The Chunin Exams - 53

"…That's just absurd." Ino growled, even as she switched one of the two kunai remaining in her hand to her off hand and landed, pushing off with a burst of chakra and dual wield slashing at him.

He clasped his hands behind his back at the same time, he block and deflected her blows using only the kunai held between his teeth.

And to think, Isobu thought he shouldn't have Roronoa as his middle name!

Time ran down quickly, and Ino was no closer to hitting him.

'Eighteen….nineteen.' he idly counted off.

Ino visibly ground her teeth together as he parried one of her slashes down with the kunai in his mouth, the force behind it actually forcing her to kneel on one leg.

She showed a surprising amount of skill though when she flicked her fingers up, letting the kunai in the hand he'd just parried shoot up towards his chin, at the same time she pushed back with her back leg and tossed the one in her other hand.

One coming up for his chin, the other straight for his heart. A pincer technique, cutting off any escape avenue beyond one side.

At the same time her hands came together in an unfamiliar seal as she shot back and landed, a square like space gap between her fingers.

"Twenty." Daiki declared aloud.

And then he moved.

He disappeared in a blur of speed and Ino's eyes widened. She never got the chance to fire off her special clan jutsu, because Daiki was suddenly behind her.

One hand wrapping around her waist and pinning her arms to her sides, while the other wrapped around her throat and pinned her bodily to his chest.

"And that's match," Daiki grinned down at the blonde, "Not bad at all Ino, you're a lot more skilled than I thought you were."

"…Easy for you to say when you danced around me like a child," Ino sighed, "Well, whatever, I already knew it would end like this."

"With you pinned against me?" Daiki asked, grin widening.

Ino tensed in his grip, suddenly realising their position before relaxing and tilting her head up slightly to grin at him, "Well it's not a bad position to be in," she shrugged, though only because he allowed it, "Did you want to show me you weren't lying about your boasts that much earlier?" she flirted, surprising him a bit and wiggled her backside against his hips.

….This could be bad.

While usually he wouldn't mind at all.

Currently, there was one girl specifically whom he was flirting with and preparing to possibly pursue a relationship with.

One girl whom was watching right now from above. It was one thing to flirt with other girls when he still wasn't in a relationship with Tenten.

It was another to do it in front of her.

'Wait, why do I feel four different killing intents?' Daiki blinked, confused.

Did somebody have a crush on Ino that he didn't know about?

"I mean, if you want to see it, just look me up after this exam where we can have some privacy and I don't mind giving you an up close and personal look." Daiki replied, and released her, stepping back.

"You tease," Ino pouted at him, even as she turned around and idly rubbed her throat, "Well, I'll keep that in mind."

With that said, the blonde turned to Hayate who was watching them drily, his gaze completely un-impressed, "So yeah, um, proctor guy, I give up, surrender and all that." she declared.

"Uh-hu…" Hayate deadpanned, before slowly lifting his hand into the air, "Yamanaka Ino has surrendered, the winner is Yurei Daiki…please quickly vacate the arena so we can choose the next match participants." he said, voice completely monotone.

He looked completely done with life.

As the match end, Ino visible shuddered, "Man, is it cold in here or what, I just had this shiver go up my spine." the blonde rubbed her hands together.

Daiki shrugged at the blonde girls words and took his leave, making his way back up to the railing above.

As he did though and made to walk back to his spot, he passed by Gai and his team, and a certain bun haired girl wasn't very content to let him just go by.

Tenten grabbed his arm and pulled him in beside her, as she did, he thought he saw Hinata narrow her eyes in his direction.

"Really?" Tenten questioned him, gaze dry, "The hell was with the flirting?"

"Animal magnetism?" Daiki replied with a shrug and grin. It was more Ino flirting with him after all.

"Then I might just need to muzzle you." she deadpanned.

Ouch.

Daiki winced, but before he could reply, a hand clapped him over the shoulder, "That was a most youthful match Daiki-kun!" he looked over his shoulder to see Lee grinning at him brightly, "Though I am quite keen to test that boast of yours from earlier."

"Fine with me," he grinned back at the older boy, "Just make sure you pass these prelims, I'll happily fight you in the real third exam and show you why I'm the strongest guy there is."

"Yosh!" Lee pumped his fist, "I will strive to do so! If I cannot defeat my opponent and make it to the third exam, I will run five thousand laps around Konoha and on my hands!"

"That's the spirit Lee!" Gai cheered him on.

Neji, leaning over the railing snorted, "Such childish boasting," the Hyuuga said, "Mere words with nothing to back it up."

"Somebody's a little salty he isn't the strongest Konoha genin anymore," Daiki shrugged, "It's alright Neji, I don't think any less of you, it's only natural to be jealous of someone as awesome as me."

The Hyuuga merely snorted derisively and didn't reply again.

Somebody would really need to do something about that guy. Assuming Naruto didn't do it, Daiki supposed he wouldn't mind kicking his fate loving ass around.

Neji was a good ally to have after all, once he got that stick pulled out of his ass about fate.

And well, Daiki was pretty sure he could get rid of the Cage Bird Seal, plus he was in line to be Hokage so he could force the issue of abolishing it.

He wouldn't stand for any of his citizens being slaves. If the Hyuga wanted slaves, they should just go hunt some rock humpers.

"You really need to learn to stop running your mouth," Tenten sighed, "It's not like you're not strong, crazy strong and skilled for a rookie, but Neji's a genius you know?"

"I'm a super a genius four, which is forty thousand times better than a regular genius." Daiki replied without missing a beat

Tenten gave a slow blink, before shrugging, "Okay."

She apparently knew a losing battle when she saw one.

He wasn't quite sure he liked that though.

She clearly didn't believe him.

"I'm stronger, faster, more durable, know more jutsu," he shrugged and pointed out, "On top of that the Gentle Fist doesn't work on me."

"Don't go assuming just because you play with Hinata-sama and Hanabi-sama, that you've seen the true power of the Gentle Fist," Neji snorted derisively once again, not even turning around to look at him, "The difference between my taijutsu and theirs is as vast as the distance between heaven and earth."

Ooh, how testy.

"Being more skilled at it doesn't change what it does and what it does has no effect on me buddy," Daiki shrugged, "But I'll happily prove to you how much stronger I am once we fight in the third exam, assuming you don't get your ass kicked."

"Your words mean nothing, fate has already decreed that I shall be the victor." Neji replied simply and said nothing more.

What a boring guy.

He didn't get the chance at say anything else though, because Hayate apparently decided it was time to get a move on.

And the huge screen began to rapidly cycle through names.

Before landing on two surprising names

Daiki blinked.

Huh.

Temari Vs Tenten.

Maybe fate really did exist?