Chakra Wizard
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Alright, Match Two is here! 
This one was a little harder to write out, just cause of who was fighting this time (and cause I have to work all the appropriate cameos into these matches – lol), but I think the end result was pretty good. Anyways, enjoy
Here’s my previous chapters, for those who missed any:
Chapter 051: Outsmarting the Sharingan
With her fallen opponent being carried off to the stadium’s medical ward, Nakama took quick advantage of her powers and evoked several pillars to emerge from the ground, providing a shortcut back to the balcony which she took without hesitation. Upon her return, she proceeded to stand off to the side and allow the next two contestants the opportunity to use it, as well. Shikaru was the first to step forward and do so, his hands stuffed in his pockets and a look of self-aggravation on his face as he stepped over the railing, which Nakama attempted to alleviate with a smile and small word of encouragement.
Nakama: Good luck. We’re all rooting for you up here.
Shikaru: (Though grateful for the support, his demeanor insisted that he sigh and cast it aside.) I think I’m gonna need a lot more help than that, Nakama.
Shikaru was not the only one who had doubts about his chances of victory, as up towards the front of the stands, his grandfather expressed these same feelings to his wife and former teammates, who were sitting beside them.
Shikamaru: Man, what a drag. I almost feel bad for the poor kid.
Temari: (She slowly moved her hand overtop his own, which was resting on top of her leg.) Come on now, hon. He’s a lot stronger than you were at that age, and just as smart. I’m sure he’ll come up with a winning strategy.
Ino: (While she nodded in agreement to her former points, she couldn’t help but express concern regarding the latter remark.) But against Sasuke’s granddaughter, Temari? I think any one of us would have trouble dealing with her if it was us down there.
Temari: (She bit her lip and squeezed Shikamaru’s hand in response to this.) Hmph, speak for yourself. I’d wipe the floor with that arrogant little brat.
While Shikamaru began rubbing her shoulder to ease her contempt, his right hand slipped behind the back of his sleeping neighbor’s head, smacking him roughly in an effort to wake him up. The method just barely worked, and the seasoned shinobi – whose appearance was reminiscent of Shikamaru’s late father – leaned up in his seat and began rubbing his eyes.
Shikarama: Huuhhhhh…hey, Pops. What’s goin’ on?
Shikamaru: The match is about to start, you lazy bum. Are you gonna cheer for your boy or not?
Shikarama: (Still not fully awake, he yawned once again and raised his partially closed fist halfway into the air.) Oh…right. You go, Shikaru. Show that…uh, what’s-her-face…
While Shikamaru and Temari shook their heads in embarrassment, from beside Ino, Chōji had just opened his third bag of potato chips and quickly went to town on them. Just from looking at him, one could tell that the Akimichi head’s weight had increased significantly over the years, just as the amount of color in his wife’s hair had decreased. As the silence on the other side of him slowly became more apparent, he turned to find his grandson and Inoka sitting there without a sound, the former leaning forward with his arms draped over the railing in front of them.
Chōji: You two aren’t gonna root for Shikaru?
Chōzen: (He reached up and pulled a few chips out of Chōji’s bag as he spoke.) Meh, he’d probably get mad at us if we did. Besides, he knows we wanna see him win, so it’s not like it’s a big deal.
Inoka: (Refusing to be categorized alongside these two overweight men, she stood up and began cheering for her teammate’s success.) Oh, please. You just wanna sit there on your butt and not do anything. Come on, Shikaru!! Take her down!
Caught off guard by the sudden exclamation, Shikaru lost his footing and fell roughly twenty feet to the ground below, prompting Inoka’s face to go pale and the eyes of those to her right to widen, including Shikarama’s. While she slowly sat back down in embarrassment, Shikaru decided to lay there for a while and let the moment sink in, sighing in annoyance as he stared up at the clouds.
Shikaru: (Huhhh, yeah. Thanks for the support, Inoka.)
Watching her opponent’s pitiful position, Akame couldn’t help but smirk in amusement as she walked past her cousin, mumbling a few words as she did.
Akame: Just watch me, Manako. I’ll show you to doubt my abilities.
Manako made no attempt to respond, only rubbing his eyes in irritation after she had already taken off down the stony path concocted by Nakama, which disappeared back into the ground once she stepped off it. From the the opposite end of the balcony, Airon noticed his rival’s annoyance and proceeded to question him on it.
Airon: (You think she’ll lose, Manako?)
Manako: (He glanced over at him for a moment before leaning back over the railing and looking down at the two combatants.) (Huhhh…odds are, probably not. But, someone needs to show her her place.)
While Airon nodded in agreement and smiled in amusement, from the nearby stands, their respective families sat beside one another as they awaited the match to come. Closest to the balcony sat Jiraiya with Inoue nestled against him, while to his left sat his childhood rival Itachi, as well as Tamanoko, Tsunade, and Katsuto at the very end, who was standing and cheering his elder sister on.
