Chapter 13

The third stage! And invasion. I think. ~LeViAcKeRmAnN

———

"I will not go easy on you just because you are on my team," Neji stated.

Tenten smirked, readying some kunai. Because they'd be fighting each other in the finals, they had been training separately, Neji with his clan, Tenten with assorted weapon users and Genma. Neji didn't know she had finally completed the Hirashin, and neither did he know about the other tag, the one that swapped him with one of her weapons.

She'd have to get in close to apply it, but then he wouldn't be able to get it off. Her and Genma had worked on applying seals at a touch, and she'd finally managed it with the kawarmi seal. Someday, she hoped to be able to do it with her Hiraishin seal, so she didn't have to prepare weapons before hand, and could place down seals quickly on her own.

"Begin!" Anko shouted, shunshining up to her spot. Genma couldn't proctor because he was busy teaching Tenten, so they let Anko come back for the third round.

Tenten started launching weapons at Neji, every single one deflected by what she realized was the Kaiten. Genma had managed to get one of his Hyuuga friends to come in and spar with her a few times, so she recognized the move.

She just needed a few more kunai marked with her seal on the ground so she could hiraishin to one, get inside his kaiten bubble long enough to tag him with her kawarmi seal, then hiraishin out before she got hurt.

That was the last one not in her seals, so it was time. She picked the one closest to him, and he stopped his kaiten, panting slightly as he watched her carefully. With a flicker of chakra, she hiraishined to the kunai closest to him, tapped him to apply the seal, and hiraishined out of the way before he could do the kaiten again and throw her against the wall of the stadium.

Neji inspected the spot she had tagged him suspiciously, but found nothing. The seal was not visible to the naked eye when chakra wasn't being channeled through it. Not like he could remove it anyway.

Tenten grinned, activating the seal and swapping Neji with one of her weapons. He staggered, slightly off balance, and she took the opportunity to Hirashin in, tie him up, and put a kunai to his throat. "Forfeit or I knock you out."

Neji glared very heavily, but conceded. "I forfeit."

"Winner, Tenten!" Anko chirped happily, shunshining into the arena and high-fiving Tenten.

Tenten grinned, attaching chakra strings to all of her weapons and dragging them towards her. She sealed them up haphazardly, planning to sort and check over them later.

Genma high-fived her when she got back up to the stands. "Great job! Taking down a Hyuuga is no small feat."

Tenten nodded, taking a deep breath. "Maybe our spars will actually be even now."

"You never know!" Genma said, clapping her on the back.

"Hey, Genma-sensei?" Tenten.

"Hm?"

"Do you think I'll make chuunin?"

Genma turned away from watching the second match, Shino Aburame and Shikamaru Nara. "Sure, I may not be one of those on the proctor roster because of mentoring you during the 3rd round waiting time, but I saw your scores for the first two. They were pretty good. With your display here, I'd say that yes, you're pretty likely to make chuunin. If you continue showing a healthy measure of strategy in the following rounds, you should be on the fast track for Chuunin."

"What are they looking for?" Tenten asked.

"Well, usually in the first test they're looking for subtlety, and a little bit of leadership. In this case, you showed minor leadership in taking control of how your teammates were able to cheat with your mirrors. The second test is about leadership again, and some power and strategy. Third test is all about power and strategy. The traits of a chuunin," Genma explained. "Down there, I wouldn't be surprised if both boys made chuunin. Both are showing adequate levels of power and good strategy."

"Aburame and Nara clans aren't known for brashness," Tenten agreed.

"That's one way of putting it," Genma said, nodding. "There we go, Nara won, then forfeited. Standard Nara when not in life or death. Remember that, Nara are primarily diversions. They trip up people, prevent them from going after the main party. They don't like effort, but if you hurt one of their own, that is a fear that will permeate your whole being. It's a kind of fear that few people feel."

Tenten nodded along, watching the two walk out, leaning against each other somewhat. "They both got in some good blows."

"Yep," Genma said, grinning around the senbon in his mouth. "This next one should be interesting, with the Sasuke and Gaara match put off, Naruto vs a Suna puppeteer should be an adventure."

