The student. (A Naruto fanfiction)

Chapter #11 Preliminaries

After the designated time was up, Team 7 and the other 5 teams that passed the second stage reconvened in an arena stage.

"I'd like to congratulate you all for making it this far into these exams," The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi stated as he addressed the remaining 6 teams. It was discouraging that only 18 Ninja's passed the second stage, but Sarutobi happily noted that all but one team was from Konoha. He started to go over the rules of the final stage and explained how the Chunin exams were a substitute for war. After explaining that due to their numbers there needed to be a preliminary round, the Hokage was interrupted by a Leaf Jounin.

"With all due respect, Lord Hokage, please allow me to take it from here as I'm the proctor for this stage." The Jounin bowed to the aged leader who nodded in affirmation.

"My name is Hayate Gekko, I shall be your next and final proctor for this stage. Thus far you've been participating in these exams as a team. From this moment forward all the teams will be disbanded for the duration of the exams. You've been passing as a team, now you will pass or fail by your own merits. We will have a one-on-one tournament-style Preliminary round, so if anybody feels that they cannot continue, now is the time to say so. Just raise your hand and we'll mark your name down and you'll be free to leave. Your team will be unaffected by your choice. Does anybody feel that they are unable to continue?"

After confirming that nobody was quitting, Hayate indicated for the names to be drawn for the first round. "Will everyone besides the selected names please go upstairs?" Hayate requested.

Sasuke murdered Kabuto's teammate within seconds, he used his Sharingan to make him pass out. "Well, that was a lot quicker than I expected, even if I knew that Sasuke would win in a landslide," Kiba muttered to Shino and Hinata who both nodded their agreement.

As Sasuke walked upstairs the next match was called. "Will Temari of the Sand and Tenten of the Leaf come down?" Hayate asked politely. Both Kunoichi walked down the stairs with similar yet different expressions, Tenten had a confident smile while Temari had a smirk.

The round started with Tenten unsealing various weapons from scrolls, making them shoot at Temari, who just blocked them all with her fan. Tenten then pulled out two special scrolls and jumped into the air as she unsealed them.

Temari gave a bored uninterested yawn as she unfolded her fan completely, having only unfolded it a third of the way. "It doesn't matter how many weapons you through at me." She informed as she swung her fan, Tenten was caught in a vortex of wind blades cutting her. When the Jutsu wore off, Tenten fell to the ground and landed on Temari's fan.

"That's what you get for being so pathetic, you bored the hell out of me." Temari drawled as she walked away. "Winner, Temari of the Sand," Hayate announced unnecessarily as Medics took Tenten away.

Kankuro beat Kabuto's other teammate by crushing all of his bones with his puppet. 'All of the Kazekage's children are ruthless and brutal. Gaara's a Jinchuriki that was broken emotionally and attempted to be assassinated, so I can see why he's more ruthless than me. Temari's the oldest and the only daughter, so I can also see why she would be cold and brutal. But all three of them being around the same level of ruthlessness?' Naruto was broken out of his musings when another name was called.

"Will Shino Aburame and Kiba Inuzuka from the Leaf come down?"

"An Inuzuka and an Aburame, huh? This will be an interesting match-up for Shino to win." Naruto commented.

Just as Naruto suspected and called, Shino won against Kiba as the Inuzuka and his ninken were covered by parasitic insects. Shino and Kiba shook hands and walked upstairs with smiles on their faces, Shino's hidden behind his jacket that covered his mouth.