Katsuto: COME ON, AKAME!! SEND THIS BUM CRYING BACK TO THE REST OF HIS CLAN!!
As Tsunade pulled him back down into his chair by the edge of his shirt, Jiraiya smiled in amusement at his rival, who remained silent throughout this ordeal.
Jiraiya: No words of encouragement for your niece there, Itachi?
Tsunade: (Overhearing this, she turned towards the end of the row with a confident smile.) And what’s there to encourage, Jiraiya? My daughter has twice the skill that boy has at the very least, and the intelligence not to fall for whatever strategy he employs. …Hm, her victory is almost guaranteed.
Itachi: (He glanced to his side to see his rival’s expression, smiling in amusement when he found him still patiently awaiting his own answer.) She’s not entirely wrong, Jiraiya.
While Jiraiya chuckled softly at this, everyone else slowly turned their attention towards the arena, where both contestants had gathered in front of Baiko. Neither of them looked particularly eager to begin the match, both for completely opposing reasons, but they still took the time to analyze their opponents. For Akame, this meant recalling his past exploits while simultaneously intimidating him with her arrogant smirk and active Sharingan.
Akame: (He wound up getting Yatsuri to surrender because he had access to a kunai that he didn’t. I’ll have to compensate for that in case he manages to trap me with his shadow…hnh, IF he manages to.) You can forfeit now, Shikaru. No one would blame you if you did. …After all, what real chance do you have against the power of the Sharingan?
Shikaru: (Though clearly aggravated by her cockiness, it didn’t change how seemingly unprepared he was to face her.) (Gah, what a pain. I’ve still got no clue what I’m gonna do with her.)
As Baiko raised his arm to begin the match, Shikaru took one last glance around the stadium, turning back to Akame and reaching into his weapon pouch when he found nothing that might aid him in the match.
Shikaru: (Guess I’ll just have to improvise.)
Baiko: Alright, …if both of you are ready, …begin!
Shikaru quickly threw a kunai down at his feet before leaping back, movements that Akame mimicked with extreme precision, much to his initial confusion. As a test, he rushed towards her as he dropped more kunai, prompting her to mirror his actions again, leaping back a second time just before she came within arm’s reach. Smirking when he realized what she was trying to do, Shikaru pulled out several more kunai, keeping them tucked between each of his fingers before throwing them towards her, where they collided in midair with those she threw in return. This repetition was gradually beginning to tug at Akame’s patience, but even more so was what she noticed about the focus of her opponent’s gaze.
Akame: (He’s looking at my feet so he doesn’t make eye contact. Hnh, not bad, kid. …But, the Uchiha are known for much more than just their genjutsu!)
They stopped their movements again, but while Shikaru reached for another kunai, Akame quickly began casting hand signs to her opponent’s surprise. He threw it at her as a means to stop her in her tracks, but she merely swung her head to dodge it as she called out the title of her technique.
Akame: Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bomb jutsu!
An enormous torrent of shapeless flames spewed forth from her lips as Shikaru struggled to move back far enough, branching off into three separate streams shortly afterwards as she tried desperately to control their movements. Seeing this and with no way around it, Shikaru dropped to his knees and cast a few hand signs before pressing them against the ground, producing a thin wall of earth which he proceeded to climb as the flames closed in around him. The flames vanished shortly afterwards as the wall began to crumble, sending him back to the ground as he heaved a sigh of relief, while Akame started panting from the exhaustion the technique brought her. Numerous variations of impressed faces filled the stands, directed either towards Shikaru’s quick thinking or Akame’s exceptional skill, the latter in the case of the Kage overhead.
Kitsuchi: That’s a highly advanced fire technique. I’m surprised she has the skill to pull it off, even if it’s not perfect.
Gaara: (He nodded in agreement before looking over at Akame’s grandfather.) Just as one would expect from the Uchiha clan…and one of Sasuke’s grandchildren.
Sasuke forced a smirk as he gazed down at the match below, which showed Akame overpowering Shikaru with even more impressive ninjutsu. Unable to keep up with her using his previous strategy, he was forced to shift his gaze towards her hands, and later her face, in order to determine what she would do next. Still no end in sight, he retreated to the shadows of the tree line – which now covered only a small portion of the stadium’s southwestern corner – forcing Akame to stop a brief distance away to keep out of his shadow’s reach. Relieved to have a break from her endless stream of attacks, he let out a sigh and leaned back against a tree, only to be pushed off of it seconds later.
Shikaru: What the-
He looked behind him to see what had caused this, finding nothing but its bark-layered trunk in his wake. In the process, he stepped backwards into another tree, which pushed him away, as well. He struggled to understand what was happening when a sharp blow to the back of his head suddenly drew blood, causing him to look up and find a branch that wasn’t there before. When he turned around to get a better look, yet another struck his back, with another doing the same when he turned to investigate that one. This process continued for what seemed like several minutes, which gradually turned into several hours, eventually bringing Shikaru to his knees and then all fours. Unbeknownst to him, however, what he envisioned to be an assault from the surrounding trees was nothing more than an illusion conjured up by Akame, who was grinning sinisterly at the fruit of her labors while the audience looked on in confusion, curious as to why Shikaru was kneeling in the center of the stadium with his hands draped over his head. For the more knowledgeable Shikamaru, this was quickly becoming too painful to watch, and he bit his lip in anticipation as he tightened his grip on Temari’s shoulder.
