Kyubed: Shinobi's Revenge on Naruto

Part 39

Ino's Exam: Conclusion!

OooOOooOO

Yamanaka Ino frowned at Neji as he stood across from her with an expressionless face. He stepped back and put his hands up with a scowl on his face without bowing. She did the same and Shi's face fell a little as he noticed it. He crouched on the highest log nearby. "Begin."

The girl hopped back as the boy charged with his fists balled up. She kicked at his face and was blocked by his forearm. He punched at her and she shifted back to avoid it, taking the opportunity to put her knuckles into his ribs.

The boy grunted in irritation at the shot but spun into a backhanded strike at her face. Ino smirked as she hopped back away from him and landed lightly. It seemed his plan was to train in a hard style, he'd abandoned the Gentle Fist and was using straightforward Taijutsu.

The Hyuuga boy charged at her and tried to jump into a knee strike at her chest, but she simply crossed her arms and then pushed off the strike over his head.

He spun around and frowned at the girl as she stood waiting for him with her hands up. He didn't move towards her and pulled a kunai out of his clothes. Rather than rush her again, he jumped off the side and spun around tossing three of the weapons while keeping one in his grip at the underside of the log.

Ino was below, having replaced herself with a clone as soon as she'd gone out of his line of sight. She was forced to jump down and landed on one of the logs as the three weapons planted themselves in the wood.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "You might be able to hide from the Byakugan, but I can still 'see' when you use chakra." Neji landed opposite her and pulled his weapon up. "That means you still have it, and you must use it to do some things, and when you do, you're vulnerable."

Ino gasped as she fell to one knee. She rubbed at her belly and growled. She could feel small bruises on her side. "What? He?" He'd managed to get her while she was passing over his head. "Smug prick. So, I can't get near him when I'm using chakra then."

The white eyed boy jumped at her while slashing with his weapon. She jumped away and bounced off the sides of the poles around the arena. They clashed a few times and Ino shook her wrist after her kunai flew away as they impacted a final time near the edge of the battleground.

The pair landed across from each other in the water, Neji on top if it, and Ino was ankle deep. The girl chuckled. "Afraid of getting your toes wet?"

The boy frowned. "The water slows you down."

She tossed her hair and put her hand on her hip. "You've not caught me yet, have you?"

He glared at her and lowered his head a little. "You won't be so smug once I do." He jumped at her with two more kunai.

Ino jumped into a back flipping kick that nailed him in his chin. He reacted to the strike as if he expected it, flipped and waved his arms sending the sharp projectiles at her. The blond ducked under them and shifted to the side a little. Neji threw another as he landed and she hit one of the posts with her shoulder as she dodged it.

The Hyuuga boy rushed forward again and punched her, catching her cheek. The blond girl's head turned from the strike, but she still managed to duck under the follow up strike as he clutched yet another knife in his grip and hacked a line into the wood.

The ANBU girl slid her leg out and tried to sweep his feet sending an arc of water up as she did so. He hopped over both, kicked off the log and landed on the side of one opposite them with his arms crossed while scowling at her.

Ino looked up at him and narrowed her eyes. "What's he up to?" She started to move towards him and he flipped off the side over her hand and landed behind her.

The girl was forced to turn and block a flurry of punches and kicks. The pair pushed apart a moment later and Neji once again pulled out another Kunai.

Ino frowned at that. He was using an awful lot of them. More than he should have been able to carry. She'd seen Tenten fight, and it dawned on her that he knew a summoning jutsu for the weapon. "So he's not going to run out. Great." It didn't bother her, but it was a little annoying to realize it. She wasn't having that much trouble keeping him at bay.

Neji charged again, she wasn't attacking him and seemed to be keeping her distance. "Still trying to figure out what to do?"

The blond Genin shifted to the side and gave him a hard shot to his ribs as they passed while dodging a couple of slashes in the process. "Not really." She had one of her own in her hand and it's tip was red.

The boy clutched at his side at the shallow slash and a slice in his shirt. He looked up at her. "So, you're finally taking this seriously are you?"

She had her back to him and looked over her shoulder. "You make it sound like I wasn't before."

The pair darted amongst the poles. Neji was tossing Kunai at her, but she dodged with considerable skill, and managed to knock a few out of the air with her own. Most of his projectiles impacted on the wooden posts that surrounded them.

After knocking three of the knives out of the air with fast swipes, she gasped as he rammed into her side and knocked her off her feet into the water. As he staggered from the blow he slashed at her as she fell away from him. Her sleeve was cut wide open and a red line appeared on her arm above her tattoo. It was a shallow cut, but it stung a bit. Her weapon clattered away and she kicked herself onto her feet before he recovered from knocking her over.

He charged at her and stabbed. She didn't move and punched him dead in the face. He flew back and landed in the water on his back. The blonde girl landed opposite him and lifted her fists. She opened her forward hand and beckoned him. If she couldn't use chakra to beat him, she knew damn well she outclassed him in hand to hand.

Neji snarled as he picked himself up and rushed forward. He punched and kicked at her a few times, but she responded with a competent counter each time, kneeing him in the belly, hooking her fist across his jaw, and elbowing him in the forehead before leaping into the air, planting both feet into his chest and spinning off into a flip where she launched four kunai at him in the apex.

The dark haired boy managed to roll aside. He had his hand up to his chest and was gasping for air as he glared at her. She tossed her ponytail and prepared herself again, beckoning him towards her with her hand again.

He pulled out another weapon and narrowed his eyes. He had to force her to use her chakra. He rushed forward and she moved to meet him. Rather than attack when they met, he spun and went into the Eight Trigrams Palms Heavenly Spin. Ino slid to a stop and back flipped away from impacting against the side of it. She shifted back defensively and narrowed her eyes.

Neji stood in a small crater from the attack and panted as he held his hands up again. There were kunai between each of his fingers.

The blond girl narrowed her eyes. "What the hell is he up too?"

The young Hyuuga jumped into the air and crossed his arms. "Eight Trigrams Palms Heavenly Rain!"

Ino's eyes went wide. "Oh shit." She dove and rolled behind one of the pillars as about twenty kunai shot out of the sphere in her direction. He landed and his spinning stopped. He turned to give her a vicious looking smirk as he realized he had her on the defensive again.

The blond girl was frustrated and annoyed with him. There were at least five kunai impaled on the other side of her cover, and about ten more on each side of it. She'd never seen him fight before, and his defense was very good. She stepped out of her cover and put her hand on her hip. "Not bad."

He nodded at her. "I wasn't expecting you to last this long."

She narrowed her eyes and grinned. "Then you're an idiot."

Neji frowned at that. "Don't get cocky." He had another set of kunai ready to go in his grip, and she was moving away from nearby cover into an open area.

