As I leaned against the stone railing of the competitor's balcony, my mind was running through a dozen different scenarios. I was trying to anticipate exactly how Orochimaru would pivot now that his giant snake summons were officially out of the picture.
But my contemplations were quickly broken by the sheer volume of the crowd. The ambient murmurs had shifted into a deafening, unified buzz of anticipation for the next match. The audience was practically glazing my dark-haired teammate before he even threw a punch.
I easily picked up the overlapping conversations echoing from the stands.
"It's finally time," a villager said excitedly. "We get to see the last loyal Uchiha in action!"
"I heard he took out an entire squad of Rain Genin solo in the Forest of Death!" one Jonin said to another.
"Kakashi of the Sharingan pulled him away to train him personally for a whole month," another shinobi chimed in. "You know he's going to bust out something insane."
"WHEEEE, SASUKE! DO YOUR BEST!"
I winced slightly, rubbing my ear as Ino's high-pitched squeal pierced the arena.
That girl seriously needs to get a grip, I thought, shaking my head.
I glanced up at the Kage box. While Hiruzen was looking over the crowd with a calm smile, the disguised Orochimaru was completely statuesque. The "Fourth Kazekage's" veiled face was pointed directly at Sasuke, staring at the Uchiha with an intense, predatory fixation.
He's probably gonna get glazed some more after he shows off the new speed, I mused, looking down at the arena.
"Begin!" Genma's voice echoed, dropping his arm to signal the start of Match Three.
Gantetsu immediately wove a sequence of hand signs, slamming his palms into the dirt. A thick, rocky crust rapidly crawled up his legs and torso, fully wrapping his massive body in a dense, defensive Earth armor.
Hmm, right off the bat? I mused. So, he's trying to go for the same strategy he used in the prelims against Kiba, huh? It might be a decent strategy, but the guy he's going up against has way more in his arsenal.
And as if right on cue, Sasuke blurred out of Gantetsu's sight.
He reappeared directly in front of the Stone Genin, utilizing a level of physical speed he hadn't had before.
I see, so it's close to Lee's speed, but it's not exactly that, I observed.
Sasuke unleashed a relentless, high-speed barrage of kicks and punches, making the massive Genin skid back several feet. But while the speed was impressive, the blunt force wasn't penetrating the Earth armor. Gantetsu simply absorbed the hits and tried to grab Sasuke in a bear hug to crush him.
Sasuke effortlessly backflipped out of range, weaving signs mid-air. He inhaled deeply and blew out a volley of fireball projectiles.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"
The fireballs slammed into Gantetsu's armor, exploding on impact. The heat baked the earthy armor, turning the rocky exterior glowing red, but it didn't shatter the defense.
Sasuke landed gracefully near the stadium wall. Funnily enough, he didn't look frustrated by the ineffectiveness of his attacks; he looked like a scientist who had just gathered the data he needed. He closed his eyes, his two-tomoe Sharingan flaring to life as he grabbed his left wrist with his right hand.
Suddenly, the deafening sound of a thousand chirping birds filled the entire stadium.
Bright, volatile blue lightning crackled to life in Sasuke's palm, illuminating the arena floor.
Why's he unveiling that now? I frowned, analyzing the massive spike in chakra. He could have just chipped the guy's armor away or used a stronger Fire jutsu. Why unveil it when he has to fight someone much stronger in the next round?
Then it clicked.
Ah, he's testing it, I realized. He's using Gantetsu like a crash-test dummy to see if his new lightning jutsu has enough piercing power to shatter a hardened elemental defense.
Sasuke launched himself forward, moving so fast he left a slight trail of displaced dirt in his wake. Gantetsu braced himself, crossing his rock-covered arms to absorb the blow.
But it didn't matter.
Sasuke thrust his hand forward, and the Chidori easily pierced straight through the dense earth armor like a hot knife through butter, striking Gantetsu directly in the chest. Sasuke violently ripped his hand back out, causing the residual electrical discharge to fry Gantetsu's nervous system. The massive Stone Genin instantly went limp, his eyes rolling into the back of his head as he collapsed face-first onto the floor. The remainder of his Earth armor crumbled away into useless dust.
The stadium erupted into absolute pandemonium. The crowd was screaming, utterly mesmerized by the Uchiha's blazing speed and the devastating, flashy assassination jutsu.
