Taking place at the historic Blossoming Pillars Stadium (Jūhi Dōhyō), the final rounds of the Exams forego the tricks and surprises of earlier, making way for an arena that is both iconic and neutral. In spite of a modest 25m radius, this arena is no less grand than those which preceded it, boasting stands that raise high above for observers to watch the anticipated final matches and a fighting zone where legendary heroes and Kage once fought. A dusty circle surrounded by sparse shrubs and a high wall encloses combatants, who enter from opposite ends of the arena, the crowd roars, the Chūnin Exams draw to a close.

He could hear his heart drumming against his chest. Heavy beats of blood and war calling out to him ahead of the coming fight. If he claimed in the past that he would've made it to the Grand Finals of the most crowded Chunin Exams, he would've been a very poor fool indeed. Yet here he was, standing in this hallway, staring atthe bright light at the end of the tunnel. Win or lose, everything would be coming to an end today. The anxiety, the stress of constant training, of being judged- it would all come crashing down regardless of today's outcome. He couldn't help but think on those he'd faced along the way, about those who he'd clashed his will against to become stronger. He had realized now that his strength hadn't come from his jutsu or physical power, rather, his experiences fighting his opponents had made his mind sharp and his spirit strong. The wit to outmanuver Yasubei, the perception to see the weaknesses of Yokari's plant-based attacks, the strength to overcome Ryo's indomitable defense, the speed to overtake the spider-nin Zinan, and the tenacity to power through the onslaught of Sakamoto's sealing techniques. They were all a part of him now, and he was determined, more than anything else, to use them to their fullest potential to win this fight.

He had come wanting to learn, and he had done so much more than that, he had thrived. He would leave here with his head held high. The questions of his birthright as a Uchiha haunted him night and day of course, but for now, for this moment, he savored his accomplishments. With a heavy sigh, and the advice of Takao in his mind, Yoshihiro Joe began walking down the hallway. The sounds footsteps filled his mind, the roar of the crowd ahead of him echoing down the tunnel towards him. Brighter and louder, they both grew and grew until at last, the boy emerged from the arena entrance for the final time.

The crowd roared as the two contestants entered. "YoJo YoJo YoJo" chanted over and over in a thunderous ovation whilst shouting cheers rose up to meet them for his opponent. When his opponent came into view, the boy couldn't help but blink. "Wait... You're that guy from the library" he said in a look of surprise. He didn't know much of the other competitors, but seeing a familiar face, even one he didn't know well, was somewhat comforting. "I guess we've gotta fight each other, sorry I guess" he said, caught in a bit of an awkward snag. It was a tad strange to be fighting someone he knew. It wasn't as cathartic as ruthlessly pummeling random teenagers for fun like he had until now. At seeing the suna headband the other boy wore, that catharsis managed to eep back in just a tad. A frown appearing on the boy's face as he finally came to a stop 10 meters from the center of the arena. "You defected from Konoha?" he asked, though he couldn't get in more than that. The proctor for the match body flickered in shortly afterwards, eager to stop the chitchat and get this match off the ground.

"Right, don't hold back now-poyo! You made it this far. Give it all you've got-poyo!" the rotund looking Jonin said, nodding vigorously before looking up to the stands above. A single, heavily guarded figure raised a handkerchief over the balcony. It was the Fire Daimyo, witnessing the grand finals himself. It seemed he would be the one to start the match. The arena grew quiet for a moment, eyes latched onto the white piece of cloth. In a single motion, the shrouded figure let go, letting it start to fall. Yojo kept his gaze ahead, his body ready as ever as the proctor chopped the air in front of him. "BEGIN-POYO!" he shouted.

It was on!

