 'Need to use the body flicker at maximum efficiency. This fight goes to UCHIHA!'

"Fiery Reappearing Shadow Sever!" Sasuke called. Fuu was defenseless as Sasuke moved at a speed that no one under Jounin could keep up with. Merely appeared as a glowing red line that slashed mercilessly at the airborne Fuu, who screamed out pain during the barrage. Fuu landed bodily at the end of such, Sasuke standing in front of her coldly.

"Kakashi, this woman is done," Sasuke said as he marched forward. "It'll be a miracle if she even suriv-" Sasuke was interrupted as a cheerful voice yelled.

"Not yet~!" Fuu called cheerfully as she flew forward fist-first into Sasuke's back. 'She switched forms at some point!' Sasuke spat out blood as Fuu smashed into him at speed. Sending the confident Uchiha sprawling forward before he blurred and appeared across from Fuu. Wiping the blood off his face and spitting some out, the Uchiha eyed Fuu coldly.

"How the hell are you even alive?" Sasuke asked incredulously. "Your insides should be cooked!"

"Oh, I'm so lucky!" Fuu cheered. "It hurt for a while, but with Chomei, that stuff never sticks!"

"That makes no sense! You can't luck your way out of being internally immolated!" Sasuke roared, confused and angered by the seemingly unstoppable Fuu. "Also, who the hell is Chomei…" Sasuke paused as he thought. His Besmirched Flambe reappeared in his hands as now slightly battered Uchiha eyed her down. "Your beast… must make you durable, but that can't be all… you can heal." Sasuke reasoned out loud.

"Sure can!" Fuu agreed readily. "It'll take more of that to keep me down."

"Good for you. But now it's my turn for a trick. Look me in the eyes, Fuu." Sasuke said as his Sharingan spun wildly.

"Umm, sure?" Fuu said, confused as she did so. "It's cool. Your eyes can spin, I guess?"

Sasuke didn't bother to answer. Instead, he blurred to her left, fainting another lunge. Instead, he blurred above her and slashed at her head. Fuu managed to lean out of the way of this and fly upwards, seeking safety in the air. Sasuke growled as he chained his body flicker to pursue her upwards. As he did, he would blur in or out of range, slashing with Besmirched Flambe at Fuu. Yet the jinchuriki dodged and weaved each slash. Now freed of her defensive mode, she seemed fast enough to react to his attacks. The two continued their dance into the sky well above the arena. Eventually, Sasuke decided this was a waste of chakra and began to fall toward the ground while seemingly wielding his Flambe like an arrow notched in an invisible bow. "Take this! Arrow of the Besmirched: Phoenix Arrow!" Sasuke said as the blade flew forward as if shot from a bow. Fuu flinched, not expecting it to be shot, and was hit dead center. With a gasp of pain, she spat out blood and began to fall as well.

Sasuke appeared above her, now wielding another Besmirched Flambe. "This is finished." He promised as he spun and prepared a mighty slash. The blade seemed to turn blue and swell as he did. "Besmirched Despair: Brillant Disdained Flame!" As he slashed, the blade exploded outwards with blue flames. Fuu, just having recovered from the arrow, merely screamed as she was covered in the explosive flames. Before, with a boom of chakra, she was coated in a glowing cloak of it, this chakra noticeably stronger. She shook her head as if to clear her thoughts,and with a grunt of pain flew through the powerful blast of flames. Sasuke flinched at this, not expecting to tank one of his more powerful jutsu. He desperately formed another Flambe, but as he slashed it at Fuu, she caught it in her hand like a regular blade. Sasuke was shocked into silence. 'How can she hold it! The beast chakra can interact with it?!' He had little time to ponder as Fuu grabbed and held the blade with strength. Sasuke desperately pulled but could not free it. While Sasuke did so, Fuu's other chakra-covered hand seemed to form a construct that looked like some kind of horn.

"My turn, emo!" Fuu declared. "Herculean Punch!" She yelled as she slammed the fist into Sasuke's face, sending him careening towards the ground. The Uchiha was at first stunned. But gasping with pain Sasuke body flickered against the force, which managed to bleed off some speed, considerably lowering the impact of his body and the cruel hard earth. Even coating himself in chakra, Sasuke barely held consciousness as the impact sent waves of shock through his mind and body. Sasuke groaned in pain as he crawled to all fours and bodily managed to stand. Fuu could be seen standing in front of him, patiently waiting.

"By the way!" Fuuav chirped as if she had not very nearly killed him. "Chomei says your genjutsu won't work on us. Apparently, Chomei can free me from any you do land!"