I suddenly felt a suffocating, violent wave of killing intent spike directly to my left.
I turned my head to find Gaara's eyes wide, and a psychotic, bloodthirsty grin stretching across his face as he stared down at Sasuke.
Oh man, do I naturally gravitate to all the freaks or what? I thought, shaking my head.
Down in the arena, Sasuke deactivated his Chidori and made his way back to the viewing balcony, but I noticed his shoulders slumping slightly and he was panting lightly.
Goodness, it really drained a chunk of his reserves, I thought, as my eyes made their way to the Kage box.
The disguised Orochimaru was leaning forward, clearly taking note of Sasuke's depleted state.
Of course his ass noticed it too, I thought, my eyes narrowing behind my shades.
Genma walked over to the unconscious Stone Genin and raised his arm.
"Winner, Sasuke Uchiha!"
The massive electronic screen at the top of the stadium flashed, updating Block C. Sasuke's name slid forward, officially moving him on to face Gaara in the second round.
Genma's voice boomed over the speakers, announcing a brief two-minute intermission to allow the crowd to settle down.
I took the opportunity to cast my gaze back up to the Kage box, because I had just picked up on a subtle shift in Orochimaru's chakra. One of the "Kazekage's" bodyguards—who I knew were disguised members of the Sound Four paired off in one body—had leaned in, whispering something directly into Orochimaru's ear.
The fake Kazekage didn't react physically. His posture remained perfectly still, his hands positioned neatly on the armrests. But chakra never lies. A sharp, violent spike of annoyance and raw agitation flared beneath his suppressed aura.
Orochimaru subtly tilted his head, whispered something back, and the bodyguard immediately nodded before slipping out the booth.
Hold on now. What's going on there? I mused, closing my eyes and immediately locking onto the bodyguard's chakra signature as it moved through the stadium corridors. Y'all moving a little too quickly for a simple errand.
Before I could track them further, a drawling voice called out next to me.
I cracked one eye open to see Shikamaru staring at me. "Are you really that confident that you're about to fall asleep right before the last match of the first round?"
"Oh, I wasn't sleeping," I replied casually, stretching my arms over my head. "I was just thinking about how I was gonna spend the rest of my day, seeing as these guys are my only remaining competition."
The reactions were instantaneous.
Temari rolled her eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck, while crossing her arms in annoyance. Neji scoffed loudly as he glared at the side of my head. And Sasuke, who had finally made it back up, gritted his teeth in displeasure.
Before anyone could actually voice their complaints, Genma stepped into the center of the arena.
"Match Four!" he announced, his voice snapping everyone's attention back to the field. "Shino Aburame versus Kankuro of the Sand! Both fighters, make your way down!"
Shino didn't say a word, silently adjusting his high collar before descending the stairs.
Alright, here's where Kankuro forfeits so he can prep for the invasion, I noted internally. It won't be long until I fight again. Things are really picking up steam.
And just like I thought, Kankuro stepped forward and raised his hand to get the proctor's attention. "Hey, Proctor! I—"
He suddenly froze.
Up in the Kage box, the disguised Orochimaru had shifted his gaze downward, glaring a hole directly through Kankuro. It was a split-second look that I recognized as a lethal warning. Orochimaru's gaze quickly darted to Sasuke, then to Gaara, before snapping back to Kankuro with an unspoken order.
Kankuro swallowed hard, a drop of nervous sweat rolling down the side of his face.
"Did you have something to say?" Genma asked, raising an eyebrow at the hesitating Genin.
Kankuro slowly lowered his hand. "...No. Nothing. I'm coming down."
He grabbed the heavily wrapped puppet on his back and trudged down the stairs.
Now that's very alarming, I frowned. I thought Orochimaru would be more than eager to get his match out the way in order to see Sasuke demonstrate more of his abilities again. What does he have up his sleeves that needs to be stalled for?
With my curiosity piqued, I closed my eyes and immediately tapped into my [SHADOW LINK].
My consciousness shot across the stadium, instantly locating the disguised Sound bodyguard. The bodyguard had slipped into a secluded stairwell near the basement of the stadium. Standing across from him was a fully cloaked ANBU guard with a very familiar, slimy chakra signature that I quickly recognized as Kabuto's.
