I sincerely apologise for the delay in this--I meant to have this out by
noon yesterday, but I have allowed myself to be distracted all over the
place. X_X

And here we go again.

Whee!

I should warn you that this chapter is long and heavy on the fight
scenes, for reasons that should be obvious to those who have been
following the story.

Yay! Just the way we like it!

Chapter 11: Way of the Ninja

So long as it's not anything like the Way of the Dodo...

fanfic is mine, and may not be used without permission.  Also,
panthercorns!

...panthercorns?

        Uzumaki Naruto knew that he was not always as observant as a
ninja should be.  He'd heard that more than enough times from his
teachers back in the academy or from Kakashi and his teammates after
he'd screwed up in yet another training exercise.  This wasn't to say
that he was always unobservant, of course.  Were that the case, he would
have already died far more than a dozen times.  It was just that,
sometimes, he didn't pay quite as much attention to things as he needed
to.

Like where to aim when he pees.

        Despite this, he had noticed quite a few interesting things
about his teacher, the legendary Sannin Jiraiya.

"He's a pervert! He likes kabuki! He has a frog fetish! He wears geta! He
has a hell of a lot of hair!"

 Even setting aside the
volumes he could write on the old man's perversity despite the fact that
he still had only the vaguest perception of what that perversity
precisely entailed

DON'T BELIEVE IT FOR AN INSTANT.

If ANYONE in the series is a "closet pervert", it's Naruto. :P

, there were countless small habits and mannerisms of
which Naruto had become aware.  For one, he knew the way Jiraiya's eyes
shifted whenever he spoke or thought of Orochimaru.  He could read the
nuances of the vast collection of sighs Jiraiya could produce.

"Ah, that one means he's passing really bad gas!"

        As they had countless times over the past week, a thousand tiny
details in the way Jiraiya held himself told Naruto that the older man
most feared an attack originating from Naruto himself.  Naruto, not
being nearly so stupid as many thought, did not need a lot of thinking
to know why that might be, not with the convenient gaps in his memories
provided by his recent comas.  He remembered all too well the harsh
laughter of the Kyuubi as the two-tailed construct of blood and chakra
had devoured him whole before the gates of the Kyuubi's prison.  It was
not hard to imagine what might have happened in the real world at the
same time.

"GANGBANG NO JUTSU!"

        "That's my boy," Jiraiya said.  He released Naruto, who scowled
at him.  Jiraiya laughed.  "Don't look like that," he said.  "I have a
present for you."
        Naruto blinked.  "What?"

"A first-edition printing of Icha-Icha Paradise Volume 1!"

        "He is most impressive, even setting aside his eye," Junhime
agreed.  Naruto frowned slightly, something setting off warning bells in
the back of his mind.  Kaida's apprentice continued, "We were further
delayed when we got picked up by a Hidden Sky patrol, and they debated
whether it was worth the risk to the alliance of a squad of Cloud ninja
vanishing inside their country to get their hands on the famous copy
ninja Sharingan Kakashi."

So much for Naruto staying quiet after THAT.

        Naruto didn't even pause to think, but even if he had it
wouldn't have changed his next action in even the slightest.  He
snarled, not noticing his teeth lengthening and sharpening or the rapid
growth of his fingernails into inhuman claws.  Red chakra flickered
around him, and he was just as oblivious to it as to the physical
changes.  Instantly noting the explosion of power behind her, Junhime
was on her feet in an instant, whirling about to face Naruto with kunai
in one hand.  Her eyes widened slightly.  "You're -" she began, only to
cut off as Naruto snarled again.

She's quite dead.

        "Fine," Junhime stated.  "I'll give you one.  I captured Hatake
Kakashi and brought him here.  He's now in the hands of the medical
division here and they'll study him until their certain they can safely
transplant the Sharingan.  Then if I'm lucky I'll get the eye, and if
you're lucky we'll trade him back to the Leaf."  She smiled.  "Please do
try to change his fate, little boy.  I'd love to have you take yourself
out from under Kaida-sama's protection that way."