She shook her head. "You just don't get it do you? My training is far beyond yours. You're not going to win, and I already know how I'm going to beat you."

The dark haired boy jumped up again. "Just die! Eight Trigrams Palms Heavenly Rain!"

Ino didn't move and pulled her arm back. "Shintente!" An eerie looking arm of glowing blue chakra shot out and slammed into his defensive ball palm first. Her new technique was a more localized variant of the Shintenshin using chakra manipulation to make it more solid. It slammed the ball that was shooting out kunai into the side of the wall as if driving in a nail with the palm.

"Idiot." The girl looked up at the resulting hole with a smirk on her face.

Neji staggered out and gripped the sides of the circular hole that resulted from the impact. It was about three feet deep and big enough for him to stand in. He didn't look hurt, but it was obvious it hadn't felt very good. He turned his eyes towards her and looked pretty upset.

She tossed her hair. "So do something about it then."

He nodded once. "I intend to."

"Nah, I've had enough of this. It's time for it to end." Neji gasped as he glanced over his shoulder. The clone Ino had made at the start of the match was behind him with handfuls of kunai, her counterpart was in the same position opposite him. They both jumped back and up while tossing about fifteen at him at once.

He had no cover or way to avoid the wide spread, and no choice but to resort to his defensive Heavenly Spin again.

As soon as he started Ino's glowing blue arm appeared from her shoulder again. It grabbed the chained pillars still against the wall from Ryoji's match and brought them down on top of the ball. A large circular gouge was carved into the wood leaving Neji unharmed. He'd also stopped spinning and floundered for a moment looking like he'd been knocked around a bit. The white eyed boy tried to pull himself out of the hole in the logs. His eyes went wide and he screamed in pain as he found a kunai pinning his hand to the wood the moment he touched it. Before the sound finished escaping his lips his head was tilted back and two very sharp objects were poking against his spine at the base of his neck.

Both Ino and her clone were gasping for breath, holding his chin up with kunai knives and each pointing another into his back. He couldn't move to face them because his hand was pinned to the wood.

Shi landed in front of him. "Enough. Yamanaka Ino is the winner." He pulled the kunai pinning the boy's hand in place out.

Neji was shocked. "I...lost? Again? To...that girl?"

Ino glanced over her shoulder at him as her clone vanished. "Don't look so surprised. You should have known better than to think you could beat me."

The boy hung his head. He'd been overpowered. He'd tired to compensate for the weakness of his style by branching out to a harder style and learning a seal to summon kunai. He never had a shot of catching up to her, and hadn't been able to force her to release her chakra while he was close enough to get to her after the first time. He'd been outmaneuvered, by Yamanaka Ino. It shouldn't have been possible. He turned his eyes up to the box seats where the delegates looked on. "What the?"

Naruto was sitting amongst his three guards. He was also disguised as a woman for some reason. It was easy to pick him out because of his black forehead protector. That wasn't what had surprised him though. He could see him, really see him. His chakra was flowing through his body and he looked down at him with a smirk on his face and gave him an nod. He didn't know it, but Naruto had noticed Shi's reaction to Ino at the start of her first match, and realized he was a chakra sensor. As a result, he allowed some chakra to flow through him. He didn't unleash his full chakra, but it was enough to make his presence noticeable to anyone who might be able to sense chakra nearby.

The Hyuuga boy looked at his hand as a medical nin ushered him out of the arena. He'd never seen Naruto that way before, and it was odd. "What is it?" They weren't just hiding it, because the Gentle Fist still effected those who could disguise their chakra. "How? What is it? I don't get it?" It was as if it wasn't there at all, but it was obvious they still had it. They could use it when they needed to it seemed, and they weren't dead. Yet somehow, it was as if they were empty, dead, and without Chakra.

Naruto was sitting and looked like any of the other delegates. He could see his chakra lines as clearly as anyone else's. The young Jounin hadn't looked smug when he'd looked down on him. In fact, he seemed pleased, and not just with Ino. It was confusing. He had no idea what to make of it, but one thing was obvious. They weren't just hiding their chakra. Somehow, Naruto had discovered a way to seal it up and release it at will without killing himself, and he'd taught his teammates how to do it as well.

The Kumo nin looked down at him. "Get what?"

Neji frowned at him. "It's none of your business." It was very interesting, but he had no idea what to make of it. It shouldn't have been possible. Sealing up one's own chakra completely would kill someone. He'd seen examples of those who had died using up all their chakra or having it cut off completely. Somehow, Team Seven had figured out how to do just that and survive. It was insane, as much as Hinata's Vampire story was, maybe even a little more.

OooOOooOO

Ryoji frowned as he glanced over at Ino. "Congratulations."

Genji agreed and neither looked particularly surprised at the outcome of the battle. "Yeah. Not bad."

Yugao smiled in greeting. "Well done. You're doing very well."

The blond girl nodded. "I'd better. I'd rather die than fail. That jerk will make me wish I'd died if I don't."

Rock Lee was looking at her with and uncomfortable confusion about him. "She...beat him?"

Gai nodded. "So it would seem. Though it pains me to say it, I admit I'm relieved. Neji is my student, but I did not wish to see anyone die today. Though, I also do not believe Neji truly wished to harm her."

His student nodded. "I see, he went easy on her then."

Tenten glanced back at him. "No, he didn't."

Lee jerked in mild surprise. "What?"

Gai put his hand on his young green clad student's shoulder. "She is correct. Neji fought his hardest, but he could not overcome her advanced level of training."

The bowl cut boy seemed confused. "What do you mean? Training? Her training is advanced?"

Tenten looked a bit out of it. She was looking over at the blond girl. "What? Wait a minute. I've seen that mark before." Her eyes were locked on the girl's now exposed upper arm. Ino was poking at the cut above a very familiar mark and looked frustrated at the damage to her clothes. She wouldn't have noticed, but Ino was drawing attention to it by rubbing on it and putting some sort of salve on the cut. "No way! She's...it can't be. She's just a Genin! There's no way."

The green clad boy furrowed his great and powerful eyebrows as he glanced over at where she was looking. "Huh? What do..." He gasped as he spotted it. "ANBU? She's an ANBU?"

The girl in Chinese clothes looked a bit annoyed. "No way. It can't be. She's not even a Chunin. Besides, her team..." She paused and looked up at where the two ANBU guarding the Hokage were standing. "What the?" It had just come back to her that they seemed very interested in hearing about Naruto while on the way to the finals. Neither one had spoken the whole trip, and both were in full uniform with masks. "Wait. Don't tell me, that's Sakura and Sasuke up there with the Hokage?"

