Chapter 52
Ryuu didn't immediately rush the flag. He pulled back, blending with the rest. His initial scan revealed mass disorganization on both sides, with small skirmishes breaking out across the battlefield. The central flag, currently untouched, became a magnet for overzealous Genin from both sides.
He observed his "allies", a few strong taijutsu users charging headfirst, some mid-range specialists struggling with their aim in the sand, a couple of nervous, defensive types hugging cover. No real cohesion. He recognized the pattern. This was typical. He focused his internal senses outwards, extending his reach beyond the immediate melee, looking for familiar signatures on the Azure side.
Izumi was moving with a precise, almost eerie fluidity, her azure armband a streak against the background chaos. Her Sharingan flickered, anticipating the movements of three aggressive Crimson team members who converged on her. She met them with economical deflections, quick counter-strikes, and short bursts of Katon jutsu designed to disrupt rather than maim.
She wasn't seeking out the flag directly yet, focusing instead on neutralizing immediate threats to create space for her Azure allies.
And Renji. His wind-enhanced speed was undeniable, making him a silver blur against the dusty arena floor. He wielded his trench knives with brutal efficiency, leaving two Genin gasping on the ground from precise, non-lethal strikes, temporarily incapacitating them.
He moved towards the central flag, clearly intending to make a play.
Izumi and Renji were fighting as teammates. A good problem to have. His side was fragmented. Azure seemed to be showing flashes of coordinated initiative on their side, driven by Renji's aggressiveness. Ryuu's strategy solidified. He would act as a disruptive element, subtly steering the chaotic currents of battle, protecting the crimson flank closest to the flag without drawing undue attention to himself.
Ram → Snake → Tiger.
"Suiton: Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu!" (Water Release: Water Clone Technique!)
Three perfect duplicates of Ryuu shimmered into existence beside him. They weren't mere illusions, each possessed a fraction of his chakra, capable of basic taijutsu, and, more importantly, looking and acting like a genuine combatant, each holding a kunai.
His first target, a pair of Kumo Genin from the Azure side. They moved with a deceptive quietness, clearly trying to flank a group of Crimson fighters and slip towards the flag unseen. Their chakra signatures were well-suppressed, but Ryuu's honed senses picked them up easily.
The Kumo Genin pair, moving with the coordinated grace didn't immediately fall for the clones' sudden appearance. One, a broad-shouldered youth with lightning-fast reflexes, launched a volley of shuriken at the lead clone. The other, smaller but whip-fast, circled, kunai glinting, seeking an opening to exploit the expected dissipation of a standard Bunshin.
Ryuu's real body, melting back into the swirling dust and chaos of a larger skirmish involving other Crimson members, observed with detached precision. His clones, however, were more than simple diversions. They were extensions of his will, each infused with enough chakra to act independently and, crucially, to perform basic techniques.
The lead clone met the shuriken storm with its own, deflecting several while twisting to avoid the rest. It then charged, not recklessly, but drawing the broader Kumo Genin's attention, creating a subtle lane for its compatriot. The second clone darted in low, exploiting the opening, targeting the flanking Kumo Genin's legs with a sweep of its kunai.
The smaller Kumo Genin, anticipating a standard clone's limited taijutsu, tried to counter, but the water clone's attack was unexpectedly solid, its movements mimicking Ryuu's own fluid, albeit less potent, style. It forced the Kumo Genin to leap back, disrupting his rhythm.
This was the moment Ryuu had instructed them for.
As the two Kumo Genin were briefly separated by the clones' persistent, surprisingly tangible attacks, both clones simultaneously blurred through hand seals.
Snake → Ram → Horse → Hare → Ram → Horse → Hare → Snake → Ox → Clap Hands
Two shimmering spheres of water erupted around the Kumo shinobi, not pulled from the ground as Ryuu sometimes preferred, but coalescing rapidly from the clones' own chakra-infused water bodies.
"Suiton: Suirō no Jutsu!" (Water Release: Water Prison Technique!) their duplicate voices rasped in unison.
The two Kumo Genin yelped in surprise as the heavy water prisons snapped shut around them, the sudden weight and confining liquid pressing in. They thrashed, attempting taijutsu and ninjutsu, but the spheres, maintained by the focused chakra of the water clones standing steadfast beside each prison, held firm. Their flanking maneuver was neutralized.