Shikamaru: (Come on, Shikaru. You can get out of this.)
Shikarama: Come on, son! Snap out of it!!
Having nearly succumbed to the genjutsu-induced pain, Shikaru turned to see what his opponent was doing from out past the tree line, finding to his shock – and later his embarrassment – that she had been standing there watching this the entire time.
Shikaru: (Dang! She must’ve caught me in her genjutsu.)
He wasted no time after discovering this before biting his hand, releasing himself from the illusion just in time to avoid another barrage of Akame’s flames. After moving a safe distance away, he scanned the terrain to find that all the kunai the two had previously discarded were gone, as were the ones he still had in his weapons pouch.
Shikaru: (She must’ve retrieved all the kunai while I was stuck in her illusion. And she took the ones in my bag, too. Gah, this chick…that does give me an idea, though.)
As he considered his new strategy, Akame charged forward to launch another attack, only to stop midway as a large cloud of smoke materialized around him.
Akame: (A smoke bomb…damn it! I should’ve taken those, too!) You’re not getting away that easily!
She reactivated her Sharingan in order to see his chakra, though before she could any put it to use, Shikaru’s discarded shirt emerged from the cloud, drifting slowly back towards the ground as a thin shadow darted out from underneath it.
Akame: What the-!?
With the shirt producing another shadow to compensate for Shikaru’s own small one, his technique sped towards Akame without any semblance of slowing down, though she managed to save herself through the quick reflexes provided by her Sharingan. As the shirt hit the ground and the shadow retreated back into the cloud, from up above, Akame’s grandfather clenched his fist nervously, invoking some amused and unwanted attention from his former teammate.
Naruto: You alright, Sasuke? You started lookin’ a little pale there.
Sasuke: (Preferring to appear emotionally detached, he quickly retracted his fist and moved it underneath the railing.) I’m fine, Naruto.
Sakura: (Noticing Sasuke’s discomfort, as well, she looked back down at their granddaughter with worry in her eyes.) (Come on, Akame.)
Having barely escaped the shadow’s grasp, Akame took a moment to catch her breath before looking back up at the fading smoke with her active Sharingan, finding no trace of Shikaru’s chakra either within the cloud or in the surrounding area.
Akame: (He must’ve escaped underground while I was distracted. …Huhh, probably should’ve given this guy more credit…)
With this knowledge at her disposal, she scanned the ground beneath the cloud and slowly moved downward, finally catching wind of his chakra roughly halfway between her position and the point where he entered the ground. She smiled almost sinisterly as she pulled two dark gloves out of her bag, slipping them over her fingers and tightening them by making a fist.
Akame: (…or not.) I’ve got you now!!
Sasuke: AKAME, DON’T!!!
Sasuke’s words hadn’t even grazed her ears by the time Akame’s fists hit the earth, the strength inherited from her grandmother sending chunks of the ground flying in every direction. To her shock, however, this violent attack also triggered a paper bomb that had been laying in wait where Shikaru’s clone used to be, forcing her to leap back to avoid the resulting blast. Before she even had time to exhale, though, she was forced into the air again by another bomb triggered by the previous explosion, which in turn triggered a third, and then a fourth. This chain of detonations went on for almost a minute on end, during which the people in the stands were unable to look away, and afterwhich Akame struggled to catch her breath.
Akame: Huhh huhh huhh huhh…huhh…huhh… (Man, that was close. …Where the hell is he!?)
No sooner after this question crossed her mind did yet another, this being why she was unable to move her feet – or any other part of her body for that matter. Little did she realize until that point that Shikaru’s bombs had been positioned such that every leap she made to evade them brought her closer to the tree line, where her opponent was patiently waiting with his shadow poised to connect with her own. Having predicted this outcome long beforehand, Sasuke slammed his fist on the railing in fury.
Sasuke: Damn it!!
Sakura: (…Akame…)
A few dozen feet below them, Shikamaru’s group also recognized how close this match was to its end, and the seasoned Jōnin Commander smiled in satisfaction at the impending result.
Shikamaru: Heh, guess he’s got it in him, after all.
Temari: (She smirked and gently began patting her hand on top of his as a means of reassurance.) See? What did I tell you?
Inoka: Yeah, you go, Shikaru!!
Chōzen: Way to waste her, Shikaru! Now take her out!!
As her opponent smiled up at his teammates in both appreciation and annoyance, Akame struggled to break free from his shadowy bonds to no avail, all whilst reminiscing on the steps he took to force her into this position.
Akame: A clone…the shadows…I should’ve known!
