Chapter Thirteen: The Forgotten

Neji had been mulling things over from where he stood with Kin. Several indications had come to him that the people around him were not unchanged. And yet every one of them had been acting in the same way when they were in a match.

"That is not in character," Neji said at last.

Kin looked up. "What?"

"I've known Hinata since I was a toddler," said Neji. "She has almost no confidence and has never displayed anything resembling that until…"

"Until what?' asked Kin.

"Until something that hasn't happened yet," said Neji.

Kin blinked. "What is that supposed to mean, exactly?"

"This is the second time I've lived through this," said Neji. "I think. The first time Sasuke returned earlier, and the fights were different. Gaara killed one of my comrades."

"You mean you're under the effect of a time distortion jutsu?" asked Dosu.

"Is that even a thing, Dosu?" asked Zaku.

"They exist," said Dosu. "However, for obvious reasons, a great amount of effort has been put into destroying all of them. If one were used improperly, the results could destroy the time-space continuum."

"Time-space what?" asked Zaku.

"The end of the world," said Dosu. "It is a largely theoretical field of study."

"Well then, I know who to speak to," said Neji.

"Who?" asked Kin.

"The Third Hokage, the Professor," said Neji. "He knows every Jutsu in the Leaf Village. He ought to be informed about this." And he made his way off toward the door. As he walked, the computer began to play. He walked past Tenten who saw it.

"Dosu Vs. Tenten." read aloud Lee.

"Hey, Neji, where are you going? It's my match?" asked Tenten.

Neji considered it. The news he had was important, but not so urgent that he should neglect the moment. "…My apologies Tenten. I'll watch it."

"Go, Tenten!" said Lee. "Be careful of his gauntlet!"

Tenten made her way down, and Dosu met her there. They faced one another in silence. Tenten cracked her knuckles, while Dosu took a stance. "I've already crushed one of your team. I'd hate for things to get repetitive."

"Begin." said the announcer.

Dosu surged forward and then surged back as five kunai stuck him against the wall. In a real combat situation, he'd be dead. "What-"

"Oh I'm sorry, I just thought that that fur jacket of yours made for a huge target and I figured I'd make use of it," said Tenten, spinning a kunai on the one hand.

Then Dosu freed himself from his jacket and surged at her. Tenten hurled her kunai, before leaping over Dosu. But Dosu dodged and weaved with remarkable speed, and a game of cat and mouse began.

"Tenten has the advantage at range, but Dosu is fast," said Lee. "She needs to keep him at a distance."

Then, suddenly, Tenten tripped and fell. Dosu surged forward, gauntlet raised. He pinned her and unleashed his sound. "I have you!"

But Tenten disappeared. In her place, a kunai clattered to the ground. A substitution jutsu had swapper her for one of her weapons. And as Dosu turned around, Tenten unleashed one of her scrolls. Sending waves of wires toward Dosu, she caught him in her wires from above.

Bringing Dosu around, Tenten flung him toward the wall. But as she did, she let out a scream. Then Dosu slammed into the wall with a crack, and both slumped to the ground.

"What just happened?" asked Lee.

"Dosu used his gauntlet to send the chakra along the wires to create waves of sound," said Neji. "From the looks of things, both of them have hit each other badly."

But Dosu was rising more quickly. He made his way over to where Tenten was lying, trying to get up. "I must admit you're better than I expected. However-" He raised his gauntlet. "-this ends now!"

And then Tenten disappeared. Dosu halted for a moment and then one of the weapons on the ground transformed into Tenten crouching. She brought up a fist, straight toward Dosu's chin. But Dosu stepped back as if expecting it and caught her by the arm. "So, you transformed yourself into one of your own fallen weapons. Clever, however, you had no wire on you."

Tenten screamed as she got a full dose of his gauntlet and fell to the ground.

"Tenten!" said Lee.

"She fought well," said Guy. "I'll have to give her some extra special training as a reward. I'm thinking an extra hundred laps."

"Well, that accounts for it," said Neji. "Guy-sensei, with your permission I must speak with the Hokage."

"About what?" asked Guy-sensei.

"I've experienced this before," said Neji.

Something shifted, and Neji noted Guy's movements had reset. "About what?"

"I just told you," said Neji.

It happened again.

"About what?" asked Guy.

"This is…" Neji looked around. "I can't tell you."

"Oh come on, Neji. I'm your sensei," said Guy. "My job is to listen to your concerns."