Cocky bitch, isn't she?

Man, poor Naruto...being forced to sit around while KNOWING Kakashi is being
tortured...

        The arena was loud.  Even now, almost an hour before the first
match was scheduled to begin, the stands were packed with hundreds of
observers from all over the allied nations and beyond.  Vendors moved up
and down the broad stairways, hawking their overpriced wares.  It was a
shame that none of them would ever even consider daring the guarded
passageway's that lead to the Kages' platform at the top of the arena,
because Tsunade could have really used a drink.

As if Shizune would even allow that.

        "I certainly hope so," Tsunade said.  "I'd hate to have to sit
out here all day to be bored.  I get enough of that in the office."

Heh.

        "I'm starting to think we should have just skipped the middle-
woman and just made Shizune-chan Hokage directly," Koharu stated dryly.

*SNRK*

Well, it's often said the wife IS the power behind the throne, and Shizune
is Marcy to Tsunade's Patty, so.... *RUNS*

        The roar of the crowd was deafening, and Mitarashi Anko felt
herself grinning widely as her gaze swept the line of genin standing
beside her.  The third exam might not be quite as fun to run as the
second, but it did have its moments.  Her grin widened as she noted to
herself just how easy it was to tell that Hyuuga Neji was the only one
of the genin who had ever been in this situation before.  The others
were all looking around in something very much like awe.

As for Neji, he's just hoping he doesn't get publically pwned like the LAST
time...

        Almost having to shout to make herself heard over the noise of
the spectators, Anko told the young ninja, "You all had better give them
a good show."  She licked her lips, noting that the crowd had begun to
quiet as they noticed her speaking.  "I want to see plenty of blood."

Ah, good ol' Anko.

Anko smiled slightly at disgusted looks several of the genin gave her,
then pulled out and unfolded a slip of paper.  "In case any of you are
morons

Naruto's not there, though!

        Judging that the time was right, Anko activated a technique to
amplify her voice so that it could be heard throughout the arena, even
though she spoke only slightly more loudly than usual.

In other words, she turned on her collar mic. :P

        Midori stopped, falling rapidly into a defensive stance.  "What
are you up to?"
        Fuki released the leaves, which began to flutter slowly to the
ground.  Her hands flickered through seals.  "Leaf Shuriken Technique!"
she shouted, and the falling leaves suddenly began to fly through the
air as straight and true as any real shuriken.  Midori darted and
weaved, a kunai appearing in her hands and shredding a number of leaves
that came too close, yet one leaf managed to penetrate her defense,
leaving a crimson line across one cheek.  "That's what I'm up to," Fuki
stated as she reached for another handful of leaves.

Yay! First blood goes to Konoha! XD

        Breathing heavily, Midori pulled out a small flask of water.
"You aren't the only one with that sort of technique," she observed as
she opened the flask and flung it spinning into the air, spraying water.
As soon as the container left her hands, they began to form seals.
"Water Shuriken Technique!"  Bullets of water formed in midair, flying
straight at Fuki.

*yaaaaawn* She needs something a little more original than that.

        Fuki's hands moved through seals.  "Of course not," she stated,
her hands freezing on the last seal.  "Leaf Shuriken Technique!"  All
around Midori, green leaves, loosened by Fuki earlier, detached
themselves from the tree.  Midori barely had time to recognize her
danger before the storm of razor-sharp foliage descended on her.  "Got
you," Fuki stated, forming a fist and grinning in victory.

Now THAT, she learned from a Pokemon.

        "You're right," Midori's voice came from the empty air beside
Fuki.  "It is over."  The visible Midori vanished in a puff of smoke,
and Anko's eyes widened slightly.  Midori was very fast with her
cloaking technique, if she'd managed to get it up again and create a
replication before either she or Fuki had spotted her.

She's GOOD at basic ninja games!