Sasuke flinched at that, now understanding how Fuu was contesting his Ash Step. While it allowed Sasuke impressive speed and mobility, the most vital part of it was the subtle Genjutsu Sasuke used in tandem. The subtle Genjutsu allowed the technique to seem even quicker and made it so even those who could match it, struggle to keep up. The two used in tandem made his approach almost impossible to detect or react to in battle. But if Fuu was immune to his Genjutsu, it made sense that she would have the raw speed to respond. Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he lowered his stance.

"It seems things are getting interesting." Sasuke said with a slight smirk. "What do you fight for?" Sasuke was stalling slightly. The decisive blow from Fuu had nearly knocked him out and may have broken some of his ribs. His chakra reserves were roughly half-depleted. And apparently, he needed a new strategy for his opponent. Luckily, she didn't seem intelligent and likely wouldn't notice his ruse.

"Fight for?" Fuu asked, confused. She felt much happier now that she had landed a solid strike on the Uchiha. "Um, well, for fun, I guess… my village kinda forced me here. So mostly just having fun until it's over."

"Fun?" Sasuke asked with a raised brow. "You're doing this for fun? Then why fight so hard?"

"Like I said, my village forced me here; I assume if I fail, it'll be held against me. I can't really afford for my village to like me any less." Fuu finished with a nervous chuckle. "I also figured I could make some friends. And it worked! So, ya, I'm mostly here for fun. Besides, I doubt anyone other than the other two stand a chance; I'm too lucky."

Sasuke's entire body tensed. These exams meant so much to him; he needed to prove himself, prove the Uchiha wasn't fading, gain power, gain influence. It was no great exaggeration to say this was the most significant task he had endeavored to do. Fuu was here for mere fun and friends. Both of which Sasuke could admit to liking to some degree. But it was no true motivation. Fuu wasn't fighting for anything…

"Then I'm afraid I can't lose to you. I never could," Sasuke said, his voice now dark. It seemed as though the air around him grew hotter. His eyes spun even faster.

"Um, but I'm way stronger. So why not?" Fuu replied earnestly.

"There's a difference between us." Sasuke continued as he raised his hand. A second Besmirched Flambe appeared. "You don't want to lose. I can't." Sasuke blurred forward, slicing at Fuu's head and legs at the same time. Impressively, Fuu jumps while scrunching to avoid both slices. With a flap of her wings, she propelled herself forward, which Sasuke managed to evade narrowly with another body flicker. He appeared above her, but with shocking speed, Fuu flipped around, kicking Sasuke higher into the air violently. Before suddenly, the man managed to recover from the blow with mere grit, Sasuke surged forward, slashing both blades from the left and right. Fuu managed to catch the right one, but the left slash landed. Slicing a burning line through her midsection. Fuu flinched in pain, allowing Sasuke to weave hand signs. Before he could finish, Fuu called out in pain.

"Chomei style: Lucky Instance!" Fuu called out. Sasuke flinched, he remembered what this did to Lee, and as his chakra surged suddenly, and his jutsu lost control. Sasuke only could offer a single syllable word before the technique backfired, causing an explosion that sent Sasuke flying and stunned Fuu for an instant. Fuu smiled. The small blast barely hurt her as she powered through the blast and flew forward to pursue the injured Uchiha. Sasuke flew into the forest, crashing into a tree with a dreadful thud. Fuu prepared to finish him off, aiming a punch for him as he collided with the tree. Sasuke fought off unconsciousness with willpower alone, and mere instinct had him blur away in time to avoid Fuu's punch. The power of which tore the tree down. Sasuke attempted to use trees for cover, but Fuu flew through tree trunks as if they were paper. The branches, trunks, and fragments flying through the air added to the threat the Uchiha had to avoid. Sasuke's impressive acrobatics and use of Ash Step, to avoid the calamity.

He flew out of the forest into the sandy part of the arena. Desperate for space, he turned and managed to dispel one Flambe as he aimed at the other. Fuu emerged from the forest, flying headfirst towards a Phoenix Arrow. Fuu could not dodge or catch the attack; instead, she screamed.

"Chomei Style: Lucky Instance!" The arrow somehow spun around and instead raced for its creator. 'This is bullshit!' Sasuke ducked this as he landed but was helpless to stop Fuu from smashing into him headfirst. He skidded along the ground as Fuu stomped forward. Sasuke rose slowly, bleeding from all over and covered in burns; he stared at Fuu.

