Chapter 18 - All that Remains

Shino and Temari stared each other down. Temari, placid not being her nature, starting ripping into Shino.

“C’mon bug boy, what can you do? You’re boring me right now. And when I’m bored, I tend to get…violent.” Temari smiled at her own words. Some boos rained from the stands. The group she knew, though, remained silent, just watching and evaluation. Geez, that Ekyt guy…thanking me…now I’d prefer the boos…It’s my own fault…if I had let Gaara kill him, he wouldn’t be distracting me. Not that he’s aware he is. Oh well. He’ll wind up facing me, so he’ll die anyway. Pity…he’s kinda cute. Kinda like that doofy Shikamaru…

Shino didn’t answer right away. He raised his hand, but nothing happened. Finally, he spoke. “Did you know that insects will someday be the only surviving species? That means that only the Aburame clan will survive. Sun and wind, and your sand, it will mean nothing. It hardly matters now.”


“Man…he’s so creepy!” Sakura exclaimed.
“He is also talented, and Temari is a fool to underestimate him,” Lee said while staring intently at the stare down.
Sasuke was indifferent, and Naruto wasn’t really paying attention. He was talking animatedly with Ekyt about something, and he seemed really excited. Sakura leaned closer, worried about Naruto’s excitement.

“C’mon, it won’t hurt!” Naruto urged.
“Naruto, you can get away with it. You’re you. But it’s still…perverted.”
“Oh come on, like you’ve never been to a harem before! It’s just the jutsu version!”
“I HAVEN’T.” Ekyt replied, his eyebrows up. “How old are you again?”
“Old enough to know, and young enough for it to be mischief instead of crime!”

“NARUTO! Don’t teach him that! That harem jutsu is perverted and disgraceful! It suits YOU, but not him!” Sakura shouted.


Temari looked down, panicking suddenly. Bugs. All over her. She slapped at her neck as one bit down.

“The one that bit you…he’s poisonous. You’d better quit and have it checked out. Since you’ll pass out in ten seconds anyway.” Shino said in a bored tone of voice.

“Oh yeah? If I’m going down, you’re coming with me!” Temari was fading fast, so she used her fight-ending jutsu. “Great Cutting Whirlwind Jutsu!” She swung giant warfan, sending a gust of wind at Shino.

Shino was lifted off his feet and flung into a wall. As he landed, Temari crumpled to the ground, her bite wound turning an angry red. Hayate stepped in. “I declare this match is a draw! (koff koff) Medical-nin, to the field.” As the white-clad medical-nin took away Temari and Shino on stretchers, Hayate announced the next match. “Ekyt vs Yuzo Kozimatsu!”

Ekyt took his first look at his opponent. He thanked God his face was hidden, because he was sure his jaw just dropped.

Lord Hokage walked down to where Ekyt’s cheering section was sitting. “Ms. Haruno…you and Mr. Uzumaki, along with Mr. Lee, might find it better to head down to the field…” His words spoke an urgent message that he couldn’t convey directly. The three mentioned nodded as one, then made their way down to the field.

Yuzo was a strange one, to say the least. He wore a bright yellow gi with a matching straw hat that was native to the Grass Village. What was strange was his legs appeared to be in the ground. “I hope you don’t take offense, but I find Konoha soil to be rather…unfertile.”

Ekyt narrowed his eyes. “Fertile? I’m, uh, sorry it’s not to your liking?” Ekyt didn’t know what to say. Yuzo, however, gave him some material.

“I hope the soil is to YOUR liking. Because you will be buried under six feet of it as a permanent residence.”


Shikamaru wandered up to the stands. His eyes widened slightly as he saw the answer to his problem on the field below. “Asuma-Sensei.” He said, tapping him on the shoulder, breaking Asuma’s concentration on Kurenai. “How about him?” Asuma followed Shikamaru’s finger to Ekyt.


“That was a good verbal shot. Too bad it won’t have any teeth. You’re not gonna win,” Ekyt said, apparently bored.

“HAJIME!”

Yuzo dug into the ground in the center of the stadium, up to his ankles. With a huge mock sigh, he called “I’m afraid you’ll have to come to me. I can’t move my legs, you see. So, whenever you feel ready…to die.”

“Alright. If you say so. Hope you don’t mind, I don’t travel alone. Shadow Clone Jutsu!” Four Ekyt popped up. “Dragon’s Ember Jutsu: Clone Instigation!” The four clones shouted. The real Ekyt disappeared into the fire. Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique! Ekyt thought to himself, safely hidden by the fire, giving him time to make the hand sign.