        Fuki nodded.  "Thank you," she whispered, then she followed
Midori's trail back to the waiting room.  When they arrived, both
fighters rejoined their teams, the trio of Mist ninja pointedly ignoring
the quiet hostility of the others as Saburo loudly celebrated Midori's
victory.  The green-eyed kunoichi herself didn't say anything, settling
for just giving Neji an evil grin.  The Hyuuga prodigy didn't dignify
her with a response.

That's (not) tellin' her, Neji!

        Not far away, Sakura had finished giving her condolences to Fuki
and walked over to her rival.  "You're up next, Ino-pig," she said.
        "I know that, Forehead," Ino muttered.
        "Remember what I told you," Sakura said quietly, "and don't
lose."

"And watch out for flying pee attacks."

        Ino grinned widely at her.  "I told you before, Forehead, I'm
not going to lose.  Worry about your own fight."  With that, she
casually jumped from the waiting room to the arena floor.  Sakura
grimaced as she stared after her and remembered...

"I left the iron on..."

        "As amusing as this petty wordplay is," Anko interrupted, "the
spectators aren't here to watch your lips move.

Unl...
...

....

....naaaah, too easy.

        The flames swept at the empty air, but Ino landed unsteadily.
Ren didn't press the attack, staring quizzically at her.  "You can't
possibly be that bad," she stated as she released her technique.

Oh yes she can.

        "I suppose not," Ino said, her next jump taking her up to the
wall of the arena.  Using a quick flow of chakra to stabilize herself on
the vertical surface, she rapidly formed seals.  "Katon: Fireball
Technique!" she shouted, bringing one hand to her mouth to guide the
flames.
        The massive globe of fire sped at Ren, who was forced to drop
her technique and dodge, narrowly avoiding being caught on the edge of
Ino's technique.  Ino didn't let up, repeating the seals and creating
another fireball that drove Ren farther away from her perch.

[Ino] "Wow, all those blowjobs I gave Shikamaru and Chouji really paid off!"

        With a laugh, Ino jumped down from her perch.  "You're not going
to beat me that way," she stated as she landed.  "Fire element
techniques are my village's specialty.  Haven't you got some water
element techniques to show me or something?"  She slowly advanced on
Ren, who began to walk forward herself.
        "Now you're trying to goad me into switching to water element
techniques," Ren commented,

demonstrating her master of Stating-The-Obvious-no-Jutsu.

        Ino backed away, grinning at the damp earth.  "Now you really
can't use your water element techniques."

Dumb assumption from a dumb blonde.

        "It's you that made the mistake," Ino explained.  "You should
have listened to yourself.  I was trying to goad you into using this
technique."  She smiled.  "These ropes work both ways.  They limit my
movement, by they also provide a conduit for my chakra to reach you.
Now I'm using a variation on the Paralysis Technique, and you can't move
at all."
        "Even so," Ren stated calmly, "you can't attack either.  It's a
stalemate."
        "Not so," Ino declared.  "You're about to yield."

THAT cheap trick again?

        Slowly, tortuously, Ino managed to get her hands into position
to form a rapid sequence of seals.  "Mind-Body Switch Technique," she
breathed, and then she slumped over.  An instant later, the ropes of
water dissolved and Ren took a step backward.

Yep, Ino's a one-trick pony alright.

        Anko rolled her eyes.  "I hate that technique," she muttered.
"Seems too much like cheating."

Then again, isn't cheating pretty much what being a ninja is all about?

        She took another step forward, and realized that she was still
wearing the weights Gai had given her.  She glanced down at the
atrocious orange leg warmers that hid them - she kept on forgetting to
get around to purchasing something less ugly - and considered taking
them off.  It would be wise, but on the other hand she was curious as to
how far she could get without them.  The thought that leaving them on
would help to hide her true speed from future opponents settled the
matter.  If Ami pressed her too hard, she could always take them off,
after all.

Doubtful she'll even need to do that. XD

        Ami grimaced, sheathing her sword.  "I was hoping to save this
for another fight," she commented.  Her hands formed seals, ending on
one that left her hands clasped together.  Flames began to gather above
them, condensing into a small, painfully bright sphere.  "Katon: Fire
Soul!"

