Hiruzen was pleased, three of his ninja had made it to the next round so the only foreign ninja remaining at this point was Fuu of Ame. Looking at his counterparts he can see the displeasure from the fact that so many of their genin lost. Onoki was probably mad that his granddaughter lost. He had basically just suffered two losses in a row with the other boys's loss to Samui.
"Is Uzumaki-san going to be fit to continue? Being stabbed through the side will be quite debilitating." Mei had no real care for the girl, but seeing the girl die over such a small injury would be a shame. She looks delicious, she couldn't help but lick her lips. Behind her she misses Yagura rolling his eyes. The Mizukage was very openly Bi back home, and had a weird thing for genin (most think it's not about age as it is so much about the power dynamic). It concerned a lot of the senior ninja but she was a good kage, even if she was a bit bizarre, guess being a Kage at fourteen would do that to a person. He never understood why she would threaten people with violence when they mention marriage around her. He didn't really get it, she wasn't that old so it's not like she's past the age, nor were people talking about her getting married.
"She'll be fine, she's an Uzumaki." It's why his village had wanted to kidnap her mother to begin with. Uzumaki Longevity plus the healing factor was an amazing combination. "She'll be wounded but she won't die from something so small." Of course he had no idea about her other two healing factors at work that would ensure she wouldn't even be wounded by the next match. A wasn't particularly upset over Samui's loss. Sure he displayed it on the outside, but that was a well crafted act. Just like most of the Kage here.
"A-dono is right. Naruko-chan easily has the resilience of the best of us." He should know, the village had been testing the limits of that resilience for a long time. The other Kage take note of the 'chan' suffix, so is the girl close to the Hokage then?
Jiraiya has to resist snorting as he hears the Hokage say that. The man had fooled himself into thinking he at all cared for the girl.
***
"Are you okay, Naru-chan?"
"Yeah, I still have some Nature Chakra in my system so I should be good as new by the next match."
"Do you think they'll go back to 1 vs 1's when we're done resting?" They had four competitors left so it would make sense.
"Maybe." Naruko feels like something is constricting around her heart, like she would be hurt at any moment. "Hina-chan, I might forfeit before the next match." She got the strangest feeling that whatever will happen will be bad.
"Are you still getting a bad feeling?" The redhead simply nods and Hinata strokes her back.
"I don't think you should, you're doing so well Naruko-chan. Plus I wanna see you go all out."
"It's not that exciting." Fuu would beg to differ, but they're not thinking of the same thing anymore.
"You'll be fine. Tell you what, if you still get the bad feeling during the match why don't you just surrender then? Might as well not give up yet." With some hesitation Naruko nods. She leans into her girlfriend and sighs. She's still worried, but maybe she's just being irrational.
***
With a groan Sasuke slowly opens his eyes. "I feel like I fell off the Hokage Monument." His head hurt like hell. Actually everything hurts like hell.
"I'm surprised you're already conscious, Sasuke-san. Fuu did quite the number on you." Oh. Thinking about it he might actually be less injured if he fell off the monument.
"Are the matches still going on?"
"Yes there are only four participants left. I believe two of them were your teammates." He tries to smile at that, but his bruised jaw begs to differ. He could have sworn it was broken. Medical Jutsu are really the best.
"Could I go watch their matches?"
"I don't think you should be standing, you're suffering from a concussion and both of your arms are still broken."
"Then can you get me a wheelchair so I can go watch while sitting down?" The medic looks like he wants to reject him, but another voice interrupts.
"Yosh! It is most youthful of you, Sasuke-san. To want to see your teammates despite your injuries." Lee was exuberant as ever despite being in a hospital bed.
"Lee you're too loud, I can't deal with this right now."
"My apologies Neji-kun."
"Please, I need to see their matches, and to warn them."
"Warn them of what?"
"That our friend is a lot colder than she seems." The medic didn't really get it but he shrugs. "I'll sign a waiver if I have to or whatever such nonsense."
"Oh why didn't you just say that?" He didn't care enough to stop them, he just didn't want to get flak from the Hokage. He quickly pulls out a waiver saying he can't be held responsible for whatever may happen for the premature dismissal from the medical room.
Sasuke grinds his teeth. He had looked into Fuu's eyes during the match, they were cold. So cold. He can't tell if that's just how she is while fighting, or if she is truly that cold. They remind him of Itachi's during that night, before he had started crying. And that was another thing. For some reason towards the end his fears had started to consume him, despite the fact that he had no reason too. Fuu had done something and he has a bad feeling about it. As quickly as he can he hobbles towards the arena, he has to get there quickly, before either of his teammates fall into some kind of trap.
***
"This is the final round of the Chunin Exams! For the final match we will be having a free for all between the four remaining combatants!" He was going to continue but Shikamaru raised his hand.
"I forfeit, I'm out of chakra and I don't stand a chance against these three." He said, gesturing to the three girls.
"Alright. Then Fuu, Hyuuga Hinata, and Uzumaki Naruko will participate in a free for all match against one another to decide who the final victor will be!" The three girls move so they're standing in a triangle equally far apart from one another.
