Bab 60: Uchiha's Strength
Hello Drinor here, If you'd like to become a patron and get access to these chapters earlier, just head on over to Patreon and search 'Drinor'
Just write 'www.Patreon.com/Drinor' in Google or go to www.allmylinks.com/Drinor
The Following 11 Chapters are already Available for Patrons.
Chapter 61 (Fuu's Strength), Chapter 62 (Hinata's Fear), Chapter 63 (Blue Flames of Yugito), Chapter 64 (Kurotsuchi's Revenge), Chapter 65 (Preliminary Rounds Ends), Chapter 66 (Samui's Pleasure), Chapter 67 (Jiraiya's Consequences), Chapter 68 (A Night to Remember), Chapter 69 (Shukaku Vs Naruto), Chapter 70 (Gaara's Freedom), and Chapter 71 (The Hero of Suna) are already available for Patrons.
'Goddamn it, of all people.' Kabuto thought in annoyance.
He was ordered to observe Sasuke's progress, not fight him in a match. But then again, this might be an opportunity to learn more about the Uchiha up close and personal, but he knew he needed to hold himself back and lose on purpose.
'Didn't waste any time, did they? Kabuto may be blend and generic, but I better not underestimate him.' Sasuke thought with a confident smirk.
Everyone was now staring at Sasuke and Kabuto, wondering who would win.
"Alright, for those whose name has been drawn, come forward...." Hayate said, signaling both Sasuke and Kabuto to walk forward in front of everyone, as they now face each other "....You have been chosen for the first match. Kabuto Yakushi and Sasuke Uchiha. Are there any objections?" Hayate asked.
"None here," Sasuke said.
"Not really," Kabuto said.
The two Genins stare each other down while everyone else has some thoughts on the matter.
"Good luck, Sasuke-Kun. I know you can do it." Sakura exclaimed, raising her fist in the air.
'Something's wrong here. If what Naruto-Kun said is true and Kabuto is a spy, why didn't he bow out when the opportunity presented itself? Unless this is all part of a plan. I need to ask Whiskers about this later.' Ino thought.
'I don't like that guy. He gives me the creeps.' Shikamaru thought with narrowed eyes.
'Tsk, you might have escaped us, Sasuke, but our mission is still in motion. We will kill you when you least expect it, and Orochimaru-same will soon acknowledge us for our victory.' Dosu thought with a sinister smile behind his bandage-covered mouth.
'Yosh! Good luck, Sasuke-san!' Lee thought with passion.
'Now let's sit back and see what this Uchiha-dog can do.' Neji thought with a smug look.
"Ah, Alright then, let's begin the first match *cough* okay, everyone other than the two opposing candidates will now clear the area and move to the upper level," Hayate ordered as everyone made their way to the balconies to wait for their turn.
"Don't underestimate him, Sasuke; it would be a shame if the Uchiha heir would lose against a nobody," Naruto said with a smirk, loud enough for everyone to hear. Kabuto narrowed his eyes dangerously; Sasuke scoffed; he would never lose to a loser.
A certain individual in Kabuto's team narrowed his eyes at Naruto; his unusually pale skin and white hair made him look like not much, a straw hat covering his head, his eyes studying the Uzumaki with interest.
As Naruto walked away, he could see Kabuto narrowing his eyes at him, which only made the Uzumaki smirk at the spy. He still has no idea that Naruto is aware of him, but Kabuto could feel that Naruto's beef with him was very personal; he just doesn't know why since he had never met the blonde before the exam.
When Naruto arrived at the balcony, he stood right next to Ino, who was leaning against the railing, waiting for their friend's match to begin.
"Let me guess; you said that to spite him?" Ino whispered to the blonde boy next to her.
"It's a small comfort. Kabuto will likely lose on purpose for the sake of his cover. But let's hope it's a painful defeat." Naruto whispered back with a hint of anger in his voice
Naruto only wished that he was the one down there instead of Sasuke. But for now, he'll settle for a second-hand beat down.
"How about the clone you sent to spy on him? Did he dispel yet?" Ino asked regarding Naruto's chakra-enhanced Shadow Clone that he made in the forest.
"Not yet. He's on stand-by outside the tower, waiting for Kabuto to come out. If my math is right, he'll have at least two more days left of chakra to continue his mission." Naruto said as he was able to sense his clone's presence.