Shikaru: (His smile gradually morphed into a smirk upon hearing her voice.) Yeah, but you didn’t. But hey, prodigy and genius don’t always mix together.
He glanced up at Airon as he said this, who smiled back at him in amusement. Akame, on the other hand, saw nothing for the two of them to be delighted about – not yet, at the very least.
Akame: Heh, lot of tough talk. We’re still in the middle of the match, though, lest you forget.
Recognizing this, as well, Shikaru’s smile quickly disappeared as he stood up, forcing her to do the same. They stood there face-to-face for what felt like the longest time, Shikaru purposefully avoiding her eyes until finally, he reached for the bag around his waist which, as Akame knew full well, had long since been depleted of all its kunai.
Akame: Hmph, I’d hate to break it to you, kid, but all of your kunai are-
Her eyes quickly expanded to twice their size when she realized that he wasn’t opening it, but undoing the strap that kept it up. With her bag positioned in the exact same way, she had no choice but to allow it to fall from her waist, nor could she do anything when he began walking forward to retrieve it, just as she did for his. They slowly leaned over to pick the bags up and open them, dropping them again once Shikaru had retrieved the kunai he so desired.
Akame: (No…that’s not fair.)
Shikaru: Hmph, didn’t think that far ahead, did ya?
This turnabout almost too ironic to put into words, Airon was forced to hide his face as he broke into laughter, while Manako smiled in satisfaction on the other end of the balcony.
Airon: (Does this mean what I think it means?)
Manako: (Hm, seems I got my wish, after all.)
Up above the stands, the Kage had already begun evaluating the match, the focus being Shikaru’s tactical genius.
Darui: That was a pretty effective strategy.
Konohamaru: Indeed. Using the explosions to move her closer to the shadows while using the clone to make her believe he resided underground, then using her own preplanning against her. …Some rather risky moves overall, but it seems they worked in his favor.
Mei: Hmhm, it looks as though your village has another master strategist in its wake.
The other four Kage nodded in agreement to her statement, as did a few of their bodyguards. The majority of them immediately looked towards the grandfather of the match’s loser after this conversation resolved, his anger over the outcome still very evident.
Gaara: You seem quite disappointed with the outcome, Sasuke.
Naruto: (He grinned over at Gaara in reassurance, proceeding to pat Sasuke on the back in a slightly rough manner.) Ah, he’ll manage. As long as Manako sticks around long enough to fight Airon, I’m sure he could care less how Akame or Katsuto fared in-
Sasuke: (He quickly brushed Naruto’s hand away and looked up at him in fury.) That is not true! I have no favorites among my grandchildren! They’re all proud members of the Uchiha clan and it angers me when any of them lose a fight with someone else!
While those behind them felt Naruto’s remark was somewhat harsh, Sakura understood that he only said it to prevent Sasuke from doing so himself, and she looked over at him with a mixture of sadness and appreciation in response.
Sakura: (…Thank you, Naruto.)
When their small quarrel passed, everyone looked back down towards the arena to see the match through to the end. It appeared that Akame was still hesitant to give in to her inevitable defeat, even when Shikaru walked up and placed the kunai he had taken from her bag up to her neck, looking away from her Sharingan as he did. Her fingertips had nearly punctured the inside of her fists in response to the fury she was feeling, but it wasn’t for much longer until she finally allowed her hands to fall limp.
Akame: …Fine. I give up.
Impressed by the outcome, Baiko smirked over at the victor before raising his arm and announcing his name.
Baiko: The winner is…Shikaru Nara!!
The stadium immediately broke into thunderous cheers, the majority of the crowd giving praise to Shikaru’s strategic brilliance, much to his displeasure. Of course, not everyone in the stands was pleased by the results, as one of them in particular was screaming his head off at Akame’s failure.
Katsuto: Rrrrrgghhh, you gotta be kidding me!! He wasn’t even one of the big threats in this tournament, sis!! How do you lose to a lousy-
He was pulled back into his seat by his disgruntled mother before he could finish his insult, much to Jiraiya’s amusement on the end of their row.
Jiraiya: Hmhm, just goes to show you not every outcome is easy to predict, Katsuto, …even for those with special eyes.
He glanced over at Itachi as the last bit rolled off his tongue, prompting his rival to smile in shared amusement. Meanwhile, down below, Shikaru discarded his kunai and offered his hand to his opponent as a sign of continued solidarity. As expected, though, she made no attempt to acknowledge the gesture, prompting him to stuff his hands in his pockets and spin around to leave.
Shikaru: Alright, fine. Be stuck up.
Akame: (She turned away smugly in response.) Pssh, don’t try to sass me, boy. If I’d just taken your bombs back then, too, this never would’ve-
She looked back his way as she spoke, finding to her fury that he was still walking away, not even an ear perked in her direction.
Akame: Hey, don’t walk away from me when I’m talking to you! Do you have any idea who I am!?
Shikaru: …Huhhh… (What a pain.)
Shikaru pulls off an amazing upset!!!