Neji snorted as he walked up. His hand was bandaged and he frowned at them both. "Of course it is. Naruto is an ANBU Captain. You heard the Hokage. He's Team Seven's Jounin. If they're still on his team, all of them are ANBU. Don't tell me you only figured that out just now? It should be obvious."

Tenten flushed. "What? No way. There's no such thing as a Genin ANBU." She glanced over at Ino again and she had adjusted her clothes to cover her tattoo.

Neji went quiet and looked out over the arena. He moved away to lean against the wall on his own and ignored their reactions.

Lee got a little more wide eyed. "Sakura? She's here?"

Gai scowled a little. "That's enough. We should not speak of it. ANBU wear masks for a reason. They have no reason to hide their faces at home, but we are not in Konohagakure."

His green clad student looked up at him and flushed. "I was not aware. I would have tried to speak with her had I known."

His master looked down at him. "It is best of you do not. She has a duty to perform, and is not permitted to speak with any but the Hokage. Lee, be aware, their training is beyond any I have been permitted to give you. I admit I worried some for the outcome, but I must also admit that it was less than a surprise. I think the best of all my students, you are all full of spirit and youth. However, Yamanaka Ino has endured more than you might think in the path of her training. She is not someone to take lightly, and no Genin should be expected to be a match for her." He looked over at her. "I must admit, her success has surprised me. I did not expect her to endure such advanced training. Uzumaki was less than a surprise, but his teammate's ability to endure such a thing is a testament to his skills as a leader. Kakashi has surpassed my expectations as a teacher. Fitting for my greatest rival, yet somehow still surprising."

Tenten glanced over at where Ino was standing with her team. "She's...really strong." Ino had done more than impress her, she was worried. The girl had beaten Neji without much difficulty. She was far beyond the ability she'd displayed in the last exams. She knew Sakura and Sasuke were both Chunin, them being ANBU wasn't much of a surprise. She'd never considered Ino might be one as well because she knew she was a Genin.

"Hmmm. She's impressive."

The dark haired girl gasped as she glanced over to see the white haired Kumo girl standing next to her. "What?"

Sahara had a confident smirk on her face. "That Ino girl. I was hoping to fight one of the Hyuuga, but this is even more interesting."

Tenten was in no mood to talk. "You've got to get through me first."

The dark skinned girl didn't seem very worried. "Well, one of us is going to fight her, and you don't look much like you're looking forward to it. Feeling a bit inadequate?" She slipped by. "Don't worry so much. You won't make it that far."

The dark haired girl blushed. She was riled a little, but jumpy. "Shit. Calm down, Tenten. You can do this."

Lee was looking out over the arena. They were cleaning up a bit of the debris from the last match and replacing a couple of the poles. The damage to the arena was more than was expected, and the broken remains of the chained logs from Ino and Neji's battle were being removed.

A girl's voice he didn't know spoke up. "Hello."

The boy turned his head and found the Kumo kunoichi looking at him. He flushed a bit and looked like he didn't want to say anything.

"You're kind of cute in an odd way." The girl smirked and crossed her arms under her chest lifting her breasts up a little as she did it. "Lee was it?"

He looked at her with a confused expression. "What?"

She shrugged. "I'm impressed. Too bad you're not from around here. I might have to start chasing you if you were."

The boy went rigid and she giggled at it a little. "Well...I...uh..."

Tenten stepped up to her side. "What are you doing?"

Sahara glanced over her shoulder at the girl. "Flirting. Your friend is kind of cute. Too bad I can't keep him."

Rock Lee had no idea what to do or say and just froze up. "I...huh?"

His teammate's jaw dropped. "Lee? Cute?"

The Kumo girl cocked her head and smirked at his reaction. "Sure. He's not bad looking, in really good shape, he's very well mannered, and..." Her eyes went a little soft as she looked over at Tenten. "His worst fear is letting the people he cares about down. That's more impressive than you think. I doubt what you're afraid of is as noble as that. We'll find out though, won't we?" She leaned up and kissed the confused boy on his cheek causing him to turn very red. "See you. Who knows, maybe we'll meet again one day?"

Tenten seemed frozen in shock as the dark skinned girl almost skipped away. "What? That...tramp." She was annoyed and balled up her fists as the Kumo nin walked off.

Lee had tears in his eyes as he clenched his fist. "Oh! Why must I be so adorable? Curse these devilish good looks!" He had his heart set on another already, and could not give up. Though, the temptation was strong, he would not back down. "Sakura! Please forgive me! These thoughts shall not go unpunished! I shall train doubly hard to gain your forgiveness! Five hundred laps, a thousand punches, a thousand kicks, and dare I say it, three hundred squat thrusts!"

Tenten looked rather disgusted. She paused as Gai put his hand on her shoulder. "Tenten. Do not forget what I have taught you."

She paused in mild surprise. "Huh?" After a moment she nodded. "What do you mean Gai sensei?"

The man looked very serious. "Bloodline Eyes can be very dangerous. The Genjutsu they can produce are very strong."

She became serious as well, forgetting about Lee for a moment. "Right. Don't look her in the eye."

The man nodded. "Yes. It could mean the difference between victory and defeat. You must not let her catch your eyes, keep yours down and focus on her feet."

His kunoichi nodded. "I won't forget. No way I can let that brat beat me. Honestly, Lee? Cute? Gross!"

Rock Lee was still steeling his will. "I shall not forgive or forget! I shall not submit to temptation! I shall work hard, and ensure my heart remains true!"

Gai looked quite pleased and let his teeth sparkle as he gave the boy a thumbs up. "Don't worry Lee. It's natural for a woman to appreciate such youthful energy! You should train hard, but don't think too much of this."

Yugao and Ino were both doing their best to not look at the rather noisy group. "What the hell is wrong with that team?" grumbled the girl.

"Gai is just weird. Don't worry about it. It's best to just ignore him." She gave a small sigh and put her hand up to her forehead. "I don't know how Kakashi can put up with it."

"Men." muttered Ino as she leaned over the railing. "Hey, looks like we're starting again."

Tenten and Sahara were moving towards the arena. Both looked firm and serious as they took their places on the log.

OooOOooOO

Sahara gave the dark haired girl across from her a cool gaze as they both bowed. Shi signaled the start of the match, and Tenten moved to strike first. The Konoha nin started tossing weapons as she jumped out on top of the standing pillars.

The red eyed Kumo girl simply stood in place and shifted herself about as they passed around her. "Hmm, very accurate."

Tenten growled as she paused and realized the girl had not been forced off the log. She'd moved her arms and legs, and shifted her back a few times to dodge her weapons. "What the?"

Sahara put her hand on her hip. "Don't tell me you've given up already?"

The dark haired girl frowned. "Not on your life."

This time, the Kumo girl jumped out across from her onto one of the pillars and crouched. "Come on then. Let's make this interesting." She was trying to catch her gaze, but the girl kept her eyes away from hers. "Clever girl."