*GROAN*

        "You shouldn't telegraph your moves like that," Sakura stated as
she reappeared behind Ami.  The other girl froze, and Sakura grinned,
thinking of Ino's words to her before the match.  Then she her foot

"she her"? :P

slammed into Ami's rear, sending the other girl stumbling forward, her
sword slipping from her hand.

XD

        Everyone in the waiting room could hear the sound of Chouji
hitting something hard, but it still took several moments for the smoke
to fade.  When it did, it revealed the strange sight of Chouji pushing
against a turtle perhaps half as large as his swollen form.

O_o;;

        Flames raced down the wire toward Tenten, who spit out her end
not a moment too soon.  Then she blurred into motion, racing alongside
the still-blazing wire even as it fell to the ground.  Dropping his own
end, Chouji baked away, but not quickly enough.  As Tenten neared, she
leapt into the air, shouting "Leaf Whirlwind!"  Her foot struck Chouji
hard in the jaw sending his flying.

Heh! Expect the unexpected. >:D

        "That's," Ino gasped, glancing at Lee.
        The slightly older boy nodded.  "Tenten is Gai-sensei's student
also," he stated, his eyes tracking her opponent's path through the air.
When Chouji landed, he twitched but did not rise.  Breathing heavily,
Tenten fell to her knees, clearly exhausted.
        Anko appeared next to Chouji, briefly inspecting him.  Then she
raised her hand.  "The winner of the fifth match, Tenten!"

*APPLAUDS WILDLY*

        Sakura started, feeling movement behind her, but realized as she

relaxed, maybe?

        She turned slightly to face him.  "What is it, Neji-san?" she
asked politely, resisting the wild urge to angrily demand that he not
scare her like that.  The sound of Anko loudly announcing the next fight
floated up from the field below.
        "My opponent for the next round, this... Haruno Midori," he
stated.  "What can you tell me?"

"She's a bitch."

        Inuzuka Shinta let out a bark of laughter.

*groan*

The wolf, stopped moving, its mouth slowly opening, saliva dripping from

Stray comma there...

        A few moments after that, Ino arrived with Chouji and -
surprisingly - Shikamaru in tow.  "What did we miss?" she asked as they
joined Sakura, Tenten, and Neji.

"The orgy."

        "This is the Chiba Clan's Bloodline Limit," Maya stated proudly,
"the ability to change one's entire body into water."

"Actually, he really just ate the Splash-Splash Fruit, but..."

        On the field, the water rose up into an approximation of Ikkei's
shape.

"Call me...the LIQUIDATOR!"

        Sakura couldn't hear Lee's answer, but his actions made it
evident as he broke for the trees on the other side of the arena.  This
time it was Ikkei who moved to intercept, but Lee proved fast enough to
dart through the twisting arcs of water.  Sakura bit nervously at her
lip.  What was Lee planning?

Maybe he's looking for a canteen...

        As though he had heard Maya's words, Ikkei drew himself
together, forming a massive liquid hand that dove at Lee.  He froze.

Suggest: that dove at Lee, who froze.

        "First up," she stated, "we've got someone you haven't seen yet,
who was lucky enough to get a free pass into the quarterfinals.  From
the Leaf's most feared clan, Hyuuga Neji will be facing the Hidden
Mist's Haruno Midori."  Anko grinned nastily, glancing sideways at her
sister's student.  "My sources tell me our guest from the Mist has
promised to rip out Neji-kun's eyes.  We all know the usual Hyuuga
response to that sort of threat, so we can look forward to a quick,
brutal fight."

Impartial much?

        Moving on, Anko grinned.  Those were both going to be fun fights
to watch.  She was looking forward to seeing the Hyuuga prodigy in
action again, and having her sister's student be the victim was even
better.  She also had every reason to believe that Sakura's fight would
not be nearly so long and dull as her first match against the Yamanaka
girl.