Seeing that the plan had worked, Ryuu turned his attention to the primary threat that had emerged while his clones handled the flankers. A Suna shinobi, this one radiating a significantly more potent and aggressive chakra signature, had burst through a chaotic clash between several Crimson and Azure members.
This one was different, older, built like a bull, with raw power evident in his every explosive movement. He had already bulldozed two Crimson Genin and was heading directly for Ryuu, who now stood slightly exposed after orchestrating the clone-trap.
"You're the one causing trouble, rag-ball!" the Genin roared, his fist blurring towards Ryuu's head.
Ryuu's mind was ice. No time for complex ninjutsu. This was pure reflex, taijutsu, and tactical acumen. The incoming blow was telegraphed by the sheer explosive power behind it, speed bought with force, not finesse.
Just as the massive fist was about to connect, Ryuu's form flickered.
Kawarimi no Jutsu!
He'd drilled signless substitutions with Izumi for months, learning to sync the chakra surge with muscle memory until it was near instantaneous. He had replaced his body with the one water clone left. He reappeared a meter to the Genin's left, low to the ground, already mid-motion.
The Genin's punch slammed into the water clone, throwing him momentarily off balance with the sheer unspent momentum. He snarled, spinning, but Ryuu was already inside his guard.
Ryuu span in the air, landing a spinning high kick on the genin's head.
The spinning high kick connected with a dull thud against the Suna Genin's temple. The force, while not overwhelming, was delivered with viperish speed and precision, disrupting the bigger shinobi's balance and snapping his head to the side.
He staggered, a growl of surprised pain escaping him.
Ryuu landed lightly, his body already coiling for the follow-up. The Suna Genin, enraged, swung a wild, telegraphed haymaker. Ryuu ducked under it with contemptuous ease, the wind of the passage ruffling his white hair. He moved like water, flowing around the Genin's bulky frame, his own smaller silhouette an advantage in close quarters against such a powerhouse.
He didn't attempt to match strength. Instead, Ryuu launched a volley of fast and sharp attacks on his opponent's weak spots, especially the solar plexus.
The Suna Genin roared, frustrated by his inability to land a solid blow on the elusive Konoha shinobi. He lunged, attempting a grappling move, trying to use his superior weight and strength, but his body was already showing weakness from the sustained hits.
Ryuu flowed backward, just out of reach, drawing the Genin forward. As the Suna shinobi overextended, Ryuu saw his opening. He didn't try to stop the charge head-on. Instead, he pivoted sharply on his lead foot, his other leg sweeping out in a low, powerful arc – a basic leg reap, executed with perfect timing.
The Suna Genin, his balance already compromised, went crashing down, his heavy body hitting the sand with a jarring impact. Before he could even begin to push himself up, Ryuu was on him. Ryuu's knee pressed hard into the Genin's back, pinning him. With practiced movements, he locked the Genin's arm in a tight, painful joint lock, stretching the ligaments to their limit without breaking them.
"Yield," Ryuu's voice was low, calm, but with an unbreakable undertone.
The Suna Genin thrashed for a moment, then slumped, defeated, a string of curses spilling from his lips.
A proctor was already in front of them, escorting the defeated Genin out of the battle.
Ryuu glanced towards his two Water Clones. They still stood, steadfast, maintaining the Water Prisons on the Kumo flankers. The spheres were stable, testament to the chakra Ryuu had invested in their creation and maintenance. This tied up three strong opponents, drastically shifting the balance on this side of the field.
Other Crimson members, witnessing these swift, effective takedowns, gained a surge of confidence. The Iwa Genin acting as their impromptu leader bellowed encouragement and directed a more focused assault on the now disorganized Azure members nearby.
Across the arena, the fight for the central flag raged. Azure, despite Izumi's skilled leadership and Renji's ferocious attacks, was beginning to buckle under the pressure. With several of their key players removed from action, their formations were breaking. Izumi fought valiantly, her Sharingan predicting and countering, but she was being forced onto the defensive as more Crimson members converged on her position. Renji, after being momentarily freed from his own brief skirmish, tried to rally a counter-attack, but his Azure teammates were exhausted and demoralized.