Tenten pulled a couple of large shuriken from behind her back using seals and tossed them both. The white haired girl jumped off her perch and clung to the side. One passed over her, and the other impacted in the side of the wood. She pushed off and flipped back bouncing between two of them into the water and landed on top of it.

Tenten just jumped straight down, throwing more weapons in her decent. None of them connected as her opponent twisted in the air to dodge them all with minimal movement. "What the hell?"

Sahara smirked as she shifted her hips and stood in the open out of cover. "I can see where your weapon is going to land before it leaves your hand." Her eye allowed her to see in what would seem like slow motion and allowed her what appeared as superhuman reflexes. As a result it allowed her to dodge projectiles and strikes with minimal movement.

Tenten clutched a pair of kunai in her grip and sent a hail of shuriken at her opponent. Sahara bent and took a step to the side, slipping into an opening in the spread and snapped her hand up to grip her opponent's forearm before she was stabbed. The white haired girl shifted her head back to avoid a slash and pushed the other hand throwing her momentum off and forcing her to lose her balance. While Tenten was reeling, she put a swift kick into her kidney and forced the dark haired girl back clutching her side.

Sahara chuckled as her opponent took up a defensive posture. "What's the matter? Afraid to look me in the eye?"

The girl in Chinese clothes gave a rough snort. "I'm not that stupid. I know how that trick of yours works."

The white haired girl nodded. "Yes, but you don't seriously think that it's the only thing I've got up my sleeve?" She put up her palm and her eye glowed red. "Desert Wind Blast!" There was a gold gray swirl of something over her palm and she blew into it hard.

Tenten gasped as she jumped to the side as a massive blast of what she now knew to be sand shot forward. The side of the pillar next to her was stripped down and sand blasted into a deep gouge. She cried out in pain as she barely managed to move aside and ended up with what looked like road rash on her left leg and forearm. "Damn."

Sahara hopped up onto the side of one of the shorter pillars and climbed on top of it. She was forced to hang off the bottom side as another hail of shuriken from below her peppered her perch. "Heh. Desert Reflection Glare!" Her eye glowed red as she glared down at the water below.

Tenten looked at her feet as the heat of the sun's rays intensified. "What the?" There was a haze forming and her feet were growing hot. "No way!" The water in the arena was starting to boil, and steam was clouding up the air. She could still see her opponent above it though and bounced up the log towards her. "I won't lose!"

"Reflection of Fear!"

Tenten gasped as the steam in front of her became a pinkish red. "Wha?" Her eyes glazed over as she fell to her knees in the hot water. She screamed in pain and the red haze dissipated as she jumped to her feet. Before she was able to turn around, there was a kunai at her throat.

Shi landed next to them. "That's enough. It's over."

The dark haired girl hung her head. "What happened? I..."

"I forced you to look into the heart of fear for a moment." Her opponent put her weapon away. "The hot water scalding you kept me from getting a good hold, but it was enough to distract you and make the final play."

Tenten looked shocked and gasped. "The steam. You...reflected the genjutsu off the steam?"

Sahara smiled at her. "Well, I have to admit, Konoha has impressed me. You're clever to have figured that out."

The dark haired girl nodded once and turned away. "I see. Well, I guess Kumo has impressed me too. Maybe we'll meet again, I'll be much stronger if we do."

Sahara moved off towards the exit. "You wouldn't be much of a ninja if you weren't. Perhaps we'll meet on friendlier terms next time?"

Tenten's frown faded, but she didn't smile. "Then again, maybe not." She was aware that while they weren't really enemies, the next time they ran into each other, they just might be. She had to get stronger, and she had to be ready. She looked up at Ino and frowned. "I guess it's up to her." She walked and thought to herself as she made her way back to the observation deck. As she passed by Ino, she paused and looked at her. "Don't lose."

The blond girl gave her a serious looking nod. "I won't."

Genji and Ryoji glanced at her and said nothing.

The brunette boy gave a heavy sigh. "Well, one of us is going to have to fight her."

Ryoji crossed his arms and frowned a bit. "Couldn't we just draw straws?"

The pair moved off towards the arena, where Shi was already waiting for the next contestants.

Both boys stood on the log and bowed as soon as they were in place. Shi was off to the side again, picking a more stable log than his last perch. Half of it had been sand blasted away. He signaled the start. "Begin."

Ryoji pulled his mace off his back and slammed it into the side of the log again. Genji jumped off blowing into his palms and creating a ball of fire.

The larger boy narrowed his eyes at this and waited as his opponent landed and tossed it at him. Rather than dodge, he swung his mace like a baseball bat. The ball of flame shot back towards Genji, who raised his hands and caused it to split before it reached him.

Ryoji was already on the move though. He landed in the water and hacked his mace at his rival's perch. Genji tried to jump off before it toppled, but the vibration from the strike forced him to lose his balance and he ended up clinging to the side of another log after a clumsy hop.

The larger boy didn't miss a beat and slammed his mace into the base of it, shaking his opponent off. Genji fell with another ball of flame in his hands and tossed it down before he landed.

Once again, Ryoji didn't step aside or dodge and batted it back up into his face. Genji was forced to split it, but doing it left him open. He landed belly first into Ryoji's elbow with his hands still in the seal to control his projectile. The wind was knocked out of him, and the larger boy flipped him on his back and put his mace up against his throat. "I win."

Genji narrowed his eyes. "Did you?"

The dark haired boy nodded. "Yup." The log he'd knocked his opponent off of fell over and blocked the two fireballs that had turned around and made for his back in mid air. It landed with a large splash in the pool behind them.

Genji gave a sour frown and nodded. "I guess you did."

Shi landed next to them and confirmed it. "It's over. That's enough."

Ryoji was already putting his weapon away. "I guess that's that."

The brown haired boy popped his neck and accepted his opponent's hand. "I don't envy you. Now you've got to fight that hellish beast."

The dark haired boy furrowed his brow. "You didn't lose on purpose did you?"

He grinned and shrugged. "I might have tried a bit harder if I didn't know what winning would get me."

Rather than return to the observation deck, Ryoji hopped up to the log. Shi made sure Genji moved out of the arena, but since the boy was pretty much unhurt, he just stood and watched with his arms crossed until he reached the exit. After that, he hopped up beside the larger of the pair. "The next match will begin as soon as the opponent arrives. Yamanaka Ino and Hidori Ryoji."

The boy closed his eyes and crossed his arms. "I concede."

Shi looked back at him. "What?"

Ryoji shrugged. "I give up."

The Jounin seemed surprised. "You're not injured. Are you sure?"