"The summoning squads are completely unresponsive," Kabuto whispered, his voice tight with controlled urgency as he pushed up his round glasses. "Their chakra signatures have completely vanished from the perimeter. Something must have happened to them."
"Are you sure?" the disguised Sound ninja hissed back. "What could have happened without us knowing immediately?"
"That's not the biggest concern at the moment," Kabuto replied clinically. "What matters is that we now lack firepower. If Lord Orochimaru still intends to proceed with crushing Konoha, then we must pivot to the countermeasures immediately. I'll have those units mobilized by the time Sasuke's next fight begins."
Countermeasures? I thought with a raised brow. What could they possibly have in mind?
I severed the link, snapping my eyes open, glancing up at Orochimaru in the Kage box, and then over to Sasuke, who was leaning against the wall, adjusting the wrappings on his arm. I could feel the dark, vile chakra of the Curse Mark slowly leaking from his neck, artificially acting like a battery to replenish his depleted reserves.
Then, the gears in my head started to turn.
Okay, I know that he wants to crush Konoha to the ground, but he can't do that immediately because I took out his summoning squad, I mused. And more than anything, he wants to see Sasuke fight Gaara so the Jinchuriki can push him to his limits, forcing him to rely more on the Curse Mark and eventually fully awaken it.
I looked down at Kankuro, who was reluctantly facing off against Shino in the arena.
But Orochimaru probably also sees this opportunity as an experiment of some sorts in his twisted mind, I speculated. He most likely wants to observe what it looks like as Sasuke gets hooked on the power, and how much of it he'll let consume him. Information he'll use to his advantage later when Sasuke defects from Konoha. And by forcing Kankuro to fight Shino, it buys time for Sasuke's reserves to recharge so he can see the different stages of consumption.
I shook my head. It's a decent angle, but I don't think Orochimaru ever accounted for just how far gone Gaara's sanity actually is, I mused. Or maybe he did see it and probably didn't care, seeing it as more of a benefit because it would result in Konoha being crushed.
Down below, Genma raised his arm. "Begin!"
The moment Genma gave the signal, Kankuro immediately slammed his bandage-wrapped puppet onto the floor. The bandages violently unraveled to reveal his multi-armed puppet, Crow, which clacked its jaw ominously.
"Let's see how long you last, bug-boy," Kankuro sneered, his fingers twitching as thin, barely visible strings of blue chakra extended from his fingertips to the puppet's joints.
Crow lunged forward with unnatural movement. The puppet's mouth snapped open, unleashing a barrage of poison-tipped senbon needles directly at Shino.
Oh, he's not wasting any time now, is he? I mused, watching the needles soar towards Shino. That's the smartest thing to do, given he probably doesn't want to waste any chakra.
Shino, for his part, didn't even seem fazed. He just stood there, his hands tucked into his pockets, as a thick, buzzing black cloud of kikaichu bugs poured out from his collar and sleeves. The swarm instantly formed a dense wall in front of him, catching every single needle mid-air before dispersing.
When I really think about it, this is honestly the worst matchup Kankuro could have ever drawn, I analyzed, resting my elbows on the balcony railing. A puppeteer relies entirely on thin threads of raw chakra to fight. If those bugs get on his strings, it's over. Is that how the fight between them ended in the canon? I can't remember.
Down below, Kankuro was quickly realizing the same thing and proceeded to keep a good distance from Shino.
He maneuvered Crow to engage in mid-range combat, popping out concealed, poison-coated projectiles from the puppet's mouth and arms. But Shino effortlessly evaded, his body almost gliding across the floor.
When Kankuro was able to corner him at the stadium wall, another Shino suddenly erupted from the ground behind Kankuro.
Kankuro, feeling Shino appear at the last possible second, violently jerked back. "What the hell?! How?!"
The ambush turned out to be a bug clone that dispersed and immediately tried to swarm the puppet user. Kankuro managed to evade, but the bugs were able to latch onto the invisible chakra strings connecting Kankuro's fingers to his weapon. They rapidly crawled down the threads, devouring the connective chakra and severing Kankuro's control. Crow's right arm went completely limp, dropping uselessly to the floor right next to Shino
"You rely too heavily on your puppet," Shino spoke, his voice entirely flat and devoid of emotion. "Without it, you are vulnerable. That is why you will lose."