"Or not," Tenten noted a moment later when Kankuro forfeited in advance.

Genma frowned. "Stay here, I'll be right back."

Tenten nodded, watching him hiraishin to the Third Hokage's side curiously. He whispered with the kage for a while, then hiraishined back.

"Alright, listen up, I'll explain this once."

Tenten immediately turned her full attention on Genma.

"The Hokage suspects something will happen in this match, something big. It's possible this will become a battle ground. If that happens, start hiraishining as many civies out and into the bunkers as fast as you can," Genma glanced around nervously. "Once everyone's in the bunkers, stage two of Konoha's plan will begin. Everyone will let loose. Heads will be rolling everywhere. You will probably have to kill some people if this suspicion is correct. Do you understand?"

Tenten nodded quickly. "Hai."

"Now, find me as soon as you can after the second stage has been announced via the red tailed hawk circling twice over the stadium. If you don't spot that, the giant form of Chouza-sensei should cue you in. Once the second stage has begun, pull out your full arsenal to protect and kill. Keep an eye on your fellow genin. I would suggest keeping a hiraishin seal on all of them if you can."

Tenten nodded again, and Genma suddenly smiled. "Now, let's enjoy the match, shall we?"

Tenten took that as an indication to pretend nothing was wrong, and turned to look at the match.

"Oh no," Genma said, leaning forward. "Kakashi taught him that?"

"What?" Tenten asked, examining Sasuke closely. He was on the wall, and finished going through hand signs.

"Chidori," Genma said solemnly. "Kakashi's own jutsu. An A-ranked assasination jutsu."

"Why is he using it?" Tenten asked, horrified. "This is a simple match! Not life or death!"

"He probably didn't stop to think about what else could break that shield of Gaara's," Genma said, glaring daggers at Kakashi.

"Couldn't he just, I dunno, slow the sand down with some water and then use his speed to get in close?" Tenten asked, wincing at the scream that rang out around the arena.

"It's happening," Genma hissed. "Be wary, and watch out for genjutsu."

Tenten nodded, watching the stadium nervously.

White feathers started floating down from the sky, and Tenten, on guard for a genjutsu, immediately broke it.

"Tenten! Go! Get civilians out of here!" Genma shouted, beginning to throw senbon at the incoming Suna shinobi.

Tenten nodded, running over to a set of civilians and, leaving a kunai impaled under the seat, she grabbed the shoulders of two, hiraishining to a seal she had placed inside the bunkers for the civies. She leaned the two she had collected against the wall, flashing back to where she had left the kunai.

She repeated it until her entire section was in the bunkers, and there were more people trickling in.

She looked around, noting the lack of civies in the stadium, then noticed the red-tailed hawk flying high above the stadium. Genma flashed over to stand next to her for a moment. "The second phase has begun. Kill as many Suna shinobi as you can. They are the enemy, the more that don't live, the less there are to kill our allies later. Got it?"

Tenten nodded nervously.

"I have a seal set on top of the roof. Start there, and get to work," Genma instructed. "I'll back you up."

Tenten took a deep breath to steady herself, then hiraishined up to the rooftop. ftop. She'd killed before, but it had been bandits, people she knew didn't have anyone to go home to. She took another deep breath, then spread a scroll in front of her. It was filled with Hiraishin weapons, and she unsealed them in a spread.

The weapons flew, impaling the slower shinobi, some dying on the spot, others looking up to where she was standing, folding her scroll away.

Weapons flew at her, but she hiraishined to one of the impaled, but not dead shinobi, drawing a tanto and removing their head. She repeated it, Genma flickering in and out alongside her, taking out those she wasn't.

"Good job," he called when the section of street had been cleared. "Let's move on and repeat."

Tenten nodded shakily, focusing on Genma instead of the blood caking her hands and clothing.

His expression softened, and he clapped her on the shoulder. "I hate to say it, but you'll get used to it. A terrible truth, but can be reassuring. Push it out of your mind, and break down later. Right now, we don't have the time."

Tenten nodded again, swallowing bile, and taking a deep breath. "Alright. I can do that."

Genma smiled softly. "Come on, we have a village we need to defend."