Fuu stopped with a frown. "You were entertaining, even if you seem a bit judgmental. I've had quite a bit of fun. But I think this fight is over." She replied simply.

"It can't be. I won't let it be. If only I knew you were going to be so powerful." Sasuke complained as he formed a pair of hand signs. "I would've used this from the start. Fiery Presence: Kagutsuchi." Fuu raced forward to stop this but was flung back by a massive explosion of flames.

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 Naruto's POV (Contestant Section of Iron Arena - Land of Iron)

Naruto whistled with appreciation at the fight before him. Even more so since Fuu was winning, well it seemed anyway. It was too competitive of a match to be sure. Naruto had taken a liking to the friendly lady and had never been that keen on Sasuke. He had to admit, the two had stolen the show so far. 'Shame I didn't get to fight either of them… I guess Gaara isn't the only threat.'

"Oh dear, I can't believe he will do this!" Hinata suddenly started with a gasp. "We have to get Kakashi to stop this!"

"Eh?" Shikamaru asked as he leaned against the railing beside her. "I agree it's a rough match, but it should be fine. Fuu has tanked everything Sasuke offers and doesn't seem like the killing type. Besides Sasuke is a bit anti social but not murderous."

"Sasuke isn't… normally," Hinata said with hesitation. "But I was there when he created that technique! Sensei banned it for use unless he's in a life-or-death situation. It's too powerful and destructive for a friendly battle."

"That bad, huh?" Naruto asked. "I still don't see the big deal. Fuu is crazy strong and is in control."

"It doesn't matter who wins!" Hinata replied angrily. "Someone may die!"

"I hate to say it, Hinata, but even if that is the case, it's technically within the rules of the exams." Shikamaru countered. "Besides, Kakashi is a living legend. If it was essential to interfere, he surely would."

"I suppose…" Hinata said nervously.

"Um," Naruto said. "Are you sure he even could?"

"What kind of question is that? He's a famous Jounin; of course, he can." Shikamaru replied.

"Well, look," Naruto replied bluntly. All three did so, and they were shocked by what they saw. What looked like a living, swirling, storm of fire stood in the middle of the sandy portion of the field. Sasuke looked nothing like his usual self. Instead, his body was caked in flames, which raced off his body in flares. The sand around him was melting and forming into patches of glass. Fuu, who had tanked various fire jutsu, flames, and explosions alike, stood twenty feet away. Different from the rest of the fight, Fuu seemed hesitant, unsure of how to approach. A few pieces of shrubbery that had remained unburied around Sasuke seemed to wither before bursting into flames.

"I'm not sure anyone can touch him without being hurt." Naruto mused. "Though Kakashi does know some powerful water jutsu. Soooo… maybe?"

"What the fuck?!" Shikamaru said with a grimace. "This is no mere drag; no simple water technique is gonna do anything. Do you know how hot something has to be to produce heat of that magnitude from that far away? It should be impossible to survive this technique even as a user! Yet alone maintain it!"

"It's something absurd. Something no one should attempt." Hinata explained. "Earnestly, I had little doubt my teammate would win. Not because of his power but because he will not lose until he achieves his goal. Even if it cost him his life." Hinata explained.

Naruto frowned at this before nodding respectfully at Sasuke. He was also prone to risk it all for his ideology. 'Nah I must be going crazy, I am nothing like Sasuke Uchiha.'

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 Fuu's POV (Courtyard of Iron Arena - Land of Iron)

Fuu stood a short distance away, eyeing the walking, fiery, mast, that Sasuke had become. She usually wouldn't bother with caution; most shinobi had been unable to hurt her in her career. Sasuke had managed more damage to her than anyone ever had. First, his lanterns had actually managed to hurt her to a minor degree. Then his blade of fire hurt a lot. If not for Chomei healing her, Sasuke would have defeated her by now. But Fuu had been confident Sasuke had shown his best moves. And had nothing that could put her away. Now she thought the situation may be different; even from her distance, it was seriously hot! Fuu could only imagine how hot it would be up close. The guy didn't even look human anymore. Could he really survive in such a state?

Fuu's answer came when the walking infernal began its trek towards her. His gait was slow and focused as if it was taking an effort to move so slowly. As it walked, the flames that covered him seemed to be reacting. Suddenly, flaring or bursting from him. Each step led to the sand melting into glass and maintaining its molten form. The flames surrounding its head seemed to shrink before the glowing, twirling eyes of the Sharingan were present. "I try not to use this technique. In fact Shisui told me never to do so unless it was a last resort. To me my goal is worthy of risking my life. While immune to the flames and resistant to the heat, each second in this form is utter agony. This technique is a grim, masochistic pledge. To burn away all secrets, all conspiracy, all deceit. It's named after an old god who was worshiped. His very birth brought destruction. The technique is no different from its inspiration. Surrender now; I cannot guarantee you will survive the next sixty seconds if not. Someone as weak and naive as you cannot hope to better me. Not when you fight for nothing." Sasuke lectured, his voice raspy and pain-filled.