"Well, let's hope he'll find some clues before he pops," Ino said tiredly as she leaned her head down on Naruto's shoulder.
Meanwhile, on the arena floor, Hayate was now addressing the two opposing candidates.
"Then, if you're ready, let the match begin!"
The moment Hayate began the match, both Sasuke and Kabuto reached into their back pouch and threw several shurikens at each other, only for them to clash and stop midway. Both Genins then took out their respected kunais and charged toward each other in a clash of steel, engaging in fast-paced hand-to-hand combat.
Sasuke is faster, and his reaction time is better, but Naruto could tell that Kabuto was holding back. The match looked almost one-sided, as Sasuke was dominating most of the time, but Kabuto managed to still 'put up a good fight, which is the common term for those who are unsuspected of the silver-haired boy.
Thanks to Naruto's words, Sasuke knew that Kabuto was not taking the match seriously, which infuriated him a little due to his Uchiha pride, so he decided to push Kabuto a little further to force him to reveal any of his secrets.
Sasuke then jumped away in the opposite direction to get some distance, as he made a couple of hand-seals and took a deep breath.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
The Uchiha blew out a massive fireball toward Kabuto, much to everyone's awe for a Rookie Genin to perform elemental ninjutsu.
Kabuto was barely able to escape the large ball of inferno as it collided on the wall behind him, causing a small explosion.
Sasuke didn't waste any time as he rushed towards Kabuto, jumped up with his kunai in hand, and made a downward slash on the elderly boy, but only to hit a substitution.
Sasuke looked around him, wondering where the glasses-wearing Genin disappeared to, only to be reminded with a 'certain memory' of his first training exercise against Kakashi.
So by instinct, Sasuke jumps high above, just in time before seeing Kabuto's hand suddenly appearing out of the earth, ready to grab his ankles.
Sasuke then blew out another large fireball on the ground where Kabuto was buried, only for the older Genin to quickly jump out of the way in time before he was burned to a crisp.
But luckily, this was all part of Sasuke's plan.
Sasuke then ran towards Kabuto and threw his kunai in the direction of his head, only for Kabuto to dodge with ease. Still, when Sasuke was getting closer, and Kabuto readied his kunai to strike back, Sasuke suddenly disappeared in front of him.
Kabuto's eyes widened when he felt a strong kick to his jaw, sending him flying above.
Rock Lee and Guy were in shock at the familiar technique that Sasuke was about to perform, as the Uchiha only saw Lee perform it once during their little brawl.
Sasuke then quickly jump above, appearing right behind Kabuto in mid-air.
"Okay, I'll admit. I kind of borrowed that move. But from here on in, it's all original." Sasuke said with a confident smirk behind Kabuto as he tapped his finger on his back, ready to use his new/burrowed technique.
'The Dancing Leaf Shadow. Not bad, Sasuke. You do have potential, after all.' Kabuto thought, hiding his smugness with a fake look of panic on his face.
"HERE WE GO!" Sasuke said as he moved his body to kick Kabuto's side, but Kabuto's forearm immediately blocked it.
He wasn't going to let it be too easy.
"Nice try, Sasuke, but you have to do WAY better than that." Kabuto dared convincingly, as he knew that this was the finishing blow of the match.
"I'm just getting started!" Sasuke declared as he twisted his body around and landed a hard punch on Kabuto's chest, knocking some air out of his lungs and sending Kabuto crashing toward the ground, but before he made contact on the concrete floor, Sasuke struck Kabuto's chest once more, to gain some leverage, as he twists his body around, and land a strong axe-kick on Kabuto's chest right before he reached the floor.
"Lions Barrage!"
Sasuke might have added a little too much chakra to his kick, as the ground cracked on impact, and Kabuto was gasping from pain, as blood and saliva came out of his mouth before he was 'knocked out'.
While it was a painful experience, Kabuto had the worst. This was practically child's play for the older Genin. If he didn't hold back and had the intention to kill, Sasuke wouldn't have lasted 10 seconds against him. He could barely feel his injuries anymore, as they were slowly healing, thanks to his mastery of Medical Ninjutsu, but it wasn't visible enough for everyone to notice.
Sasuke rolled away, as he was now in a kneeling position, waiting for Kabuto to get back up and continue the match. But luckily, it wasn't the case.