“AHHH! NOOOO! FATHER! MOTHER! PLEASE! THE GRASS! NO! NO! NO! PLEASE! BURNING! ALL OF IT! BURNING! GONE! STOP IT! STOP IT! PLEASE!” Yuzo was screaming. Meanwhile, Ekyt’s clones had burned the grass ninja to a crisp. Yuzo fell forward, a charred mess.

Hayate stepped in, checked briefly, then signaled the medical-nin. “Winner: Ekyt!” The crowd cheered Ekyt, though they were disappointed with how poorly Yuzo had done. But then, as one, it seemed, the crowd remembered there was one more match to watch.

“Ekyt vs. Neji Hyuga will begin after an hour’s recess.” Hayate announced. Ekyt walked off the field, over to where everyone had gathered. Shikamaru, Asuma, Kurenai, Kakashi, and Guy were in the stands, heads together, seriously discussing something.

Ekyt glared at Neji, despite having zero confidence.

“What’s all that about?!” Naruto asked, clearly annoyed with being left out.
Ekyt didn’t break his gaze. “He attacked some girl…Hinata…before the tournament and nearly killed her.”
“WHAT?! YOU’D BETTER BEAT THAT JERK! IF YOU DON’T WIN, I’M GONNA KILL HIM! BELIEVE IT!”

“Are you certain about this? He’s not qualified, and you can’t be sure he’ll agree, with the limitation such as they are…” Kurenai’s words rang true with the group. Except for Lord Hokage.
“He will accept. You can be sure. Despite his ineligibility, and the face he personally has nothing to gain from this test, not being able to attain the rank of chunin due to lack of missions, he won’t let down his friends.”
“Lord Hokage is right. But the question is- Is he skilled enough? All of us know how dangerous the chunin exams are…and without having trained with Ino and Choji, not to mention being so new himself, and having nothing to gain, and everything to lose.”
Asuma lit a new cigarette. “Why don’t we ask him?”
Guy nodded enthusiastically. “Asuma’s right. We can discuss all we want, but it’s approved by all of us. Except him, and that’s who it’s all gonna come down to.”

“Pardon me.” A cute, but somehow deadly-sounding female voice reached Ekyt’s ears. That was followed with a tap on the shoulder. He turned around to see a familiar, brown-haired girl twirling a kunai. The girl continued. “I don’t believe we’ve met. My name is Tenten.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Ekyt.”
“Good to know. Listen, you’re facing my teammate next. I don’t know if Lee has mentioned it- but Neji will kill you.”
Everyone’s gaze shifted from Tenten to Ekyt, then back.
“Tenten, you know Neji is” Lee started.
But his words were falling on deaf ears.
“I get the feeling you dislike me.” Ekyt said politely.
“Not at all,” Tenten replied.
“Neji IS good, I’ve seen him fight. But, and I know the kunoichi here are just as deadly as the guys (He had been warned that Tenten would kill him if he insinuated that boys were better than girls. He was actually speaking the truth.), I can’t just sit here and let an injured girl get attacked by some punk like that.”
Tenten wasn’t sure what to say. How did he say all that, defy my words, and manage to make it sound like he was agreeing with me? Neat trick kid. she thought, maybe warming to him just slightly.

“Ekyt.” Sasuke motioned with his head for Ekyt to follow him.

Once they were away from the group, Sasuke gave Ekyt a warning. “Neji is going to be tough. Pace yourself, and don’t put everything you have into one strike, he’ll block it. Then you’re screwed.”

Ekyt thanked Sasuke for the advice. “Sasuke…is Sakura okay?” Ekyt asked suddenly. “Hmn?” Sasuke apparently had no idea what he was talking about. “She seems…different. And I don’t mean the gloves and skirt (She’s got the look from after the time skip). Something’s bothering her…” Ekyt looked hard at Sasuke. For his part, Sasuke just shrugged.

Suddenly something was bothering Ekyt too. He had, in his mind, seen Hinata laying on that stretcher, unconscious and nearly dead. He saw himself, his eye destroyed, his body wracked with pain. He saw Chakaro. He saw Gaara. He saw RED!


It was time for the match. Ekyt didn’t even hear Neji’s taunts. He didn’t hear the crowd. He only heard his mind, telling him it was time for retribution. They haven’t taken me or my work seriously…Now it’s time to pay the price. I’m not worth your time. Gaara, Chakaro…someday, you’ll both pay.

As soon as Hayate shouted “Hajime!” Ekyt tore toward Neji…

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