One can only HOPE not. X_X

        As Sakura passed the special jounin she paused briefly,
murmuring softly, "Was all that... show business really necessary?"
        "Nope!" Anko replied quietly but cheerfully.  "It's fun,
though!"

Heheh.

        Hyuuga Neji wasn't able to stop himself from

being an arrogant prick? Yeah, we know.

        "Freak," Midori stated.  "You disgust me."

God, talk about the pot calling the kettle...

        "Of course not," Midori repeated mockingly.  "Do you have any
idea of the fate you avoided by mere accident of geography?"  She spat
again.  "Of what I've had to go through because of freaks like you?"

*mental image of Neji singing "A Freak Like Me"*

....

*brain collapses on itself*

        "Well, guess what?  I was born exceptional, too.

Exceptionally BITCHY.

        "Well, my destiny is a little different.

"I'm destined to be the biggest bitch on the planet."

 I didn't get any honor
from my talent.  When they saw what I had become, the elders of my clan
decided that it had been a mistake to have my parents marry.  I'll never
have any brothers or sisters.  As for myself, it is too dangerous to let
me breed at all, for risk of my genes giving birth to a line of
bloodline freaks.  My own mother performed the sealing that made sure
that wouldn't be a problem.  No techniques of mine will be passed down
to future generations; I've been warned that developing my own unique
techniques might be enough to convince some zealot that I'm the first to
inherit a Bloodline Limit from the Haruno Clan."

And this is Neji's problem HOW, exactly?

        "Fascinating," Neji stated flatly.  "It seems to me your rage is
misdirected, though."
        "Oh, no," Midori stated.  "They are right, and my visit here has
only proved it.  Didn't you even listen to the examiner a moment ago?
The Hyuuga are the most feared clan in the Leaf, not the most loved.
I've seen and read about the way your kind have lorded it over this
village.  One day, enough of them -"  she waved broadly at the crowd "-
will see the light and overcome their fear.  Then you and your whole
family will be hunted through the streets and torn to pieces like the
subhuman abominations you are!"

What a CHEERFUL thought!

        Neji forced himself to stay still in the center of the unnatural
mist as the numerous water clones Midori had created, slowly moved to

Another stray comma there.

        Neji stiffened, and then he screamed.  He stumbled forward,
every slight motion sending waves of pain that blurred even his vision
through him.  Unable to stand, he toppled over, the ground producing
more agony than a thousand full-strength blows from Lee.  Even the act
of screaming was causing him terrible anguish.  In some almost-unclouded
corner of his mind, he noted how apt Sakura's description of this
technique as simply "pain" was.

And he didn't even need to put his right hand in the box.

Gotta admit, though, I saw this one coming...

        Neji sprung into motion.  Devoid of all his usual grace, he
leapt upward, his fist striking Midori's jaw in a powerful uppercut.

Saw THAT coming, too.

        Anko nodded once.  "The winner, Hyuuga Neji of the Hidden
Village of the Leaf!"  It was a shame, Neji thought, that his opponent
wasn't awake to hear the crowd cheer his victory.

That beating Naruto gave him didn't near enough cure him of his arrogance.

        A moment later, Neji returned to the waiting room.  Up close, he
looked far more strained than he had from a distance.  Only nodding at
the congratulations he received, he walked to Sakura.  "Thank you for
your information," he said gravely.  "If I hadn't been forewarned of her
technique, I would not have been able to counter it."

So even the mighty Hyuuga prodigy admits to needing help from time to time.
Will miracles never cease.

        Sakura forced her mouth into a confident smile.  "You're going
down, Ino-pig."

Ino's ALWAYS going down on someone, so what else is new?

        As the last shuriken clattered to the ground, Sakura released
her kunai, sending it flying straight at Ino.  She jumped out of the
way, just as Sakura had planned.  Almost simultaneously, Sakura leapt as
well, meeting her rival in midair.  Unprepared, Ino was unable to ward
off Sakura's fist

"I wasn't expecting to get fisted in the middle of a match!"