Fuu felt anger swell as a second and third set of wings sprouted from her back, and the Buji chakra's thin coat surrounding her thickened. She thought of the harsh and cold treatment of her homeland. The constant and unfair treatment. Everyone assumed she was either a monster or a tragedy. Fuu had spent her life being looking down on. Even though she was lucky to have Chomei, even though she was strong. Now, this guy was looking down on her for making the best of a bed situation? Even after doing her best and performing well she was looked down upon? No, she was done with that.

"Fuu, this is unnecessary." Chomei chimed in, sounding concerned. "The heat alone would be a test of our healing factor. And I doubt the ability is simply a burn-based one. Another Lucky Instance or Bombardier Beetle Blast would be the best move."

'I'll bet this bastard hasn't lost much speed. So bombing him won't work. It wasn't only due to him being confident we didn't know his location it worked the first time. Lucky Instance won't win the match here unless I'm careful. I must force a close combat situation that Lucky Instance can pull in my favor.' Fuu thought. Her anger had always focused on her in ways she usually couldn't.

"I may not have some grand reason to be here," Fuu said sharply, frowning earnestly for the first time in the exams. "But that doesn't make me less; you have no idea what I've been through. Maybe you have some grand purpose." Fuu said as she lowered her stance. "But I don't need any specific reason to wanna kick your ass."

"You'll wish you took the out when I offered!" Sasuke roared as he suddenly flashed forward. There was a boom as he used the Ash Step in tandem of a burst of flames propelling him forward, flames flying from his body and coating the surroundings. Sasuke had become even faster with his body switch. Despite what all logic would say, and doubtless what the shinobi in the audience balked at, Fuu didn't flinch. Fueled by rageful spite, she raced forward, her speed slightly slower than Sasuke's. They both raced forward and, without preamble, slugged each other with their right hands. The boom of the Sasuke's explosive punch burned and bruised Fuu's face but she held her ground. MeanwhileSasuke would've gone flying if not for multiple flares from his back keeping him standing. But the moment allowed a rage-filled Fuu to unleash a vicious body blow. The Iron Arena was filled with the hiss of chakra as Fuu's body cloak and Sasuke's flames met. Fuu attempted to grab the airborne Sasuke, braving the firestorm between the two. But she screamed in pain as it momentarily overwhelmed her. The brief moment allowed the Uchiha to spin in the air, flames jetting off to maneuver him and add momentum. This allowed Sasuke to spin through the air, unleashing a kick to the head that, as it impacted, cracked the ground below. Fuu went through it a second later. Sasuke stomped on the down Fuu an instant later, embedding her further on the ground. He raised both fiery palms to finish her off, before suddenly Fuu reared up and, placing both feet on Sasuke, screamed as she launched him into the air. A storm of flames followed Sasuke as he flew into the air. The orange glow from the fire lit the arena around them as they did.

Fuu stumbled for a moment as Sasuke flew through the air. 'These damn flames, my whole body feels burnt. I can barely breathe… but I'm gonna prove my point!' She glanced at her tan skin, noticing it changing color as it was burnt even through her chakra cloak. 'He seems to able to take my hits now and even offer them back. He even got faster! No! It doesn't matter! I'm lucky, and I'm not worthless!' Fuu decided as she took off with a loud boom.

She smashed into the airborne Uchiha, gritting her teeth as she did. She unleashed several powerful jabs on his body, stunning him as the pain threatened to overwhelm her at any moment. Fuu growled as she grabbed Sasuke using nothing more than willpower. To her surprise, the flames around Sasuke's face parted, allowing the Uchiha to look her in the eye.

"I was wrong about you," Sasuke said simply as he glared at her. "But my will is still stronger than yours." He concluded as suddenly the flames intensified. Fuu cried out in pain at this but didn't let go. She lifted them higher, moving noticeably slower. "Smart decision to keep me in the air. Limits my options. Unfortunately, it's been 45 seconds, and I predicted you'd do this! Fire Style: Fallen Comet!" The flames around them suddenly surged into the two, making both scream in pain. Before much else could happen, the fire exploded, sending a fiery ball containing both careening to the ground.