The thirty-minute mark approached. The Crimson flag-bearer, a nervous but determined Konoha Genin from a civilian background, was now heavily defended by a ring of his teammates.
"Five minutes remaining!" Baki's voice cut through the sounds of battle.
Azure launched a final, desperate assault. Izumi, seeing their chances slip away, poured every last ounce of her remaining chakra into a powerful Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu, aimed at disrupting the Crimson defenders. Renji simultaneously unleashed a Fūton: Kazekiri no Jutsu, trying to slice an opening.
But it was too little, too late. The Crimson team, anchored by the defensive stability Ryuu had provided on their flank and emboldened by their numerical advantage in active combatants, weathered the assault. Ryuu himself, sensing the last surge, used a quick Fūton: Reppūshō to deflect the worst of Renji's wind blades from hitting the core defenders, conserving the last dregs of his own chakra.
The final whistle blew. Silence descended, thick and heavy.
"Time!" Baki declared. "The Crimson Team has successfully maintained control of the flag!"
A ragged cheer went up from the surviving Crimson members. On the Azure side, shoulders slumped. Izumi deactivated her Sharingan, her face stoic but betraying a flicker of deep disappointment. Renji slammed a fist into the sand, cursing under his breath.
Suna medical-nin and proctors moved onto the field, tending to the injured and escorting the "eliminated" shinobi away. Ryuu released his Water Clones, which dissolved into puddles, and then released the Water Prisons, letting the two bewildered Kumo Genin drop to the sand, soaked and disoriented.
Baki's voice resonated once more. "Crimson Team, congratulations. You have passed this stage of the Chūnin Exams. Azure Team, your efforts were commendable, but you have failed to achieve the objective. Your examination ends here."
Ryuu watched as Izumi and Renji were led away with the other Azure members. Izumi caught his eye for a fleeting moment, giving a barely perceptible nod. It wasn't a nod of congratulations, more one of acknowledgement. You fought well. Different outcomes. Renji just looked tired and utterly dejected. Ryuu felt a pang. They were his team, his friends. But this was the reality of the Chunin Exams.
Later that evening, after being debriefed, given meagre rations, and assigned temporary quarters within the tower, the surviving Genin from the Crimson team – and any individuals from other winning teams from other concurrent battles – were gathered in a smaller briefing room. Not all members of every winning team had automatically passed, Baki and the other proctors had evidently been making individual assessments based on performance.
The room was tense. Ryuu counted heads. Ten. Exactly. A drastic reduction from the thirty-six who had entered the team battle stage. His own former Crimson teammates, the Iwa Genin and the Kusa shinobi, were present, along with others he vaguely recognized.
Baki entered, his presence commanding immediate silence. He scanned the room, his gaze lingering on each of them. "You ten represent the most promising Genin to have survived the rigors of this examination thus far. Your performance has demonstrated the qualities sought in Chunin."
He paused. "While you all possess qualities of Chunin, that doesn't mean all of you will be become one. Tomorrow, the true stage of the Chūnin Exams will commence. It will be a tournament of individual battles, held in the main arena before the Kazekage, Lord Rasa, the Daimyo of Wind Country, and esteemed representatives from your respective villages."
A murmur went through the room. The Kazekage himself. Daimyo. This elevated the stakes immensely. This was something that everyone knew, but it usually varied in style. They had not expected a tournament to be their debut stage.
Ryuu thought of Sunagakure. He knew Rasa was a pragmatic and ruthless, leader, deeply concerned with Suna's military strength and standing. The mention of Gaara and Yashamaru's story, the failed assassination attempt designed to test the young Jinchuriki, was a stark reminder of the political undercurrents and harsh realities in Suna. This year's exams, particularly one held in Suna, would be under intense scrutiny.
"Your match-ups will be determined by random drawing before the commencement of the tournament," Baki continued. "Rest. Prepare yourselves. Tomorrow, you will showcase your individual strength, your ninjutsu, your taijutsu, and your strategic acumen to the fullest. Prove that you are worthy of the rank of Chunin."
He surveyed them one last time. "Dismissed."
As Ryuu walked back to his sparse quarters, he replayed the day's battles. There he found his team waiting for him, with his Jonin sensei, Genma smiling mischievously with the usual senbon in his mouth.