"No, you don't understand," said Neji. "I just tried telling you but I can't. It just loops back around."

Again it happened.

"Oh come on, Neji. I'm your sensei," said Guy. "My job is to listen to your concerns."

Neji considered quickly how to ask for help without revealing the details. "I think I might be under some kind of jutsu. I request permission to check myself into the medical bay. Now."

"Alright, I suppose there's no harm in it," said Guy-sensei. "But you may miss Lee's match."

"I'm fairly certain it's a foregone conclusion anyway." scoffed Neji. He'd never admit that Lee would probably win.

"Neji, I will not take that from you!" said Lee as he walked off. "Let him go, Lee," said Guy. "He's out of sorts from what he saw before."

The computer began to run as Neji made his way to the door. He glanced up to see the names running.

"Next match: Lee Vs. Kiba." said the announcer.

"I have got to get out of here," muttered Neji as he walked through the doorway.

And then he was standing just outside the doorway again.

"Next match: Lee Vs. Kiba." said the announcer.

"Alright!" said Lee. "I will finally have the chance to show what I am made of!"

Neji turned and stared as Kiba, and Lee jumped down to meet the arena. What was going on here? Even if someone had done time manipulation, what purpose could be served by isolating it to here? And why was he aware of it?

"Alright! Finally, a chance to shine, right Akimaru!" said Kiba.

"Woof!" said Akimaru. "Hold a moment, why is he allowed to bring a dog into the fight?" asked Lee. "Isn't that against the rules."

"No, Akimaru counts as an extension of my fighting style. So it's legal," said Kiba.

"This does not seem a youthful move," said Lee. "Especially since Akimaru is only a puppy."

"Deal with it, Eyebrows," said Kiba, taking a stance.

"Match start." said the announcer.

Lee surged forward in an instant, but to Neji's surprise, Kiba was able to react. He dodged and weaved beneath the blows, yielding ground. But he wasn't taking any hits. Finally, Kiba slid to a halt, redirected one of Lee's blows and struck with one of his own. Lee backflipped away and took a stance.

Akimaru landed near Kiba, and both readied themselves. "Why don't we show him our fangs, Akimaru. Man-Beast Clone!"

There was a poof of smoke, and both took on a bestial humanoid appearance. Rushing forward, they assaulted Lee together. Lee was fast, but Akimaru and Kiba herded him, checking his every attempt at escape. Finally, Lee was cornered though he didn't seem concerned. "You and your dog are very effective at teamwork. However, I am a genius of hard work."

"Tell it to someone who cares!" said Kiba. "FANG OVER FANG!"

Kiba and Akimaru surged forward in a vortex of power and shot toward Lee at once. Then, both of them stopped. Lee had caught their assault with one hand each. In a blur, he unleashed a roundhouse kick which sent both reeling and was on the assault.

"You should concede," said Le. "There is no shame in defeat when you have given it your all."

"Way to show your valor, Lee!" said Guy. "Thank you, Guy-sensei!" said Lee.

Kiba pulled himself up and wiped the blood from his mouth. Then he drew out a brown sphere. "We're not done yet."

"Food pills." guessed Neji as they wolfed it down.

Suddenly possessed by energy, Kiba and Akimaru rushed into combat. Lee was on the defensive again, and this time stayed there. Several times he took blows and was driven toward the statue at the far wall. Backflipping away, Lee landed on top to get some distance.

"What's wrong, Eyebrows?" called Kiba. "Why not come down here and show your bite instead of your bark?"

"Alright, Lee, take em off!" said Guy.

Lee looked up. "What? But Guy-sensei, you said to only do that when the lives of very important people were at stake."

"I did," said Guy. "But this is a special case."

Lee squealed in delight and pulled up his pant legs as Kiba scoffed. "What, weights? You really think you're going to be able to keep up just by dropping a couple of-"

Lee dropped the weights that smashed against the ground. Two craters appeared on the floor as Kiba stepped back and Akimaru whimpered. "Oh shi-"

And then Lee surged forward and in a green blur sent them flying back to hit the wall next to Neji with a crash.

"Wow, that was amazing Bushy Brows!" called Naruto. "Way to go!" Something was wrong here. Something other than the obvious. Neji could not put his finger on what it was. "Yes! I am victorious!" said Rock Lee. "You were a worthy opponent."

Kiba rose up unsteadily as Akimaru returned to normal. "…Yeah, right back at you."