Fuu and Hinata looked toward Naruko and saw her standing perfectly still. It would seem the redhead was planning an explosive start. Hinata and Naruko already understood that they would have to fight Fuu together. They individually would stand no chance. Hinata had too much riding on this to lose at this point.
"Begin!" The proctor jumped back and Naruko quickly snapped into Sage Mode lunging forward towards Fuu at an incredible speed. The redhead was faster than the green haired girl at the moment, and was keeping her on the ropes. Slowly she was herding her over to Hinata. The white eyed girl quickly lashed out once Fuu was close enough but the green haired girl just laughed joyfully and jumped out of the way. Were it not for Naruko's quick reflexes, Hinata would have hit her. She'd have to be more careful due to the difference in heights that attack could have been lethal if it hit Naruko.
The couple gives each other a nod and then resumes targeting Fuu. The girl was still far too dangerous for them alone, and they understood that there would be no hard feelings fighting each other after they beat Fuu. Fuu had taken the time to use Soto Kokakku no Jutsu (Exoskeleton Technique) and once more had the lines running up and down her skin. She and Naruko clashed this time and neither of them budged when Fuu's fist impacted Naruko's foot. It was really a testament to the potency of Sage Mode, that a chunin level kunoichi would be as powerful as a jonin level kunoichi when they're both using an enhancement technique, which spoke wonders for its power. Naruko quickly jumped back as a pressurized stream of water shot out of a seal Hinata was holding. It managed to slightly cut Fuu's armored skin open, but it was shallow.
This time Hinata rushed forward to engage Fuu in a Taijutsu bout while Naru-chan started weaving the hand signs for a Genjutsu.
***
Sasuke had just arrived into the arena proper, he quickly hobbled down the steps to get to the bottom railing. His Mangekyo was spinning as he watched Hinata engage Fuu. Suddenly he saw a detail his Sharingan hadn't picked up during the match. There is a very tiny amount of dust or something coming off of Fuu. "Hinata! Don't Inhale!" He had thought it was just some orange glow but it was definitely some kind of dust.
She didn't seem to react to his call and he cursed it was too loud for her to hear him properly.
***
She had to win this, the elders would stop at nothing to end her relationship with Naruko otherwise. She had too much riding on this. With each attack she sent towards Fuu she got more ferocious. She didn't care if she killed the green haired girl, who oddly is only defending right now, she just had to win so she could stay with the love of her life.
Naruko had finished weaving the hand signs for her Genjutsu. Fuu should think she's bound to a tree now. It doesn't seem to take as Hinata doesn't capitalize and just strikes her quickly, breaking/ the Genjutsu. Why is Hina-chan acting so weird? Naruko's stomach was starting to turn as her feeling was getting worse by the second.
Suddenly Fuu shakes herself wildly, and a large puff of smoke emits from her. It was an odd orange.
"Hinata! No!" Was that Sasuke, was he alright? Naruko looks to the direction of the voice and sees indeed he's over there shouting something to Hina-chan. She feels a snap of wind and kicks out on instance as she sends Fuu careening to the side from the force of her kick. Oddly she seems to have been knocked out by that and Naruko realizes she had stopped her Jutsu for some reason. Maybe it was super chakra intensive.
"Fuu is no longer able to continue!"
Naruko turned to look at Hina-chan only for her eyes to widen.
***
Hinata had to stay with Naru-chan. It was the thing she lived for. Her life held no purpose without the redhead in it, so she had to protect her. She whips around as she sees Fuu kick Naruko to the side violently. The proctor speaks saying
"Fuu is no longer able to continue!" Why didn't he say Naru-chan's name? Was he another hater? Whatever it's unimportant now. She would just have to carry on and beat Fuu on her own. She charges forward and lashes out with a Jyuken strike aimed at the girl's heart. Did she get shorter? Weird. Fuu turns towards her in shock and her green hair seems to flicker red for the briefest moments.
"I won't let you take Naru-chan away from me!"
"Hinata!" Was that Sasuke? "Stop!" She feels her hand thump against the other girl's chest and she stumbles back in shock. She presses the advantage and lashes out with another strike this time to the girl's lungs, she would kill her if she has to. She sees a quick pulse of chakra from Naru-chan and suddenly the two have switched places. Naru-chan was looking at her in shock. She suddenly coughs up blood and falls forward onto her knees. No. This can't be happening. She had been attacking Fuu! She had green hair! Naru-chan starts to fall face first into the ground.
Hinata is quick to rush forward and catch the girl. "I… I wanted to spend my life with you." She was interrupted by a fit of coughs as her heart struggled to continue beating, each beat forcing more blood into her mouth and lungs.. Hinata could feel the redhead's heart slowing down as its beats were wild and uncontrolled. "I love you." More coughs followed. "I'm sorry, it looks like—" She was interrupted again as she coughed more and more blood onto the white eyed girl. "Like we won't be getting m-married. I was looking f-forward. To be your w-wife." With one final cough the light fades from her eyes and she slumps over. No! This couldn't be happening! No! How did it end up like this?
"No! Naru-chan! No!"
No!
Her heart had stopped beating.
"Naru-chan, you can't!"
No! It can't be true!
Uzumaki Naruko was dead.
"Naru-chan don't you dare die on me!"
And it was all her fault!