        Sakura didn't give her a moment to recover, charging again as
soon as she herself had landed.  This time, it was she who hurled
shuriken, keeping Ino from having a moment to prepare.  Sakura's foot
arced up, striking Ino in the face with a thunderous crack, and Sakura
felt something break underneath it.

O.o;;

        "It took a lot of bullying," Ino said, "but I managed to get
Shikamaru to help me come up with this one.  He even taught me the
technique I needed to pull it off."  Her hands moved through more seals,
echoed by her clones, and all three sets finished on the same, familiar
seal.

Oh dear.

        Yet, as it chased her, the other two shadows were coming in from
either side.  Sakura jumped again, this time heading straight for Ino.
In an instant, two of the shadows retracted, forming a protective
barrier around the blonde.  Sakura landed just outside the dark
perimeter, jumping again the instant she landed to avoid the inevitable
quick probe by Ino's shadows.

"DAMMIT, INO, NO PROBING IN THE MIDDLE OF A MATCH!"

 As she landed once more, the three
shadows separated, forming flailing dark tendrils that whipped across
the arena floor at her.

"And no public tentacle rape either!"

        Ino nodded, standing.  "That wasn't really Shadow Imitation
Technique," she explained after a moment.  "Shikamaru called it the
Shadow Art Technique.  It just lets you manipulate your shadow."

"Look, I can make a bunny!"

"Damn it!" she repeated.  "What is with you?  Can't you get it into to
your stupid, giant forehead that I'm the closest thing to a friend
you've ever had and not just some... just some wall for you to
overcome?"  Her voice turned almost pleading.  "Can't you stop trying
over and over to beat me so that we can just be friends again?"

Awwww.

        Neji ignored his own theoretical rival's display of exuberance
as Anko announced Sakura's victory.  Haruno had left an obvious opening
to keep her opponent from coming up with any trickery of her own.  It
still would have been wisest to avoid the confrontation at all, but no
matter.  It seemed as though Haruno Sakura was to be his opponent for
the semi-final round, most definitely not something he would have
expected at the start of these exams.
        Almost reflexively, he activated his Byakugan and began to study
the girl, pondering the fight that was to come.

It's going to be like fighting Lee. Only trickier. And with breasts.

        "That'll probably determine whether she becomes a chuunin,"
Koharu interjected.  "If she reacts badly, it'll ruin her chances."
        "And a good showing could guarantee it," Tsunade finished.
        "And what are our hosts speaking so quietly about?" Mitarashi
Kimi said lightly.  "I'm feeling left out."

They're discussing which of the prisoners in the ANBU detention center gets
to rape you first.

        The purple-haired woman, who'd been in a bit of a foul mood
since Hyuuga Neji had defeated Midori, shook her head.  "I'll leave it a
surprise, Hokage-sama."  Below, Kimi's sister announced the beginning of
the match, and after a moment of tense stillness, Tenten filled the air
between her and Saburo with shuriken.

Well, it's better than what Naruto fills the air with...

        Tsunade's frown deepened.  It was clear to her that the weapons
expert was still drained from her match against the Akimichi boy in the
first round.

Yeah, Tenten's not exactly anywhere near as durable as, oh...ANY of the male
ninja. Hell, she's not as durable as *HINATA*.

But we love her anyway, because she's cute. ^_^

        As she landed, Mitarashi Kimi smiled.  "It's over," she stated.
As if she had somehow signaled her student, the well's small supply of
water exploded outward, carrying the weapons with it as it burst from
its confines.  Tenten was flung against the wall under the waiting
room's balcony.  When the water receded, Tsunade could tell that she was
bleeding from several small wounds where her own weapons had struck
home.

Guess she went to the well one too many times with that trick.

        Down below, the last two fighters for the semifinal round had

Quarterfinals still, isn't it?