The End
This one was a little harder to write out, just cause of who was fighting this time (and cause I have to work all the appropriate cameos into these matches – lol), but I think the end result was pretty good. Anyways, enjoyHere’s my previous chapters, for those who missed any:
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Chapter 051: Outsmarting the Sharingan
With her fallen opponent being carried off to the stadium’s medical ward, Nakama took quick advantage of her powers and evoked several pillars to emerge from the ground, providing a shortcut back to the balcony which she took without hesitation. Upon her return, she proceeded to stand off to the side and allow the next two contestants the opportunity to use it, as well. Shikaru was the first to step forward and do so, his hands stuffed in his pockets and a look of self-aggravation on his face as he stepped over the railing, which Nakama attempted to alleviate with a smile and small word of encouragement.
Nakama: Good luck. We’re all rooting for you up here.
Shikaru: (Though grateful for the support, his demeanor insisted that he sigh and cast it aside.) I think I’m gonna need a lot more help than that, Nakama.
Shikaru was not the only one who had doubts about his chances of victory, as up towards the front of the stands, his grandfather expressed these same feelings to his wife and former teammates, who were sitting beside them.
Shikamaru: Man, what a drag. I almost feel bad for the poor kid.
Temari: (She slowly moved her hand overtop his own, which was resting on top of her leg.) Come on now, hon. He’s a lot stronger than you were at that age, and just as smart. I’m sure he’ll come up with a winning strategy.
Ino: (While she nodded in agreement to her former points, she couldn’t help but express concern regarding the latter remark.) But against Sasuke’s granddaughter, Temari? I think any one of us would have trouble dealing with her if it was us down there.
Temari: (She bit her lip and squeezed Shikamaru’s hand in response to this.) Hmph, speak for yourself. I’d wipe the floor with that arrogant little brat.
While Shikamaru began rubbing her shoulder to ease her contempt, his right hand slipped behind the back of his sleeping neighbor’s head, smacking him roughly in an effort to wake him up. The method just barely worked, and the seasoned shinobi – whose appearance was reminiscent of Shikamaru’s late father – leaned up in his seat and began rubbing his eyes.
Shikarama: Huuhhhhh…hey, Pops. What’s goin’ on?
Shikamaru: The match is about to start, you lazy bum. Are you gonna cheer for your boy or not?
Shikarama: (Still not fully awake, he yawned once again and raised his partially closed fist halfway into the air.) Oh…right. You go, Shikaru. Show that…uh, what’s-her-face…
While Shikamaru and Temari shook their heads in embarrassment, from beside Ino, Chōji had just opened his third bag of potato chips and quickly went to town on them. Just from looking at him, one could tell that the Akimichi head’s weight had increased significantly over the years, just as the amount of color in his wife’s hair had decreased. As the silence on the other side of him slowly became more apparent, he turned to find his grandson and Inoka sitting there without a sound, the former leaning forward with his arms draped over the railing in front of them.
Chōji: You two aren’t gonna root for Shikaru?
Chōzen: (He reached up and pulled a few chips out of Chōji’s bag as he spoke.) Meh, he’d probably get mad at us if we did. Besides, he knows we wanna see him win, so it’s not like it’s a big deal.
Inoka: (Refusing to be categorized alongside these two overweight men, she stood up and began cheering for her teammate’s success.) Oh, please. You just wanna sit there on your butt and not do anything. Come on, Shikaru!! Take her down!
Caught off guard by the sudden exclamation, Shikaru lost his footing and fell roughly twenty feet to the ground below, prompting Inoka’s face to go pale and the eyes of those to her right to widen, including Shikarama’s. While she slowly sat back down in embarrassment, Shikaru decided to lay there for a while and let the moment sink in, sighing in annoyance as he stared up at the clouds.
Shikaru: (Huhhh, yeah. Thanks for the support, Inoka.)
Watching her opponent’s pitiful position, Akame couldn’t help but smirk in amusement as she walked past her cousin, mumbling a few words as she did.
Akame: Just watch me, Manako. I’ll show you to doubt my abilities.
Manako made no attempt to respond, only rubbing his eyes in irritation after she had already taken off down the stony path concocted by Nakama, which disappeared back into the ground once she stepped off it. From the the opposite end of the balcony, Airon noticed his rival’s annoyance and proceeded to question him on it.
Airon: (You think she’ll lose, Manako?)
Manako: (He glanced over at him for a moment before leaning back over the railing and looking down at the two combatants.) (Huhhh…odds are, probably not. But, someone needs to show her her place.)
While Airon nodded in agreement and smiled in amusement, from the nearby stands, their respective families sat beside one another as they awaited the match to come. Closest to the balcony sat Jiraiya with Inoue nestled against him, while to his left sat his childhood rival Itachi, as well as Tamanoko, Tsunade, and Katsuto at the very end, who was standing and cheering his elder sister on.
Katsuto: COME ON, AKAME!! SEND THIS BUM CRYING BACK TO THE REST OF HIS CLAN!!