"Shows what you know," Kankuro said cryptically, as he yanked his left hand hard. Crow's chest cavity violently popped open.
A massive smoke bomb detonated, unleashing a thick, expanding cloud of vibrant purple poison gas that completely enveloped the center of the arena.
"Take that!" Kankuro roared, leaping backward to put distance between himself, the toxic cloud, and anywhere the kikaichu could get to him.
Through the thick purple smog, I watched as Shino instantly commanded his swarm to form a dense, protective dome around his body to filter out the gas.
He was fast, I noted, my eyes narrowing behind my shades. But not fast enough. He inhaled a small amount of it just before escaping.
As the purple gas slowly began to dissipate in the wind, Kankuro smirked, thinking he had won.
But then, a low, ominous buzzing sound began to echo from right behind him.
Kankuro froze, slowly turning his head.
"While you were focused on repelling the masses, I had a single female kikaichu land on your collar," Shino's voice echoed calmly from inside the dispersing gas cloud. "The males will relentlessly follow the scent of the female."
Before Kankuro could even scream, a secondary swarm of thousands of bugs erupted from the dirt directly beneath his feet. The black mass entirely swallowed the Sand Genin, swarming over his clothes and skin.
"Get off!" Kankuro yelled, violently thrashing around. But it was entirely useless.
The bugs were ravenous. They drained Kankuro's chakra reserves at a terrifying rate. Within seconds, his eyes rolled into the back of his head, his legs gave out, and he collapsed face-first onto the floor, completely tapped out.
The stadium erupted into cheers at the brilliant tactical reversal.
Genma jogged over, checking Kankuro's vitals before looking back toward the center of the arena to declare the winner.
But just as Shino's bug dome dispersed and he stepped forward, the Aburame heir suddenly stiffened. He grabbed his chest, his knees violently buckling as he collapsed into the dirt, coughing up a small splatter of blood. The trace amount of poison he inhaled had finally taken its toll.
The crowd went silent in confusion.
Genma rushed over to Shino, quickly assessing his condition. He stood up and crossed his arms into an 'X' motion to the proctor booth.
"Both combatants are incapacitated and will not be able to recover quick enough to be ready for the next round!" Genma's voice boomed. "Match Four ends in a double elimination! Neither fighter advances!"
Oh shit, I didn't see that coming, I thought, watching the medical ninjas rush the field and load both Shino and Kankuro onto stretchers to immediately treat them for poison and chakra exhaustion. And this means Kankuro will definitely be done for the invasion, too.
Up on the massive electronic screen, an updated version of the bracket appeared.
[BLOCK A: Match 5: Temari (8) vs. Ajisai (1)]
[BLOCK B: Match 6: Naruto Uzumaki (12) vs. Neji Hyuga (4)]
[BLOCK C: Match 7: Sasuke Uchiha (6) vs. Gaara (3)]
[BLOCK D: Choji Akimichi (2) - ADVANCES TO SEMIFINALS]
"Wait a minute..." Shikamaru muttered next to me, his eyes wide as he stared up at the digital board. "Choji, you get a free bye straight into the Final Four."
Choji, who had been happily snacking on a bag of potato chips near the back of the balcony, suddenly stopped chewing. He slowly turned to look at Sasuke, who was glaring intensely at the electronic screen, and then slowly looked at Gaara, whose bloodlust was leaking out so heavily it was practically suffocating the room.
Choji's face went completely, ghostly pale. He grabbed his stomach in terror and began aggressively crunching handfuls of potato chips just to cope with the stress of realizing he was going to have to fight one of those two monsters in the semi-finals.
"Hahahahahaha," I let out, not helping but laugh at his predicament.
"'Scuse me, everyone!" Genma called out from the arena floor, snapping everyone to attention. "We will be taking a short, five-minute break to clear the arena of any residual poison gas before we begin the second round!"
Hearing that, I pushed myself off the balcony railing and adjusted my jacket.
Five minutes, I thought with a nod, as I started to make my way out of the viewing balcony. Five minutes to check out these countermeasures Orochimaru and his group have in place.
"And where do you think you're going?" Shikamaru questioned.
"You heard him, did you not? We've got five minutes. I gotta take a leak," I replied, as I made my way out of the room. "Someone as great as me does that too, ya know!"