The dark haired boy nodded. "Sure. Do you really think I'd win? Come on. Besides, we all know everyone wants to see the next match anyway. It would just be a pointless waste of time. I've come as far as I can, and there's nothing to lose in stepping aside for the fight everyone really wants to see anyway." He hopped down and made for the exit before anything else could be said on the matter.

After a moment, the proctor nodded. "Very well. We'll move on to the next match then."

Sahara and Ino were already standing in the entrances to the arena. The blond girl was giving the exit a small frown as she moved off and looked a bit confused. "What got into him?"

Sahara popped her neck. "He knew his limits. Are you prepared?"

Ino looked her in the eyes. "No point in putting it off. Let's get this over with."

The white haired girl seemed pleased. "I knew I'd be in the final round, but I wasn't expecting to face you here. Who are you? No one knows the name Yamanaka. I must say, you're quite the surprise."

The blond girl frowned a little at that. "My family is well known. The legendary ninja team, Ino/Shika/Cho is one Kumo should remember."

Sahara seemed a little surprised. "Never cared much for cards. I care even less for history. All I know, is that you are all that stands between me and total victory. Prepare yourself."

The blond growled. "You'll not forget my name again. You'll remember me as the one who defeated you!"

They both bowed. Shi rolled his eyes a little at the posturing. "Begin."

Sahara stepped back and put her hands up, Ino did the same. The blond girl was looking her dead in the eyes. The white haired girl smirked at that. "What is it you're afraid of?" Her eye glowed as her stare intensified.

Ino's lips turned down a little. "Like I'd tell you." She rushed forward and punched at her.

The Kumo nin gasped and took a blow to her cheek. She staggered back once and flipped to avoid the next strike. As the white haired kunoichi landed, she blocked two more strikes, a knee and a fist. With a low growl she gazed into the girl's eyes.

Ino's return glare was full of fire and she pushed against her. Sahara stood her ground and pushed back, locking their forearms together as they pushed against one another. Ino broke first and swept at her feet forcing her off the log and onto one of the pillars.

Sahara had her open palm up and looked frustrated. "What the hell?" She knew she had her gaze, and she should have been paralyzed in the grip of her genjutsu. "Fine then! Desert Wind Blast!"

Ino moved to the sides, both sides as a pair of her appeared moving in either direction as the blast passed between them. The center of the overhanging log was blasted out of existence and it collapsed into the arena. Both Ino and her clone jumped off the opposite edges and landed on top of pillars to either side of the dark skinned girl.

Sahara glanced to either side and moved down onto the sides of the pillars as the pair of blond girls started lobbing kunai at her. She bounced off the sides, and managed to fed them both off on her way down. They bounced around like pachinko balls through the pillars on the way down. Sahara's timing keeping her unscathed by the two blond kunoichi's passes.

They both landed in the water, Ino ankle deep once again, and Sahara on top of the water. The white haired girl charged again, and kicked at her opponent.

Ino grunted as she took a shot to the jaw and belly. Her blocks seeming just a tad to slow to keep up. After a moment and a few hard blows, she broke off and kept pillars between them. "Damn. She's too fast."

Sahara had a confident looking smirk on her face. "I don't understand why the Desert of Fear isn't working, but she's open to direct attack." She sped up just enough to move around one of the logs in front of the girl and made to punch her in the face. A blow from behind her right between her shoulder blades threw her off balance and forced her to miss though.

Ino was waiting and tried to plant her knee into her chin. The white haired Kumo girl managed to bring up her arms and block the strike, but still landed in the water and rolled aside. "Shit. I forgot about the other one."

There were two of Ino moving towards her as she regained her feet and they attacked together. Sahara kept up, and dodged with what seemed like unnatural skill. The three of them clashed and battered each other. Sahara grabbed the side of one of the logs and flung herself around the side, putting both feet into the face of one of them. The blond flew away, hit one of the pillars back first, and vanished in a puff of smoke.

The red eyed girl turned and smirked. "So, you're the real one then?" She started to run at her. The blond seemed to take up a defensive posture and waited.

Rather than slam into her in a full assault, the white haired kunoichi grunted the shock of a strong blow to her back just as she reached her and landed face first in the water. "What the?" She looked up over her shoulder and found herself pinned to the ground.

Ino looked very confident on top of the pillar just above her with a giant glowing blue arm protruding from her left shoulder holding her opponent down against the ground. The other one had jumped up and was holding a pair of kunai over her head ready to end the match. The red eyed girl snarled as her eye flashed with a bright light. "Solar Flare!"

Both of the blond girl's were taken by surprise and shielded their eyes from the intense blinding light. The one diving at her rolled off to the side, while the other staggered and lost her balance on her perch.

Sahara rolled to her feet free of the girl's strange jutsu with a kunai in her grip. The clone vanished in a puff of smoke as she moved by and made to intercept the falling girl before she hit the water. "It's over!"

Ino was falling back first from the tallest perch still standing in the arena, about twenty feet up. Just before they clashed right above the water, the blond girl rolled over in the air.

Sahara gasped as her jaw dropped as she tried to skid to a halt. It was too late though.

"Rasengan!"

The red eyed kunoichi was tossed to the side as the ball exploded as it hit the ground. She managed to avoid a direct hit, but the resulting blast and spray of water tossed her onto her side and sent her rolling. Rather than land, Ino was tossed up again by the blast and shifted her weight using the momentum of the strike to throw her towards her opponent.

Sahara looked up with wide eyes with her arms spread wide as Ino landed on her chest with two kunai crossed over her throat. They looked each other dead in the eyes and gasped for breath. Yamanaka was worn, dirty, and her clothes were torn, but Sahara was helpless, and her arms were still spread from an attempt to stop herself from rolling further.

Shi put his hand on the blond girl's shoulder. "That's enough. Yamanaka Ino is the winner."

The red eyed kunoichi relaxed her head and closed her eyes. She was let up, and staggered to her feet next to Ino. There was cheering going on around the arena. The delegates were quite pleased. She let out a heavy sigh and looked up towards the three Kage's seats.

The Raikage had a frown on his face, but didn't seem angry with her. He looked thoughtful and was rubbing his chin. The Hokage had her chest puffed out and looked quite pleased with herself. The oldest of them Tsuchikage had his arms crossed and was nodding his head. "I...lost."

The blond girl put her hand on her shoulder. "It was a good match." The girl seemed almost half asleep.

The red eyed girl frowned at her and brushed her hand off. "You...there's something odd about you. How did you defeat my genjutsu? No one...no one can...I know I had you! You were looking in my eyes. There's no way you...I mean, no one can..."

Ino looked away. "Like I'd explain it. Get real." Her eyes were a bit glazed and she was having trouble standing straight from the look of her. "You're just gonna have to figure it out for yourself."