        Sakura's genjutsu faded, revealing to all the observers that
Neji had struck her in the stomach.  She stood frozen for a moment, then
stumbled backward, falling over as she bit at her tongue to hold back a
scream of pain.  So this was what being hit by the Gentle Fist felt
like, a cold analytical part of her observed.

Not very "gentle" at all, is it?

        Sakura forced one of Neji's smirks onto her face.  "Who said I
was copying Lee-san?" she asked, and her foe's silver eyes widened as he
realized just how badly out of position Sakura's attacks had left him.
Using him for leverage, Sakura rotated herself in midair, then brought
her foot down at full force onto Neji's chest.  "Lion Combo!"

Ah, she's copying Sasuke instead.

        Neji flew away from her but Sakura only snarled, "I'm not done
yet," thrusting one arm toward him.  Repressing a shudder at the
crawling sensation under her arm, she shouted, "Hidden Snake Hands!"

And Anko, too. What next, Kagebunshin?

        Then, she landed, breathing heavily and almost out of chakra.
She looked up and saw Anko.  "Is it over?" Sakura asked.  Anko didn't
answer, and the pink-haired kunoichi turned to where she had heard Neji
fall.  She swallowed when she saw the smoldering log that lay there.

Naturally, she wasted all that energy on a kawarimi.

Slowly, she stood, turning about to face Neji.
        The Hyuuga's face was pale, and he was clutching at his
shoulder.  "The snakes actually were poisoned," he said.

...well, ALMOST all of it.

        "I probably have about three minutes to end this," Neji
declared, and Sakura nodded.  After a moment, Neji bowed shallowly to
her.  "Please forgive me for underestimating you," he said formally.  "I
shall stop holding back now and give you the fight you deserve."

Translation: Prepare to have your ass handed to you on a Chinette plate.

"You are now within the range of my divination," Neji intoned.

In a cheesy Jamaican accent.

        Anko grabbed his hand.  "That's enough," she said.  Neji nodded,
and as though that was a sign, Sakura finally collapsed.  It took her
several long moments to catch her breath, and longer to rise to her
knees.  Anko raised her hand.  "The winner, Hyuuga Neji," she declared,
and the crowd began to cheer.

Well, I can't say I didn't see that coming. Still, it's a little bit of a
letdown. ;_;

        "You were wearing weights," Ino stated.  "All during our fight."
        Sakura wasn't able to do anything but repeat herself.  "Yes."
From the field below came Anko's voice, announcing the beginning of
Lee's semifinal match against Saburo.
        Ino's eyes were hard.  "I see."

Aww, Ino-pig's pride is all busted.

        Lee vanished in a blur of motion before the burst of water hit
him, reappearing behind his foe and delivering a flurry of high-speed
punches and kicks.  Nothing was accomplished but sending a few splashes
of water flying, and Saburo didn't even turn around.  "The water
interacts with my chakra," he explained.  "I cover myself with a field
of chakra, and whenever something enters it the water moves to block."

Oh great, he's the liquid version of Gaara.

Only without the demon to fuel it. Which means his ass is putty.

        Water deflected the attack, but Lee simply used the defense for
leverage, pushing himself up into the air and the brining his foot down
on Saburo again.  More water raced to halt the stronger blow, and Lee
continued to hammer at that spot until it seemed like a small pond was
floating over Saburo's head.  Then Lee appeared in front of Saburo,
inside his protective field, and his foot solidly struck at the Mist
ninja's jaw.

Man, EVERYBODY's going for the glass jaw gambit in this tournament. XD

        Anko groaned.  "I can't force you to fight," she said
regretfully after a moment.  "Whichever of you retracts his concession
first will get the credit for the win."  As she expected, neither of
the two made a move to do that.  She rolled her eyes.  "Both fighters
withdraw," she finally announced sourly.  "The final match ends in a
draw."

Well THAT was anticlimactic.

Still, fun chapter. Sorry it took so long to reply.

================================
Dude, stop wailing on my junk!
              ~~*~~
The Eternal Lost Lurker
www.lurkerdrome.com



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