As Tsunade pulled him back down into his chair by the edge of his shirt, Jiraiya smiled in amusement at his rival, who remained silent throughout this ordeal.
Jiraiya: No words of encouragement for your niece there, Itachi?
Tsunade: (Overhearing this, she turned towards the end of the row with a confident smile.) And what’s there to encourage, Jiraiya? My daughter has twice the skill that boy has at the very least, and the intelligence not to fall for whatever strategy he employs. …Hm, her victory is almost guaranteed.
Itachi: (He glanced to his side to see his rival’s expression, smiling in amusement when he found him still patiently awaiting his own answer.) She’s not entirely wrong, Jiraiya.
While Jiraiya chuckled softly at this, everyone else slowly turned their attention towards the arena, where both contestants had gathered in front of Baiko. Neither of them looked particularly eager to begin the match, both for completely opposing reasons, but they still took the time to analyze their opponents. For Akame, this meant recalling his past exploits while simultaneously intimidating him with her arrogant smirk and active Sharingan.
Akame: (He wound up getting Yatsuri to surrender because he had access to a kunai that he didn’t. I’ll have to compensate for that in case he manages to trap me with his shadow…hnh, IF he manages to.) You can forfeit now, Shikaru. No one would blame you if you did. …After all, what real chance do you have against the power of the Sharingan?
Shikaru: (Though clearly aggravated by her cockiness, it didn’t change how seemingly unprepared he was to face her.) (Gah, what a pain. I’ve still got no clue what I’m gonna do with her.)
As Baiko raised his arm to begin the match, Shikaru took one last glance around the stadium, turning back to Akame and reaching into his weapon pouch when he found nothing that might aid him in the match.
Shikaru: (Guess I’ll just have to improvise.)
Baiko: Alright, …if both of you are ready, …begin!
Shikaru quickly threw a kunai down at his feet before leaping back, movements that Akame mimicked with extreme precision, much to his initial confusion. As a test, he rushed towards her as he dropped more kunai, prompting her to mirror his actions again, leaping back a second time just before she came within arm’s reach. Smirking when he realized what she was trying to do, Shikaru pulled out several more kunai, keeping them tucked between each of his fingers before throwing them towards her, where they collided in midair with those she threw in return. This repetition was gradually beginning to tug at Akame’s patience, but even more so was what she noticed about the focus of her opponent’s gaze.
Akame: (He’s looking at my feet so he doesn’t make eye contact. Hnh, not bad, kid. …But, the Uchiha are known for much more than just their genjutsu!)
They stopped their movements again, but while Shikaru reached for another kunai, Akame quickly began casting hand signs to her opponent’s surprise. He threw it at her as a means to stop her in her tracks, but she merely swung her head to dodge it as she called out the title of her technique.
Akame: Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bomb jutsu!
An enormous torrent of shapeless flames spewed forth from her lips as Shikaru struggled to move back far enough, branching off into three separate streams shortly afterwards as she tried desperately to control their movements. Seeing this and with no way around it, Shikaru dropped to his knees and cast a few hand signs before pressing them against the ground, producing a thin wall of earth which he proceeded to climb as the flames closed in around him. The flames vanished shortly afterwards as the wall began to crumble, sending him back to the ground as he heaved a sigh of relief, while Akame started panting from the exhaustion the technique brought her. Numerous variations of impressed faces filled the stands, directed either towards Shikaru’s quick thinking or Akame’s exceptional skill, the latter in the case of the Kage overhead.
Kitsuchi: That’s a highly advanced fire technique. I’m surprised she has the skill to pull it off, even if it’s not perfect.
Gaara: (He nodded in agreement before looking over at Akame’s grandfather.) Just as one would expect from the Uchiha clan…and one of Sasuke’s grandchildren.
Sasuke forced a smirk as he gazed down at the match below, which showed Akame overpowering Shikaru with even more impressive ninjutsu. Unable to keep up with her using his previous strategy, he was forced to shift his gaze towards her hands, and later her face, in order to determine what she would do next. Still no end in sight, he retreated to the shadows of the tree line – which now covered only a small portion of the stadium’s southwestern corner – forcing Akame to stop a brief distance away to keep out of his shadow’s reach. Relieved to have a break from her endless stream of attacks, he let out a sigh and leaned back against a tree, only to be pushed off of it seconds later.
Shikaru: What the-
He looked behind him to see what had caused this, finding nothing but its bark-layered trunk in his wake. In the process, he stepped backwards into another tree, which pushed him away, as well. He struggled to understand what was happening when a sharp blow to the back of his head suddenly drew blood, causing him to look up and find a branch that wasn’t there before. When he turned around to get a better look, yet another struck his back, with another doing the same when he turned to investigate that one. This process continued for what seemed like several minutes, which gradually turned into several hours, eventually bringing Shikaru to his knees and then all fours. Unbeknownst to him, however, what he envisioned to be an assault from the surrounding trees was nothing more than an illusion conjured up by Akame, who was grinning sinisterly at the fruit of her labors while the audience looked on in confusion, curious as to why Shikaru was kneeling in the center of the stadium with his hands draped over his head. For the more knowledgeable Shikamaru, this was quickly becoming too painful to watch, and he bit his lip in anticipation as he tightened his grip on Temari’s shoulder.