Sahara blinked at that and seemed to calm. "I see." She looked up at Raikage again. "It was a good match. I won't lose to the likes of you again."

The blond girl staggered for a moment and leaned against the wall. "Yeah. Whatever." She slumped down and passed out against the wall.

Sahara gasped. "What? Hey!" She tried to move over to the girl and looked confused at her sudden collapse.

Shi pulled her back and lifted the girl up with his shoulder. "She's out cold." Ryoji and Genji landed nearby and he handed her over to them both. The pair carried her between their shoulders to the exit. The Kumo Jounin looked on as they moved off. "Seems like she just used up too much chakra and passed out."

Sahara didn't really hear him. She was looking at the four foot wide, two foot deep gouge in the arena floor with wide eyes. "What the?" She felt a chill run down her spine. "If she'd hit me with that..." She wasn't sure she would have survived. "That girl...is a Genin?"

Shi had noticed the damage as well, but didn't give any indication of surprise. "Whatever it was, it drained her chakra almost dry using it. Come on, the matches are over."

The white haired girl nodded and looked up towards the observation deck. Ino was awake again, but looked miserable and as if she might fall over again at any moment. Genji and Ryoji were both grinning at her, while the bowl cut boy and girl in Chinese clothes praised her and congratulated her on her victory. Yugao and Gai both seemed pleased as well, especially Yugao. Ino just looked like she wanted to crawl off and get some rest. With a small smirk, the white haired girl nodded. "Yeah. I guess that's that. Konoha is a lot more interesting than I expected. I didn't think I'd fight anyone so strong here." Shi frowned at her, but his face went a little lighter when he realized she wasn't griping. In fact, she looked a little wistful, even pleased. "I hope I meet them again. I want to fight that girl again someday. That guy with them is kind of cute too."

The Jounin gave a heavy sigh. "If you say so." Kids were weird. His job was over, and after a small ceremony, the events would close, and he could find himself a drink and relax.

OooOOooOO

Naruto was pleased with how things turned out, sort of. He was kind of hoping Ino would do well enough to get promoted, but still get knocked out before the last match. Then he would have had an excuse to train them all into the ground again. Now he had to make up another excuse. As it was, there was a small ceremony where the Hokage and Raikage both presented her with a medal for winning the tournament. The delegates were all sitting about talking after the events.

Umi was smiling as the group was handed a form and a pen by a couple of Kumo nin. Everyone took one, and Naruto seemed confused and arched his eyebrow. "What's this?"

The blue haired woman arched her eyebrow. "It's the voting form. Now that the match is over, we vote on those we feel should be promoted to Chunin. You can choose three candidates."

The blond girl looked it over and nodded. "I see." He was a bit surprised, and hadn't thought that he'd be having a say in it. "Huh. Should have realized." He checked off the Kumo girl, Ryoji, and after briefly considering Ino, decided on Genji. He didn't want to play favorites, and assumed that others would vote for Ino.

Umi smiled as she filled hers out as well. "That was a very good tournament. Much better than usual."

Mizu was looking very bubbly. "Wow. That was something wasn't it? That Konohagakure girl was pretty impressive. I voted for her, that Hyuuga boy, and Sahara. What about you two?"

The Whirlpool Country representative shrugged. "The same really." They both looked at Naruto.

The blond shrugged. "I voted for the Kumo girl, and Yamanaka's two teammates."

The young brunette representative of Wave seemed a little surprised. "Really? That blond girl was impressive. I'm surprised you didn't vote for her."

Umi seemed to agree. "Yeah. She's kind of cute too."

Naruto shrugged. "Yeah. I figured everyone else would vote for her though. They all seemed to have the right qualities too. Being a Chunin is about more than just being strong."

Mizu seemed to understand, but Umi looked confused. Captain Izume smiled at her. "Well, it's nice to know someone appreciates that besides me. Though, I've got to admit, that girl was impressive. I voted for her as well. She's got a good head about her, and planned out her strategy well."

The Whirlpool Country woman frowned at him. "You just voted with your penis."

"Says the woman who voted for the 'cute one'," he replied.

Naruto shook his head. "I guess we head back home after this then?"

Umi blinked in surprise. "You're not staying?"

Mizu cocked her head. "Yeah. They've got great hot springs here! I'm dying to have a good soak!"

The blond girl seemed surprised. "Huh? Staying? I thought everyone had to leave after the exams."

The blue haired woman cocked her head. "Well, the ninja have to leave. They can't stay in the village because of the treaty. We're all ambassadors though. We usually stay for two or three days after the event. There's great shopping here, and I'm looking forward to the hot springs myself."

Izume gave a small snort and muttered "I'll bet," under his breath. The woman glared at him, but didn't speak up.

The brunette woman smiled. "Yeah. We'll show you if you'd like. It'll be fun."

Naruto glanced at his aunt. "I guess I should. I've never done this before. I'm not sure how it all works really." He wanted to find out more about her. He'd been alone for his whole life, and though he couldn't reveal himself to her, he was curious about the family he never knew he had. He also suspected why he was never told. Because of the Kyuubi, he had to remain in Konohagakure. Now he'd discovered he had a grandparent, and an Aunt. He was curious about them both, and wondering if there might be others.

She noticed 'her' gaze and smiled. "I'll show you the ropes. It's nice to get away and relax after business when we attend this sort of thing."

The blond girl nodded. "All right. Sounds good."

Izume smirked at that. He might be able to get Mizu off on her own if Umi was distracted with the Kitsune ruler. He still wasn't sure, but he suspected 'she' just might be male.

Mizu started talking, she had been quiet during the events, but was starting to look like a bit of a bubbly chatterbox. "Yeah. There's a big feast tonight. The food is always good. There's dancing, and we'll all have a few drinks. They give us really nice rooms, much better than my apartment. I've heard great things about Kumo. There's skiing, and hiking, and plenty of shops/ Oh! I heard there's a new place in town too. Everyone says it's great. The Fox Den, or something."

Umi flushed at the mention of it. "We've got one in Whirlpool Country recently. I think it's some sort of chain."

Izume chuckled. "I'm not so sure you'd like it, Mizu. They're popping up all over the place. Valley Country has one too. It's got some of the conservatives all riled up."

The brunette smiled. "Yeah. A lot of people talk about it though. They say it's got a great spa and salon in it though!"

Naruto nodded. "It does. The bar is good too."

Umi smirked. "Oh. You've been there before?"

The blond realized her guards were all smiling and trying to look innocent. "Yeah. I've only been to the one in Konohagakure so far though."

Mizu beamed. "Great! It's decided. We'll check it out together tomorrow. We'll go and get a facial, and get our hair done, and our nails! I hear they even do massages!"

Naruto forced himself to look pleased. "Um, yeah. They give great massages. I've had a few."

