Drifting by AlphaDelta1001

Part 30 - The Final Step

Drifting

The Final Step

(Stadium – Kage Section)

"That... was brilliant," A stated while folding his arms and grinning, "Damn. I haven't seen a match in the Chunin Selection Exams like that in ages."

"Clearly, those two kids are in a class of their own," the Fourth Kazekage stated, still sweating a little from the intensity of the final exchange as he sat back in his seat with his eyes closed.

From the expressions shared by all the Kage and the way their bodies relaxed into their seats, it was obvious that they'd all been riled up from watching the final, epic clash between the two Genin that had fought in the most recent round. After watching the pair literally rip apart the entire arena below like the walls and floor were made of wrapping paper, the village leaders had not only been overcome with surprise like the rest of the stadium, but also deeply impressed. There had been only a handful of individuals in the past that had had matches like the one they'd just witnessed, and to see it in this day and age between such young contestants, it was a really welcome breath of fresh air.

Despite being from different villages, all of the Kage were voicing their approval in some way, with even the most composed of them speaking up on the matter.

"An incredible collection of skill and raw power; that's what those two young upstarts embody," the Tsuchikage said with a smirk, at the same time narrowing his eyes thoughtfully and rubbing his chin. "If I was to make an accurate assessment on the intelligence and techniques those two have shown us, on power alone, I'd say both that Naruto brat and Tsubaki are two of the three strongest competitors participating in this exam."

"That much is clear," the Kazekage murmured in agreement.

"With the Third being Gaara, I'm assuming," A finished, his eyes cutting over to the short Kage sitting on the end of the line.

The pint-sized elder nodded in response, "Though that runt has more chakra than brains churning around in his system, he's definitely the most dangerous of all the competitors."

"And now Naruto-kun is moving on to fight him," Hiruzen said, his pipe wafting smoke as he stared across at the massive screen positioned on the other side of the stadium. A smile tugged on his lips as he saw replays of the battle that had just taken place, with the crew highlighting the biggest moments that had occurred during the minutes of exciting combat that had ensued the two youngsters, "This could be an interesting turnout."

"That Tsubaki brat had quite a bit of clout for a kid her age, but that's to be expected considering her level of talent," A said with a firm look on his face as he recalled the events of the semi-final match. "On top of her incredible speed and ninjutsu prowess, she was also able to perform imitations of existing lightning release techniques, including my old man's moves. Though nowhere near as strong as his, it was still a good performance nonetheless." He then closed his eyes thoughtfully and nodded his head. "That being said, her original techniques and her ability to utilize her electricity as a magnetic element, was also quite extraordinary."

"She was even able to adapt well to all of the changes presented to her during her fight," the Kazekage added in his usual, serious tone of voice. "In spite of having a clear affinity disadvantage, she was still capable of giving her opponent a really hard time. This shows her range and intelligence when it comes to heavily involved combat situations. But despite changing her strategy and approach repeatedly, her adversary was still able to think one step ahead, and was able to turn the fight around at each and every turn."

Mei, having also been overwhelmed by the sheer magnificence of the battle she'd just witnessed like the rest of the audience and sitting in her seat in the balcony quietly, nodded her head in agreement. "Never, in all my life, have I ever seen such a powerful user of the wind element before. Not only was he able to make use of his affinity in a manner that provided him the ultimate defense against all manner of lightning based attacks, but he was also able to use it to augment his fighting style and simulate flight to reach altitudes no ordinary shinobi can even think of reaching."