Shikamaru: (Come on, Shikaru. You can get out of this.)
Shikarama: Come on, son! Snap out of it!!
Having nearly succumbed to the genjutsu-induced pain, Shikaru turned to see what his opponent was doing from out past the tree line, finding to his shock – and later his embarrassment – that she had been standing there watching this the entire time.
Shikaru: (Dang! She must’ve caught me in her genjutsu.)
He wasted no time after discovering this before biting his hand, releasing himself from the illusion just in time to avoid another barrage of Akame’s flames. After moving a safe distance away, he scanned the terrain to find that all the kunai the two had previously discarded were gone, as were the ones he still had in his weapons pouch.
Shikaru: (She must’ve retrieved all the kunai while I was stuck in her illusion. And she took the ones in my bag, too. Gah, this chick…that does give me an idea, though.)
As he considered his new strategy, Akame charged forward to launch another attack, only to stop midway as a large cloud of smoke materialized around him.
Akame: (A smoke bomb…damn it! I should’ve taken those, too!) You’re not getting away that easily!
She reactivated her Sharingan in order to see his chakra, though before she could any put it to use, Shikaru’s discarded shirt emerged from the cloud, drifting slowly back towards the ground as a thin shadow darted out from underneath it.
Akame: What the-!?
With the shirt producing another shadow to compensate for Shikaru’s own small one, his technique sped towards Akame without any semblance of slowing down, though she managed to save herself through the quick reflexes provided by her Sharingan. As the shirt hit the ground and the shadow retreated back into the cloud, from up above, Akame’s grandfather clenched his fist nervously, invoking some amused and unwanted attention from his former teammate.
Naruto: You alright, Sasuke? You started lookin’ a little pale there.
Sasuke: (Preferring to appear emotionally detached, he quickly retracted his fist and moved it underneath the railing.) I’m fine, Naruto.
Sakura: (Noticing Sasuke’s discomfort, as well, she looked back down at their granddaughter with worry in her eyes.) (Come on, Akame.)
Having barely escaped the shadow’s grasp, Akame took a moment to catch her breath before looking back up at the fading smoke with her active Sharingan, finding no trace of Shikaru’s chakra either within the cloud or in the surrounding area.
Akame: (He must’ve escaped underground while I was distracted. …Huhh, probably should’ve given this guy more credit…)
With this knowledge at her disposal, she scanned the ground beneath the cloud and slowly moved downward, finally catching wind of his chakra roughly halfway between her position and the point where he entered the ground. She smiled almost sinisterly as she pulled two dark gloves out of her bag, slipping them over her fingers and tightening them by making a fist.
Akame: (…or not.) I’ve got you now!!
Sasuke: AKAME, DON’T!!!
Sasuke’s words hadn’t even grazed her ears by the time Akame’s fists hit the earth, the strength inherited from her grandmother sending chunks of the ground flying in every direction. To her shock, however, this violent attack also triggered a paper bomb that had been laying in wait where Shikaru’s clone used to be, forcing her to leap back to avoid the resulting blast. Before she even had time to exhale, though, she was forced into the air again by another bomb triggered by the previous explosion, which in turn triggered a third, and then a fourth. This chain of detonations went on for almost a minute on end, during which the people in the stands were unable to look away, and afterwhich Akame struggled to catch her breath.
Akame: Huhh huhh huhh huhh…huhh…huhh… (Man, that was close. …Where the hell is he!?)
No sooner after this question crossed her mind did yet another, this being why she was unable to move her feet – or any other part of her body for that matter. Little did she realize until that point that Shikaru’s bombs had been positioned such that every leap she made to evade them brought her closer to the tree line, where her opponent was patiently waiting with his shadow poised to connect with her own. Having predicted this outcome long beforehand, Sasuke slammed his fist on the railing in fury.
Sasuke: Damn it!!
Sakura: (…Akame…)
A few dozen feet below them, Shikamaru’s group also recognized how close this match was to its end, and the seasoned Jōnin Commander smiled in satisfaction at the impending result.
Shikamaru: Heh, guess he’s got it in him, after all.
Temari: (She smirked and gently began patting her hand on top of his as a means of reassurance.) See? What did I tell you?
Inoka: Yeah, you go, Shikaru!!
Chōzen: Way to waste her, Shikaru! Now take her out!!
As her opponent smiled up at his teammates in both appreciation and annoyance, Akame struggled to break free from his shadowy bonds to no avail, all whilst reminiscing on the steps he took to force her into this position.
Akame: A clone…the shadows…I should’ve known!