The Captain arched his eyebrow. "Well, sounds good. I'll probably check it out myself. I never made it to the one in Valley Country. I've been too busy since it opened to go."

Umi scowled at him. "What? Are you going to get your hair permed or something?"

Naruto looked away in a rather innocent manner. "Well, it's a bar too."

The man gave a rough snort. "As if you didn't know about that."

She blushed and looked annoyed. "Shut up." She turned her attention to the cute blond girl again. "Anyway. Hang out with us for a couple of days. You seem nice, and I like you. I'm sure we'll meet again at the next exams right?"

The blond seemed to think on it. "Well, sure. I'm not sure I'll come every time, but yeah. I'll definitely see you again some time."

Umi put her arm around her. She considered copping a feel, but decided there was time for that later. "Great. Stick with us. We've got to band together to fend off those perverts." She looked towards the other representatives.

Naruto looked in that general direction as well. "Yeah. I've not met them all yet."

Mizu beamed. "Great. It's always nice to have another girl around. It's just been the two of us for a while."

The blond turned a bit red and looked a little nervous at that statement. "Um, yeah. Girls. Heh."

Umi shook her shoulder. "We'll be meeting with the Daimyo of Kumo over dinner tonight. I'll introduce you. He's a pretty nice guy. He's about the only guy here who isn't a huge pervert."

Izume rolled his eyes as he stood up. "That's debatable." He spoke to the girls. "Well, I'll see you ladies later. I'm gonna go catch a nap before dinner."

Koruma and Kira were all looking at Umi. "Hey. We're perverts too."

Masara agreed. "Yeah. Even Highness."

Naruto glowered at them and they all shrugged. He opened his mouth, but found he couldn't really deny it either. "Well. I guess we are. Anyway. What sort of food do they have at this dinner thing?"

Mizu and Umi shrugged. The blue haired woman spoke up. "Well, probably local foods, with a bit of other stuff."

The blond nodded. "Think they'll have Ramen?"

Mizu seemed to think. "I doubt it. It's probably pretty expensive."

Umi looked a bit confused. "Ramen? No way. It's way better than Ramen."

The blond frowned. "What? Are you kidding? Better than Ramen?" She looked appalled. Naruto wasn't so sure this person was a relative of his.

The blue haired woman didn't seem to get the implication. "Of course. Ramen is cheap. This is gourmet stuff here. You'll love it."

Naruto sulked a little. "Not if there's no Ramen I won't," he muttered under his breath.

Koruma rolled her eyes a little. "Be diplomatic Highness, remember?"

He didn't respond but seemed to accept it. "I guess we should stay then. Where are we staying anyway?"

Umi pulled on her arm. "Come on. I'll show you."

OooOOooOO

Ino gave a small sigh as she walked out of the gates of Kumogakure. "Well, I'm glad that's over with."

The Hokage smiled at her. "You did very well. We're all very proud." Sasuke and Sakura were both silent and flanking her as they moved back towards Konoha.

Neji didn't look directly at her and crossed his arms as he walked with his team. He was sulking. Ayume was behind him, looking wide eyed at the ground with her fists balled up. Her two teammates were also silent.

"Yes, you did very well." Lee gave her a smile and put up his thumb as his teeth sparkled. Gai patted his head and seemed pleased.

"Yeah. Romeo here is right." Tenten gave her a warm looking smile as well. "I'm glad you won. That girl was a brat."

Rock Lee flushed a little. "She didn't seem so bad."

Ino smiled at them. "Thanks."

Ryoji and Genji were moving at her side looking relaxed. The larger boy nodded. "Yeah. I have to admit, she was strong, but she seemed all right."

The brunette boy nodded in agreement. "He's right. She talked a bit of trash, but it was no worse than any of us were doing." He looked over at Neji. "Well, most of us anyway."

The white eyed boy frowned at him and avoided eye contact. He didn't seem worried, but rather thoughtful. Ayume looked nervous, and was hanging back in silence. Her two teammates were standing beside her and seemed to have noticed her state. They seemed to be a little protective and it did help her mood a little.

Yugao was quite pleased. "Well, I don't think it could have turned out better. Don't you think, Gai?"

The man flushed a little. "A matter of perspective I suppose." He was aware that her whole team had gotten further than his had. "I expect the next tournament will go better for us."

Ino was relaxed and seemed relieved. She wasn't at top form, but she'd recovered from her fights for the most part. The medical teams of Kumo had fixed everyone up and they were almost good as new in most cases. She looked about and her face fell a little. "Hey. Where's Naruto? He's not coming back with us?" She was used to not seeing him, and only noticed the absence of his three kitsune companions.

The Hokage arched her eyebrow. "No. He's here as a delegate. They usually stay for the weekend. He'll return on Monday." It was Thursday afternoon and they were moving down the mountain stairs towards the border.

She seemed surprised and nodded. "Oh." It didn't look like she was upset by it either. "Great. We probably won't see him until Tuesday or Wednesday then."

Yugao nodded. "That's right."

Genji stretched his arms. "I guess we find out the results next week some time then?"

Tsunade nodded. "Yes. Usually in about five days."

Ryoji seemed pleased. "Well, I'm just glad it's over with."

His brunette companion glared at him. "I can't believe you just gave up."

The black haired boy put his hands behind his head. "I suppose you'd have just let her kick your butt around for a while? Why should I make myself look like a tool in front of everyone? I was better off giving up."

Tusnade chuckled. "He may be right." She had also voted on Chunin applicants with the other Kage. They were given four votes each, and she'd chosen him as one of her picks. She'd also voted for Ino, Neji, and Sahara."

Ino looked wistful and tired. "I'll be glad to get back home again."

OooOOooOO

Shi stood before the Raikage. "I have a report."

The man looked a little surprised. "Do you now?"

Yugito was in the room as well, leaning against his desk as the man bowed before the Raikage. "I suspect it's about that Yamanaka girl?"

The Jounin looked at her and nodded. "It's more than that."

Raikage arched his eyebrow. "We're aware of a few things that were revealed in the exams. You have more to add?"

Shi stood up and looked very serious. "Konohagakure has a new and dangerous technique. I do not understand it, but it is not to be taken lightly."

The Raikage leaned over his desk. "We have suspicions. The Yamanaka girl has the ability to hide from the Byakugan we think."

Shi shook his head. "Not just the Byakugan. She was able to sneak up on me. That girl can hide her chakra and fight at the same time."

Yugito hung her head a little. "Interesting."

The Jounin man nodded. "She must reveal herself to use jutsu. It did not hide her when she used that Tenshinte, or that chi ball of hers."

The Raikage nodded. "A weakness presents itself. Still, a very dangerous weapon for Konoha. That girl is someone we should keep an eye on."