Hayate then approached the 'unconscious' Kabuto and, seeing how the older Genin was out cold; the winner had already been decided.
"I'm declaring this match over. As the winner of the first preliminary round, Sasuke Uchiha advances to the finals." Hayate declared, earning a loud cheer from the Rookie 9.
Sasuke nodded his head in gratitude to the proctor and then made his way to the balcony to join his teammates as they continued to cheer for his win.
Kakashi then approached his tired student while his lone eye was still focusing on a certain orange book in his hand.
"Mmm, not bad," Kakashi said sarcastically, with a sincere eye-smile.
"Hmph." Sasuke simply scoffed with a proud smirk.
"Funny, before the Lion's Barrage, your technique is very reminiscent to Guy's taijutsu. You must've used your Sharingan to copy it when you fought with Rock Lee that time." Kakashi summarizes his very accurate theory.
"I actually wanted to use my Sharingan to analyze his fighting technique so I could counter it. I didn't realize I copied it instead. But oh well, I guess there's a silver lining to getting my ass kicked by that guy." Sasuke said as he rubbed his jaw soothingly, remembering the hard kick he received from the Green spandex-wearing Genin.
"You know, Sasuke, you should thank Lee by challenging him to a race or something. I'm sure it will make his day." Naruto joked, making the Uchiha pale as he imagined an all-day run with the energetic bushy brow Genin.
"SUCH A YOUTHFUL IDEA, NARUTO-SAN! I ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE AS PAYMENT FOR COPYING MY TECHNIQUE!" Lee, who was nearby, declared loudly with a thumbs up and a voice filled with passion.
"NO, no, no no, no, no, no, no no, no.....NO. Just no. But if you insist, I'll give you 50 Ryo, and we'll call it even." Sasuke said plainly.
"MONEY?! HOW UN-YOUTHFUL! WE MUST SAVOUR THESE MOMENTS WHILE WE ARE STILL IN OUR YOUTH! RIGHT, GUY SENSEI?!" Lee turned to his Sensei for confirmation.
"That's the spirit, Lee! Always find a way to fan your flames of youth till it burns no longer! You make me so proud!" Guy praised his mini-me, with happy anime tears in his eyes.
"Oh, Guy Sensei!"
"Lee!"
"Guy Sensei!"
"Lee!"
"GUY SENSEI!"
"LEE!"
"WILL YOU BOTH STOP THAT!" Tenten yelled out, stopping them before their 'illusionary beach' appeared. She felt extremely embarrassed by her Sensei and teammate's antics, especially in front of Neji, who was staring at them with awkwardness.
Team 10 and Team 7 were actually grateful that Tenten stopped the green-clad duo before their unbreakable 'Beach Illusion' appeared, as they never want to experience that horror again.
Kakashi felt a sweatdrop on his head for his rival's behavior toward his favorite student, but he then turns his attention back to Sasuke.
"Well, anyway, I'm proud of you, Sasuke," Kakashi informed.
"Thanks, Kakashi Sensei," Sasuke said.
As the two teams were about to turn their attention back to the arena, where a team of medical ninjas was putting Kabuto on a stretcher, they didn't notice someone was approaching them from behind.
Kumo Team
"So the Uchiha isn't half bad!" Mabui commented from where she stood; she and her team had watched the fight with interest. The Uchiha was rumored to be one of the strongest Genins of Konoha, behind only Naruto, so of course, everyone had paid close attention to the fight.
Samui, in particular, didn't care much; her attention was drawn to the handsome blonde on the other side of the Large Hall. She wondered if she could have a conversation later with him; Raikage's interest in him intrigued the sexy blonde Kunoichi of Kumo. She licked her lips at the thought of having him later; even if he didn't reveal anything to her, she wouldn't mind having him in her bed; she wouldn't be bothered if his girlfriend tagged along, not the first time she had been with a woman.
Karui had actually cheered when the Uchiha had won the fight but calling that a fight would be an insult. Samui had seen how the Konoha Shinobi had held himself back but wasn't sure what to make of it, and it seemed Yugito and Omoi had noticed it as well.
"I don't know what game he's playing, but he's definitely sneaky," Omoi commented, his eyes were scanning everyone in the large area. His eyes had seen several Genins that were bad news.