Shikaru: (His smile gradually morphed into a smirk upon hearing her voice.) Yeah, but you didn’t. But hey, prodigy and genius don’t always mix together.
He glanced up at Airon as he said this, who smiled back at him in amusement. Akame, on the other hand, saw nothing for the two of them to be delighted about – not yet, at the very least.
Akame: Heh, lot of tough talk. We’re still in the middle of the match, though, lest you forget.
Recognizing this, as well, Shikaru’s smile quickly disappeared as he stood up, forcing her to do the same. They stood there face-to-face for what felt like the longest time, Shikaru purposefully avoiding her eyes until finally, he reached for the bag around his waist which, as Akame knew full well, had long since been depleted of all its kunai.
Akame: Hmph, I’d hate to break it to you, kid, but all of your kunai are-
Her eyes quickly expanded to twice their size when she realized that he wasn’t opening it, but undoing the strap that kept it up. With her bag positioned in the exact same way, she had no choice but to allow it to fall from her waist, nor could she do anything when he began walking forward to retrieve it, just as she did for his. They slowly leaned over to pick the bags up and open them, dropping them again once Shikaru had retrieved the kunai he so desired.
Akame: (No…that’s not fair.)
Shikaru: Hmph, didn’t think that far ahead, did ya?
This turnabout almost too ironic to put into words, Airon was forced to hide his face as he broke into laughter, while Manako smiled in satisfaction on the other end of the balcony.
Airon: (Does this mean what I think it means?)
Manako: (Hm, seems I got my wish, after all.)
Up above the stands, the Kage had already begun evaluating the match, the focus being Shikaru’s tactical genius.
Darui: That was a pretty effective strategy.
Konohamaru: Indeed. Using the explosions to move her closer to the shadows while using the clone to make her believe he resided underground, then using her own preplanning against her. …Some rather risky moves overall, but it seems they worked in his favor.
Mei: Hmhm, it looks as though your village has another master strategist in its wake.
The other four Kage nodded in agreement to her statement, as did a few of their bodyguards. The majority of them immediately looked towards the grandfather of the match’s loser after this conversation resolved, his anger over the outcome still very evident.
Gaara: You seem quite disappointed with the outcome, Sasuke.
Naruto: (He grinned over at Gaara in reassurance, proceeding to pat Sasuke on the back in a slightly rough manner.) Ah, he’ll manage. As long as Manako sticks around long enough to fight Airon, I’m sure he could care less how Akame or Katsuto fared in-
Sasuke: (He quickly brushed Naruto’s hand away and looked up at him in fury.) That is not true! I have no favorites among my grandchildren! They’re all proud members of the Uchiha clan and it angers me when any of them lose a fight with someone else!
While those behind them felt Naruto’s remark was somewhat harsh, Sakura understood that he only said it to prevent Sasuke from doing so himself, and she looked over at him with a mixture of sadness and appreciation in response.
Sakura: (…Thank you, Naruto.)
When their small quarrel passed, everyone looked back down towards the arena to see the match through to the end. It appeared that Akame was still hesitant to give in to her inevitable defeat, even when Shikaru walked up and placed the kunai he had taken from her bag up to her neck, looking away from her Sharingan as he did. Her fingertips had nearly punctured the inside of her fists in response to the fury she was feeling, but it wasn’t for much longer until she finally allowed her hands to fall limp.
Akame: …Fine. I give up.
Impressed by the outcome, Baiko smirked over at the victor before raising his arm and announcing his name.
Baiko: The winner is…Shikaru Nara!!
The stadium immediately broke into thunderous cheers, the majority of the crowd giving praise to Shikaru’s strategic brilliance, much to his displeasure. Of course, not everyone in the stands was pleased by the results, as one of them in particular was screaming his head off at Akame’s failure.
Katsuto: Rrrrrgghhh, you gotta be kidding me!! He wasn’t even one of the big threats in this tournament, sis!! How do you lose to a lousy-
He was pulled back into his seat by his disgruntled mother before he could finish his insult, much to Jiraiya’s amusement on the end of their row.
Jiraiya: Hmhm, just goes to show you not every outcome is easy to predict, Katsuto, …even for those with special eyes.
He glanced over at Itachi as the last bit rolled off his tongue, prompting his rival to smile in shared amusement. Meanwhile, down below, Shikaru discarded his kunai and offered his hand to his opponent as a sign of continued solidarity. As expected, though, she made no attempt to acknowledge the gesture, prompting him to stuff his hands in his pockets and spin around to leave.
Shikaru: Alright, fine. Be stuck up.
Akame: (She turned away smugly in response.) Pssh, don’t try to sass me, boy. If I’d just taken your bombs back then, too, this never would’ve-
She looked back his way as she spoke, finding to her fury that he was still walking away, not even an ear perked in her direction.
Akame: Hey, don’t walk away from me when I’m talking to you! Do you have any idea who I am!?
Shikaru: …Huhhh… (What a pain.)
Shikaru pulls off an amazing upset!!!
The End