The proctor of the finals shook his head. "It's not just her."

Yugito and the Raikage both looked at him at the same time. The huge man stood up and put his fists on his desk as he leaned forward. "What do you mean?"

Shi had a serious looking gaze as he answered. "The two ANBU with the Hokage also know of this technique. They were hidden from my senses just as she was. I do not think this is an isolated case. Konohagakure has discovered something very powerful and dangerous. A way to evade not just the Byakugan, but any chakra sensing techniques."

Yugito looked at the Raikage. "This could be a problem. It also seems to give them immunity from Gentle Fist Style. Don't forget how she killed that Hyuuga that tried to assassinate her in the exam."

The Raikage nodded and flopped down in his chair. He put his fist up to his cheek and glared forward. "Yes. I begin to see why the Hyuuga would do something like that. Whatever this is, it is a threat to their position in Konohagakure."

Shi nodded. "There's something else as well."

The Kage looked up at him. "Still more?"

His Jounin nodded. "I'm afraid so."

Yugito arched her eyebrow. "What else could it possibly be? It seems to be very powerful as it is."

The young man nodded. "Yes. It's valuable indeed. Not only does it do as you say, but it also appears to grant immunity from gnjutsu, even genjutsu on the level of Sahara's Desert of Fear."

Again, the other two in the room were looking at him with wide eyes.

Yugito rubbed on her chin. "That's..."

Raikage nodded. "I see. Are you sure?"

Shi nodded. "Sahara was looking her dead in the eyes at the start of the match. I noticed her trying to use it on her more than once. Each time, that Yamanaka girl ignored it completely. As if it was just a stare. This is serious."

The Raikage gave a chuckle. "Indeed. We cannot ignore it."

Yugito glanced back at him. "What should we do?"

The young man looked at his Kage. "Perhaps we should organize an assault team? Ambush them before they leave our borders? Capture that girl?"

The Kage snorted. "Don't be foolish. The Hokage is with them. I suspect she accompanied them to help protect this little secret of theirs. A wise move indeed."

The woman seemed to think on it. "Well, I suspect we should try and capture her?"

The Raikage nodded. "Yes. However, for now, we do nothing."

Shi bowed. "I've told you all I know of this so far."

Their leader stood from his seat and walked over to the window. He put his hands behind his back and looked out over the mountains. "We'll keep an eye on things. The Hyuuga have a problem. Perhaps that can be used to our advantage? If we cannot discover this technique for ourselves, it may be to our advantage to help them destroy it."

Yugito nodded. "With the resurrection of The Eye of the Soul, the threat of the Hyuuga has lessened considerably. It will be many years before it gives us an advantage, and must be protected. However, the current peace makes that easier."

The Raikage nodded. "I'd rather not have to wait that long. A technique like this, would render the Hyuuga powerless. Konohagakure having it puts us at an even greater disadvantage. It is fortunate that Sahara had enough of the bloodline in her veins to allow the lost eye to resurface. However replicating it will take years, and she's too young for breeding yet. We are vulnerable."

Shi looked confused. "So, what are we to do then?"

Their leader seemed to think for a long moment and closed his eyes. "Have someone look into the situation with the Hyuuga. That seems to be the best lead at the moment. If we rush this, it may prove troublesome. I've no wish to start an all out war with Konohagakure at this time."

Yugito frowned. "So, we send a diplomatic delegate? Konohagakure is not likely to be very trusting."

The Raikage nodded. "Indeed. We cannot afford another screw up. We will make no attempts ourselves at this time. Investigate the situation with the Hyuuga, and attempt to enter talks with them. The new Hokage will be more inclined to speak to us. We can use the success of the exams as a door to open diplomatic relations with them."

Shi nodded. "The Hokage may not be our biggest problem. The Hyuuga clan may not be so inclined to trust us, given our past relations."

The Kage seemed to think again. "Perhaps. However, this may work to our mutual advantage. If they believe we wish to see this destroyed rather than captured they may be persuaded."

The young man nodded. "It may prove difficult. They are likely to be suspicious of our motives. Especially since they are probably aware we know of it's effectiveness against the Byakugan."

Yugito nodded. "Agreed. However, we may be able to persuade them to act. I agree we should investigate, and sending a delegate seems to be the best way to do such a thing. I do not think it would be a good idea to approach them directly. However, we may find a weakness that we can exploit to our advantage in doing so."

Shi glanced at her and crossed his arms. "Whoever we send will be watched closely. We are not trusted in Konohagakure. If we are to act, it must be with caution."

The Raikage nodded. "Yes. For now, we open relations with Konohagakure and nothing else. We need to know more of this, and how it relates to the Hyuuga. Who knows, if the Hyuuga are pressured, they may create an opportunity for us without realizing it."

Yugito pursed her lips and chewed on her thumb. "We can assume they know of The Eye of the Soul as well. They will not be pleased to hear it, and we must be careful ourselves. However, it does give them reason to think we value the Byakugan less."

The Kage turned and looked at them both. "I'll speak with the Daimyo of it. For now, we cannot afford another incident. Our relations with them are not poor at the moment. The exams give us an opportunity to open the door to talks with them. You may go. I have much to think about."

Shi nodded and moved towards the door. Yugito stepped towards the Raikage. "If I might suggest someone?"

He looked at her. "I'm listening."

"Okami is a Monk of the Cloud Temple. He is young, and they have good relations with the Fire Temple. One of the Monks there is a Hyuuga, he attended the exams and returned to the temple after the first exam. He is also a Chunin of Kumogakure, but he also has some diplomatic experience. He has visited Suna, Valley, and has spent time studying with the monks of Fire Temple, as well as attending a few diplomatic talks on behalf of Lightning Country while he was there. The Daimyo of Fire Country would know him." The man's eyebrow arched as she continued. "I do not think he would do if we are to act, but he would be the perfect man for the job if we intend to improve our relations with Konohagakure. I do not doubt his ability, or his loyalty, but he would be the perfect man for gathering the intelligence we might need to use more experienced and specialized operatives when the need arises. He is not much of a fighter I'm afraid, but he is intelligent and resourceful, as well as a good speaker. I do not doubt he will be able to persuade talks if nothing else."

Raikage nodded. "Very well. I'll remember that. There's no need for that yet. I'll need to speak with the Daimyo first. I'll speak with him about it myself."

She cocked her head a little and bowed as she turned away. "Very well. I shall leave you then."

The man turned to look out over the mountains from his window with a thoughtful frown. He disliked politics and diplomacy, but understood that they were both required of his station. "I miss the old days." Problems were so much easier to handle when you could just crush them.

OooOOooOO

TBC...

Next Time: Naruto learns the ropes of Diplomacy.