"Woof," said Akimaru.

Choji was dead.

Of course. Most of the Leaf Ninja in this place had known him from class. And yet it was as if the concern, the grief, had just disappeared. Neji walked back up, wondering what was going on here.

No one asked him why he hadn't gone to the medics as he requested. Everything was just the same.

"Next Match:" said the announcer. "Shikamaru Vs. Zaku."

Zaku and Shikamaru walked down. But Shikamaru was different. Very different, in fact. His eyes were narrowed. Zaku cracked his knuckles as the match began.

Shikamaru sent forth his shadow at once. But Zaku unleashed a wave of sonic at him, forcing him to dodge. "Don't think I'll fall for that."

Shikamaru dodged and weaved, forced to run beneath waves of sonic. Zaku unleashed one blast after another. The walls splintered and cracked, as pieces of masonry fell around them. Shikamaru just kept on the move as dust kicked up.

"You're all big on talk, genius. But it doesn't matter," said Zaku. "Because as long as I keep firing my blasters at you, you won't be able to remain in place long enough to-"

Then Shikamaru appeared in place of a rock. A kunai came up and drove itself through Zaku's throat and out the other end.

"Zaku!" called Kin as Shikamaru drew the kunai out.

"Interesting fact," said Shikamaru. "Sometimes, the simplest solutions are the best. I could have made a three hundred step plan for gradually baiting you out. But I figured transforming into a rock and stabbing you would work that much better." He looked up to Gaara with a murderous gaze. "You're next."

And he stalked off. But even as Shikamaru walked away, his rage that hot been white-hot, seemed to be fading. He seemed to be trying to hold on to it and failing. What was happening here? Perhaps a genjutsu of some kind?

Neji looked to where Kin was silent and controlled. "…You're controlling your emotions well," he said.

"Well we sort of have a rule in the Sound," said Kin. "Anyone who can't hold up their end gets dropped. I mean that Ino girl put a knife at my throat and tried to take me hostage. Dosu and Zaku would have let her kill me if she'd had the guts.

"Turnabout is fair play." Her grip tightened on the railing as her voice cracked. "Damn it, Zaku."

"Final match:" said the announcer. "Shino Vs. Misumi."

Misumi and Shino walked down to face one another. Shino had his hands in his pockets as Misumi took a stance. The match began, and Misumi surged forward to wrap himself around Shino in and instant. Shino remained silent as Misumi took hold of his neck. "I have you now, kid. Now, why don't you forfeit before I snap your neck."

Shino remained silent. "This is unfortunate."

"What?" said Misumi, taken aback.

"Ordinarily I would have drained your chakra until you were unable to defend yourself," said Shino. "But seeing as you've decided to threaten to murder me, you leave me with an imposition. Why? Because I can't afford to take that long.

"Fortunately, these bugs inside me, don't just eat chakra. They are omnivores of the highest degree."

"Bugs?" asked Misumi. "What bugs-"

And then Misumi began to scream as flesh-eating beetles crawled up all over his body. He flailed and let go, trying to scramble away. But soon the bugs were all over him. They devoured his flesh, taking chunks and returning to their hive. Inside Shino, where the meat was broken down for nutrients, both for Shino and them.

Misumi had threatened to kill him. But this was cannibalism by proxy. And Shino stood there, dead silent as Misumi was reducted to a pile of bones. Everyone stared in horror.

"…That's not right," said Neji.

"What's not right, Neji?" asked Tenten.

Neji looked up and scanned around him to see that the tournament had started over again. That meant that he was in a time loop, rather than a one time return. "Again? What is this?"

"What is what?" asked Tenten. "We're just about to start the elimination round of the Chunin Exams."

Neji looked around. "…I have got to get out of this place."

And then he made a plan.

Author's Note:

For the record, my interpretation of the rules so far is as follows. Shouting encouragements is allowed. Giving advice is allowed. Intervention is not. And I'm fairly certain that Shino's bugs can eat meat, I've read that he and they share digestive systems.

So yeah, fridge horror galore.

To be fair to Zaku, he would have done better if Shikamaru hadn't been bloodlusted. I may find an occasion for them to have a matchup where the circumstances are more normal. However, Shikamaru shaking off the loop is important. Despite the nature of the loop, Shikamaru wasn't just going to forget his best friends death.

More on that later.

To be honest, as we run low on possible battles, we may have to do repeats. I almost painted myself into a corner in this loop with the final two matches.