The one with white hair in Kabuto's team, the chick from Iwa, the red-haired psychopath from Suna, the seven tails girl from Taki, but most importantly, Naruto. Omoi didn't know how powerful the blonde was, but he could tell there was a lot Naruto was holding back; his eyes sometimes showed maturity beyond his years; Omoi had seen that back at the restaurant when the Neji guy had threatened them.
"What do you mean, Omoi?" Karin questioned with a sharp look, turning to look at her teammate, who let out a long yawn.
"Nothing really, I just fear that if you fall in love with the Uchiha boy, but the Raikage orders you to kill him, leaving you no choice but to choose Duty over Love, but just as you are abo-AAAAHHHH," he moaned in pain, Karui holding him by the ear, almost lifting him.
"Shut Up, Omoi. No one wants to hear your Prophecies about the Future!" She shouted right at the ear she was holding.
Yugito meanwhile noticed the murderous look the Iwa chick was giving Naruto; she knew the history between Iwa and Konoha; for centuries now, they had been at each other's throats, but she could tell this was more personal, and why Naruto in particular.
Yugito knew her friend was strong, but he had yet to show his strength; if anything, The Iwa chick should glare at the Sasuke guy instead of Naruto unless her friend was reminding her of someone else.
"Wow, Yugito didn't know you had a head that could think!" Matatabi spoke in her head teasingly; her chakra always had a certain effect on her.
Yugito rolled her eyes playfully. Speaks the cat who's horny all the time, she thought with a deadpan look, her eyes lingering on Naruto, especially his muscular body; she wondered how it would feel to have her hands around his abs...
I blame you for this! Yugito thought with a flush on her cheeks. Usually, her friend wasn't able to affect her, but that wasn't the same when it came to Naruto.
Suna Team
"The Uchiha brat is not that bad; what do you think, Temari?" Kankuro questioned his sister, who seemed distracted, her eyes focused on a certain troublesome guy in the Konoha team.
Kankuro shook his head, tired of this shit. He didn't bother asking his little brother, who was probably daydreaming about blood and killing people. His eyes solely focused on the Taki girl and the Blonde brat from Konoha.
Why does it sometimes feels like I'm the only sane person here? He thought, scratching the back of his head.
Round 2
Temari vs. Kin Tsuchi
The two kunoichis made their way to the arena floor; both had their own form of self-confidence and arrogance for their own strengths and abilities.
The match was very one-sided, as Temari barely moved from where she was standing, as Kin threw several senbons at her, but only to be blocked by Temari's oversized fan and an invisible wind barrier.
Kin attempted to use her illusionary ability, which was produced by the sound of the bells that were attached to each of her senbons, which worked at first, as Temari was seeing multiple Kin(s) standing before her to disorient her. However, unfortunately for Kin, Temari still remained calm and collective as she took out her giant fan and unleased a wide-range Futon attack, sweeping Kin in a powerful vortex of wind as she was hurled into the air, feeling multiple wind blades cutting through her skin.
As the Jutsu ended, Kin fell down from where she was floating, but directly onto Temari's fan, knocking her out in the process.
It was a short match, as Temari barely broke a sweat.
Hayate immediately declared her the winner after, moving her to the next stage, along with Sasuke.
The next round was now between two Konoha ninjas
Round 3
Shino Aburame vs. Mitsumi Tsurugi
The match was also short, as Misumi immediately attempted to went in for the kill by using his Soft Physique Modification Technique.
As his limbs became more flexible and elastic, Misumi began to wrap his limbs around Shino, ensnaring the Aburame in an anaconda grip, threatening to break Shino's neck if he didn't surrender.
But to his and everyone's surprise and shock, 'Shino' suddenly burst into a swarm of thousands of Parasitic Insects, indicating that he had to substitute himself with an Insect Clone, as they immediately crawled all over Misumi's entire body, biting his skin and absorbing his chakra.
Misumi screamed out in fear and disgust as he struggled to free himself from the creepy crawlers until he immediately surrendered, and the match was over.
Despite everyone else's wonder and disgust over Shino's clan ability, the young Aburame was greeted with cheers and congratulations from the Rookie 9.
Shino still can't get used to how his friends are so welcoming of who he is, despite knowing his clan's insect abilities. He honestly won't blame them if they felt a little uncomfortable around him since he was used to it, but he was grateful that his close friends were very open-minded and understanding.
Afterward, Hayate then announced the next match;
Round 4
Shikamaru Nara vs. Tenten
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone