Someone actually asked the other day if I had forgotten about this…answer: OF COURSE NOT.
If you haven't read The Lavender-Lotus Brawl, you might want to stop and do that.
Baki was never one to defy his leaders.
Those within the Sand knew that he would never act on behalf of a selfish interest; he had only the wellbeing of Sunagakure in mind. His loyalty was so unquestioned that the Fourth Kazekage had given him nearly full authority within the village. Baki alone was the Fourth's second in command. He alone was the liaison with their allies in the Sound village, having worked out their alliance originally along with the Kazekage. He alone was entrusted as the guardian and sensei of the Fourth's children. And he was often the sole counsel and watcher over their ultimate weapon, even when that weapon was brought into another country. The Fourth had given him such stanch and undeniable support in every decision along the way, and he could do nothing less than return the favor. He was his Kazekage's trusted hands, and he would do as he was told.
As he watched his own hands involuntarily tremble and willed them to cease, he realized that this was the first time he'd ever even come close to questioning orders. But internal or not, Baki reminded himself, now wasn't the time to have such a debate.
A glance to his left reminded him of what the debate of the moment really should have been. Gaara, the youngest of Baki's charges and the Sand's secret weapon on this increasingly-precarious mission, had yet to fight his preliminary match. The redhead released his grip on the railing of the balcony and silently leaned his back against the wall, his arms folded, face impassive. Compared to the bloodlust that occasionally covered the boy's face before a battle began, his apparent boredom with the events happening around him was actually a welcome change.
And yet, Baki couldn't help feeling that it was the worst omen of all…the calm before the storm.
From his spot in the middle of the arena, Gekkou Hayate had the perfect position to see everything that went on during the preliminaries of the chuunin exams. Yet to this point, one crucial fact evaded his attention…until the noise of shouting voices in the room was obviously blocking out all other sound from one ear and not the other…
Hayate glanced to his left and watched the young shinobi on the balcony level carry on. Two of the shinobi from that side had just put on a riveting show of talent and cunning – perhaps the best showing of the day thus far. And the rest of the ninja seemed to be getting a morale boost from somewhere. It was true that the match hadn't been nearly as bloody as previous ones, but could that really account for the whole room suddenly getting so chatty? Hayate reminded himself quickly that it wasn't the whole room being chatty…only half of it.
That's when he finally realized the important detail.
All the Leaf ninja are on one side by themselves…which means…
Hayate fought back a reaction and slowly glanced to the right. Every other represented village of shinobi (which at this point meant the Sand and the Sound) was on the other side of the balcony. Scanning their faces, Hayate could sense the annoyance growing…but there was something more…
Two of the Sand shinobi were watching (almost studying) their third teammate…the redhead one who had yet to fight. Their eyes expressed worry, and soon the blond-haired female turned to their instructor. Their instructor, in turn, nonchalantly glanced away from her to the other side of the balcony. Hayate raised an eyebrow as the man's gaze fixed upon the Sound ninjas, and he physically tensed up ever so slightly. One of the Sound shinobi seemed to cautiously glance back towards him, and the confusion in his eyes was equal to Baki's own.
Hayate shifted slightly and faced toward them, ignoring the noise to his rear. No words were being exchanged on this side of the room, but there was something far more interesting than talk here. There was a nervous Jounin.
In all his years, Hayate couldn't recall a time he'd seen a Jounin become so obviously nervous…unless it was a life-or-death situation for either him or his students. This man had shown no emotion in the easy victories his first two genin had earned, but the third was yet to fight. Could it be possible that Baki, the Sand Jounin extraordinaire, had such an attachment to his student to be this nervous for him?
No, Hayate declared mentally. There's definitely something more to this…
Hayate's thoughts were cut off forcibly when Baki turned his head slightly, his eyes darting directly to Hayate's position. Instead of looking away and attempting to act inconspicuous, Hayate remained still, staring back at Baki. Folding his arms in front of him, Hayate's stare became a glare with a very clear message. Whatever's going on, I've got my eye on you…
"Hinata, you're going to be a great ninja!" Naruto gave her his most emphatic thumbs up, smiling brightly and shutting his eyes.
Hinata nodded, about the most she could do at the moment. She still hadn't recovered fully from the light-headedness that came with fainting. Small talk had allowed her to regain some of her strength and test her awareness, but it had been a very slow recovery to full consciousness. It may have had something to do with almost winning a tournament match, but Hinata suspected her wooziness was purely due to the amount of attention her special someone was giving her. Still, she wouldn't allow herself to faint again…if she did, Uzumaki Naruto might lose interest and not come back for a while.
Naruto smirked goofily and chuckled. "Good thing I'll have a head start on you…"
Her eyebrows rose at that comment. It hadn't really dawned on Hinata that she'd just resigned from the chuunin exams until that moment. She'd only been thinking of the single battle…Naruto quickly caught the look of surprise and realization on her face.
"Oops…didn't mean to bring up bad stuff...sorry." Stupid mouth…Naruto occasionally wished he could naturally think more before speaking. This was one of those times.
For her, it was surprising enough that he had even noticed her expression. Naruto had been unaware of her for so long…this level of attention was hard to digest! Hinata shook her head and smiled, her lavender eyes cheerful and upbeat. "It's ok, Naruto-kun." She had chosen this ending…she was okay with the consequences. Besides, she would have taken this outcome any day, given the few really good chances she'd had to talk with Naruto before today.
Naruto nodded, but then he closed his lips and considered a point that his last comment had reminded him of. He hoped it wouldn't make her uncomfortable, but Naruto had to ask one more question.
"Hinata, why did you give up back there?"
Hinata frowned. That was the question she'd been dreading, only because it was Naruto posing it. To anyone else, she'd be willing to admit that she hadn't seen a chance for victory, and that she wanted to go out on her terms. But to him…to the guy who'd just beaten her teammate despite all likelihood of a failure, it was different. Naruto didn't back down from anything, and the fact that he was still in the tournament was probably the biggest surprise for many people.
So this question hurt for Hinata. With a rougher tone, it could have come of as "Why are you a coward?" but she knew he didn't mean that. With a softer tone, it could have been "Why don't you follow my example?" That one could have been implied…but he really just sounded curious.
She really didn't want to go through the trouble of explaining just how much the weights factored into her supposed success. "I'm not you, Naruto-kun…"
Naruto's air caught in his throat in surprise, and he forced himself to stay silent and listen.
"Sometimes, I wish I were as strong…" Hinata paused. That wasn't the best word for what she wanted. "I wish I was as iron-willed and courageous as you are. I'm not…but today, I…" Hinata struggled to get the words out, and forced herself to ignore the increase in sweat output her body was having. "I followed your example, Naruto-kun."
Naruto smiled at the complement, but then he shook his head. "What you said before…that's not true at all, Hinata…you were as courageous as anyone out there. Especially if you thought your chances were worse than me having gas…"
Hinata made a face, and Naruto looked down, blushing slightly. "Sorry…I don't know how to talk to girls…"
Despite herself, Hinata couldn't help but giggle.
Gekkou Hayate coughed. The noise level in the room was far beyond normal, but after such a spectacle, that wasn't entirely unexpected. After all, the contestants were teenagers and pre-teens, and they'd just witnessed a great battle. Add to that the fact that no one had died or gotten seriously wounded, and they had every reason to be loud and boisterous. Still yet, that didn't mean it could stay that way.
"The preliminary matches are not over yet…everyone settle down…"
He realized very quickly that no one heard him. He didn't care. Hayate signaled to the chuunin in the back, and the video screen began cycling through names.
That got everyone quiet.
Akimichi Chouji had actually forgotten that there were still matches left to go. Beyond that, he remembered that he was still on the list of fighters…who else was left? Chouji's eyes checked the other side of the room…the non-Leaf competitors. That guy from Sand was left…and the one from Sound who led the fight against his team before. Who else was left?
Ah yes, Chouji remembered. Looking to his left he saw the last of the 4 leftover combatants…the other Hyuuga.
Chouji sighed. He was screwed.
As people began to realize that the names were cycling, the noise from the crowd of Leaf genin died down. Now the entire arena was silent, instead of just one half…
It wasn't long until the match was set, and many eyes around the room went wide.
The tension in the air was palpable.
Hyuuga Neji vs. Gaara was on the board.
Yondaime-dono presents…
A sequel to What If: The Lavender-Lotus Brawl
What If: Testudo
Chapter 1
What had happened before, no one could anticipate. Hyuuga Hinata and Rock Lee had both proven to be far better fighters than anyone beyond their instructors and teammates knew. The chuunin exams were a proving ground for a good percentage of participants, so this was not abnormal.
Yet…even Sandaime Hokage Sarutobi's eyes were wide as he noted the names on the screen. This had never happened before…
This was far more than your average prelim. The number one rookie of yesteryear within the Leaf facing off with the top foreign prospect…this match was a titan. For a moment, Sarutobi almost declared a redraw. This was the type of match that would make headlines for the finals of the chuunin exams…it would draw feudal lords from all around!
Sandaime's eyes locked onto Hayate's as the Jounin turned around inquisitively, perhaps with the same thought crossing his mind…
But, as Sarutobi glanced away from him and towards the two competitors, he saw the fire there as they read their own names. No…this match wasn't about the spectators…nor was this tournament. This was a test of each candidate's will to fight. They would prove their will against one another…and one would move on. There was no point in breaking the rules for one fighter, no matter who he was.
Folded arms and a silent nod gave an answer to Hayate.
It's too bad the feudal lords will have to miss the show…
There was a collective gasp throughout the room as the names registered in the minds of the chuunin candidates as well as the Jounin. Hayate glanced silently across the surprised faces of the Leaf genin. It was likely most of them had not interacted with Neji any more than he had, but it was common knowledge that Neji had been the number one rookie of his class the previous year, and that he was a part of the prestigious Hyuuga clan. Chances were he was the strongest competitor here, at least among the Leaf.
Gaara, on the other hand, was an enormous wildcard. Hayate knew that he was the youngest son of the Fourth Kazekage of the Sand…and he could assume that Gaara was the strongest member of his team, based on how the others interacted with him and followed his lead. But, there was something more…
Hayate's eyes drifted over to the general area near the Sand team's Jounin instructor, Baki. The man had been nervous for some time, but it was definitely coming to a peak now as he looked at his student's name on the screen. Baki seemed to be wrestling with something internally as he glanced over at the redheaded boy, his face still as stoic as ever. It was amazing how perfectly the man was able to keep his emotions from showing in his face…but his body still betrayed him. The sweat on his face revealed his concentration…and his sudden glance toward Hayate was obvious in its purpose. There's something you want to tell him, isn't there, Baki?
Hayate quickly diverted his eyes, watching Gaara instead as the boy shifted. Nevertheless, his eyes narrowed in thought.
But, why are you so scared of me hearing you?
Suddenly, slicing through the tension upstairs were two different sounds, one in either balcony.
"Baki."
A single word, spoken in a deep tenor that cut the oppressive air, startled the Sand Jounin out of his thoughts. Baki quickly turned to face the only boy who dared address him in such a manner. Making direct eye contact with Gaara, he paused, watching the boy push off of the wall and stand up straight. Gaara spoke once more, twisting his fingers into a familiar hand seal.
"I have not forgotten."
And suddenly, he was gone, replaced by small grains of sand flying through the wind.
In the other balcony, another Jounin was glancing at his student and taking a moment to contemplate what to say. But, his student was not.
Rock Lee balled his fist, growling, then unleashed a barrage of cheering that could be heard all the way in the infirmary.
"oooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Go Neji, my teammate! Show them the strength of your youth! Do your best!"
This was very unfortunate for Neji, who happened to be standing right next to him. Neji fought the urge to cover his ears or run, and simply withstood the assault with a frown. As Lee thrusted his fist forward towards Neji's face, the young Hyuuga almost unleashed a counterattack before he realized what was happening. The fist quickly turned into a strong thumb up as Lee struck the Nice Guy pose.
Before Lee opened his eyes and dropped the pose, Neji was already headed down the stairs. There was only so much that he could stand, and it would never end with Tenten out of the room.
As the Hyuuga boy slowly made his way down the stairs, Naruto watched from the balcony as Gaara suddenly appeared on the ground level.
Thinking back, a frown began to cross his face. Both of these guys…
Naruto glanced back to Neji as he made his way around to the bottom of the stairs and paced slowly toward the middle of the arena. He could remember clearly the moment when he'd met Gaara, as well as the time his team had met Hyuuga Neji and Rock Lee. Both of these guys ignored me for Sasuke…
Naruto closed his eyes for a moment, shaking off the frown and reminding himself that he had won his match with Kiba. I'll get my chance to prove them wrong, dang it. There were more important things to be thinking about right now…like…
Each of these guys had gained Sasuke's respect at some point…and that meant they were strong. Naruto folded his arms and coughed. "This should be a good show…that guy Gaara is strong. And Fuzzy Eyebrows said the strongest genin was on his team…that must mean…"
A small whisper broke him out of his musing. "Neji-niisan…do your best."
Naruto blinked and turned to Hinata, who was standing next to him. "Niisan? He's your brother?!"
Hinata paused and took a deep breath. "No, but our fathers were twins, and our mothers are both dead."
Naruto nodded. "So…he's your cousin…but he's like a brother, then."
The look that crossed Hinata's face at that moment was a pain-riddled one, and it caught Naruto quite off guard. Before he could will his lips to move again, a sickly voice brought his attention back to the center of the arena.
Hayate glanced from one fighter to the other. Gaara was standing still, arms folded, eyes glaring. Hyuuga Neji was slowly making his way toward the middle of the arena…so slowly that Hayate was beginning to wonder what he thought he was doing. Does he call himself savoring the moment?
Whatever his reasons, enough was enough. Hayate coughed and cleared his throat before speaking.
"You've had enough time to get down here, whether you used it properly or not."
At those words, Neji immediately halted and spread his feet slightly, not quite slipping into a full stance. It was as if he expected an attack at any moment and wouldn't risk any extra movement. Considering what little was known of Gaara...
Hayate shook off his wandering thoughts. Enough overthinking. Time to see what happens.
"Let the ninth match of the preliminary finals between Gaara of the Sand and Hyuuga Neji…"
"BEGIN."
To be continued...
Excerpt from Wikipedia:
"In Ancient Roman warfare, the testudo or tortoise formation was a formation used commonly by the Roman Legions during battles, particularly sieges. When used correctly, the testudo was an excellent shield against missile troops, and the legions could move with little fear of being slaughtered by arrow fire and javelins."
If you're wondering why I decided to name the fic after a Roman empire defensive formation, then you'll understand more soon enough when you have the opportunity to read on...
While I hate to stop here, it really is the best break point for what has proved to be a long introduction. I'm still putting together the rest of the fight scene, so I'll wait to post the rest of what I have in case something needs to change.