The moment the match was called, Yojo would dash backwards in a sudden burst of speed, kicking away from the center of the arena as he formed the bird hand seal. A trio of cartoonish looking crows of green Futon would appear above the boy as he zipped away from the center of the arena. With their flight speed of 25 m/s, they'd circle above him briefly, letting their master caress them each to imbue a small amount of his chakra upon one to plant a substitution. He kept his gaze on his opponent, letting him see the action taken. He might know one of his crows had been planted, but which one? As Yojo would exit his dash at the foot of the arena wall, the crows would fly upwards about 10 meters above the arena floor ahead of him somewhat, each spaced out 5 meters apart from one another as they watched their opponent, waiting for another command. With their agile nature and speed, they'd easily be able to dodge or fly to avoid any ranged attacks the suna-nin may have unless he chose to deal with them directly. The crow Yojo placed a substitution on would be the one furthest to his right. How his opponent chose to start the match would dictate what Yojo would do next, either chasing him from the start or starting slow. Regardless, the Uchiha had a plan, he was in control for now with his first move in this mental game of shogi.

921/921

240/260:

The steel forehead protector rubbed against his forehead, the sensation of cold steel filling him with a reminder of the solemn duty he had promised to Izumi. This was the nail in the coffin, the signature on the paper, his last chance to go back on the promise he made to Izumi and Nova, as well as himself. No, if there was one thing Kashiki did it was follow his heart. The Land of Wind was his home, his parent's home, the Village Hidden in the Sands was the blood that ran through his veins, the body that he fought with. Kashiki brought the forehead protector emblazoned with the symbol of the Village Hidden in the Sands to his brow, tying the headband around his forehead. His fate was sealed, his choice made. The decision filled Kashiki with pride for his homeland and determination to fight for it's honor. He stepped through the doors to the arena, the sunlight glistening off his armor and catching on the heavily polished Sunagakure Hitai ate reflecting the light in a stunning display. The shinobi glanced into the crowds and up to the VIP box, unlike his previous matches where the crowd cheered for him as he entered, today they shouted the name of his opponent. YoJo! YoJo! YoJo! The 'God of Metsubushi' (as he had been called by a few more competitive watchers) stared across the arena towards his opponent, his facial features hidden due to Kashiki's dull senses.

Kashiki leapt forwards towards the center of the arena to meet his opponent face to face, the opponent's face becoming clear as he approached, it was Yoshihiro, the shinobi he had met at the library. That seemed like years ago, the time when life was carefree, not over run with life changing decisions and life or death fights.

"Wait... You're that guy from the library" Yoshihiro said, the surprise apparent in his voice. "I guess we've gotta fight each other, sorry I guess" He continued, it didn't seem like something to apologize for, that was a shinobi's duty after all. Fighting.

". . . Yeah" Kashiki spoke, he didn't seem to be the jovial outgoing shinobi he was before the chunin exams.

Yoshihiro's eyes caught the forehead protector, a frown growing on his face at the realization. "You defected from Konoha?"

Kashiki didn't really see it as defecting, but to the eyes of the shinobi world that was exactly what he had done, turn his back on Konohagakure. In Kashiki's eyes he was simply returning home, he was sure that anyone in his position would have the same desire he did, but no one saw the position from his perspective.

A proctor body flickered into the arena, a rotund jonin wearing the typical Leaf Village Flak Jacket. "Right, don't hold back now-poyo! You made it this far. Give it all you've got-poyo!" the proctor said, nodding vigorously as he spoke. That was the plan. The proctor's eyes went skyward, looking up into the VIP box where a heavily guarded figure seemed to be waving what appeared to be a handkerchief. Had the Daimyo of the Land of Fire really come to watch a bunch of children fight to the death? Seemed like a waste of time better spent. "BEGIN-POYO!" The proctor shouted, his arm chopping downwards through the air, the signal of the beginning of the Finals!

---

His opponent dashed backwards, Kashiki didn't care what he did, he was here for one reason and one reason only. To beat the shit out of whoever he was fighting. The goal was to show that, even if he lost, Sunagakure was strong and determined and he was ready to fight tooth and claw to prove it.

Kashiki dashed forwards, his speed allowing him to close the distance as his opponent completed their jutsu. His poncho flew off his shoulders as he dashed, leaving a prepared substitution in the center of the arena. As he dashed his hands wove into seals, performing the Still Wind Cloaking and Locomotion Sight techniques. After finishing the jutsu his hands dipped into pouches, drawing 3 smoke grenades in each hand as well as a flash grenade in each. The smoke grenades and flash grenades were flung towards his opponent, aimed to cover a wide radius around him in smoke and blind him with the flash bombs, followed up by the Cleansing Winds technique. Either way he would blast forwards in a burst of speed, closing the remaining distance at a speed of 11m/s. His fists flew out, the first aimed in a gut punch while the second was a follow up uppercut. Wind sheathed the fists as he performed the Lesser Demon Claw technique to enhance his punches. The onslaught continuing ruthlessly in an attempt to land as many attacks as possible before his opponent was capable of stopping him. If a defensive technique was used or his opponent attempted to escape he would stop his unending assault to reassess the situation. Overall a strong beginning for Kashiki.

WC: 835

Chakra: 195/250:

There were a number of things that struck Yojo right off the bat in how his opponent began this fight. For one, when the former saw the teen's poncho flutter off at the start of his dash, something deep and innate within him instantly began shouting that the suna-nin had placed a substitution on it. Now, normally, that in itself wasn't enough for the boy to have much cause for suspicion, and yet, it was the way in which Kashi dashed at him right from the outset that caused the whole thing to click in the boy's head. Kashi's opening maneuver and substitution was exactly the same as what Yojo's had been for the past 4 matches now. From letting his poncho fall to the wayside whilst starting a hard dash, to lashing out with reckless abandon, it all was so very, very similar to Yojo's opening strategies with his previous fights. It had worked against Yokari, Ryo, Zinan, and even Sakamoto- and now it was like he was suddenly facing the mirror image of himself because of it. From the start of Kashi's assault, Yojo was on a similar wavelength as him.

As Kashi would begin his dash though, he would seemingly disappear from Yojo's sight as he in turn was leaping back himself. Yikes, that was no good. What was more uncanny even was the way that the suna-nin refused to make any sound as he presumably committed his momentum to charging forwards as fast as he could. Yojo had to think fast, he was anticipating a blitzing rush of attacks to come at him head on, thinking about the boy's assault much as he would if he were in his shoes. With a mental command, he willed his trio of birds to zip towards him, moving at a speed of 25 m/s as both he and his opponent  dashed towards the wall of the arena. The bombs that the boy threw gave away his position somewhat, though at the high speed they were both moving, Yojo could do little more than react to them.

The boy would leap upwards off the ground, high, high up onto the wall whilst channeling chakra into his feet. He was standing horizontally, much like his fight with Ting. That day felt so very long ago now. He would form the bird hand seal while his focus lay on the area around the base of the wall. An explosion of light, smoke, and concentrated chakra all were poised to crash into where he'd been standing below. Kashi was hot on his tail, even with the sudden transition to a vertical surface possibly causing him to pause and readjust, there was little doubt in Yojo's mind that his opponent held a greater speed advantage than him without the latter using any of his jutsu. The cloaking that was also being maintained could additionally be problematic. There were signs of where the boy might have been, such as the smoke from the smoke bombs being disrupted by Kashi running through them, but that was less than ideal compared to a straight fight. There was some small victory though, for as Yojo formed the bird hand seal as he transitioned up off the ground onto the wall, a crackle of energy would come to life in the area around the poncho left at the center of the arena. After a second, a pillar of lightning would crash upwards with enough raw force and damage to rip the normal piece of fabric apart, destroying what the boy thought, from his own experience, to be Kashi's substitution.

The crows flying overhead would not remain idle during this time, not when their master was being advanced upon. The middle crow would rush downwards at an angle at the shrinking space between Yojo and his attacker, aiming to crash into the dirt and use its powerful concussive force to cause an explosion of wind that would knock some modicum of dirt and debris onto the cloaked shinobi to give away his position. The one on the furthest left would move from its original position to fly above where Yojo was standing, away from the wall enough so as to stay out of melee range if someone were to run up after him. The one on the furthest right, the one that held Yojo's substitution, moved closer to fly in the air 7 meters opposite from Yojo, but didn't move much more than that.

Yojo was thinking at a mile a minute. He'd pulled his opponent into his trap. He couldn't see Kashi, but he was betting that the suna-nin would try and maintain his blitz by continuing a relentless assault. For now, as he anticipated another attack, Yojo would clap his hands together immediately following forming his bird seal. He didn't know if Kashi would realize his substitution had been destroyed, or how he would adjust to the changed field. For now, it was a waiting game. The crows still waited alertly while their master plotted his next move five steps ahead of his enemy. He had a feeling that whatever happened next was going to hurt for better and for worse.

877/1798

220/260:

As Kashiki's opponent lept to the wall behind him Kashiki's strategy changed slightly. Instead of the full on blitz assisted by the smoke and stealth jutsu, he opted to make a small arcing flank takign him around the smoke field and up the wall to the side of Yoshihiro. He would leap up the wall to Yoshihiro's left and dash across, chakra flowing into his feet. His hands wove into the seals for the Unseen Earthen Volcano, his Still Wind Cloaking was dismissed as the jutsu was finished. The area of effect started about a meter away from Yoshihiro and spread to cover any means of escape.

Chakra: 185:250

Techniques Used:

WC: 107/942

OOC: acting with permission from Kashi due to plot agreement

Yojo was alert, as alert as alert could be. He was anticipating having to trust his instincts to move for him when he saw a threat. In truth, it was that instinct that would save him now. As Kashi would come out of stealth in the boy's peripheral vision, his reappearance heralded by flames stretching across the earth, one meter of space would be all the boy would need to react accordingly. With nary more than a twitch of the mind, still holding his clapped hands, Kashi would see the flames rising out of the wall towards his opponent. The flames would seemingly eat away at the black-haired youth, climbing up his legs with tendrils of ravenous flame. The attack would seem to connect, and yet, this image of the pained Genin would disappear in a puff of smoke, replaced by a rather derpy-looking crow of green Futon that would be harmlessly destroyed by the Katon jutsu eating away at it. Instead, Yojo would appear 7 meters away from the wall in the air where the hovering crow had been, parallel to the same height that his opponent was charging at him at.

With a serious look, the boy would release his clasped hands at Kashi point-blank. A torrential gust of razor sharp wind would crash into the horizontally-standing Kashi, hitting the top of his head, shoulders, and neck with countless half-inch cuts. The sheer force of the air would be enough to smash the revealed Genin against the wall of the arena, earning a shout from the guests in attendance. The first blow had been struck! Before would start to fall, he would step forwards through the air, moving towards his pinned enemy who would've been smashed up against the stone. As the Gale Palm would connect, the boy would will his final crow, the one above where Kashi would be, to kamikaze downwards, aiming to hit his upper-torso to keep him pinned up against the wall more as well as deal a sudden burst of concussive damage.

Yojo took his second step, bringing his right fist back as his opponent had been slammed into a small crater by the sheer force of sudden wind. His arm became engulfed in a torrent of lightning and wind, swirling and frothing in tandem as he took his final and third step, rushing forwards against the wall-pinned Kashi and lashing out with his loudest cry of the Chunin Exams, "Falcon... PUUUUUUUNCH!". Yojo's fist slammed with all the force he could muster, crashing into Kashi's right shoulder. The airborne shinobi was the center of a frothing torrent of wind and lightning whilst his opponent was the epicenter of a fiery maelstrom, their clash may not have shaken the arena, but it certainly shook the audience watching the fight as they hanged to the edge of their seats. Yojo grit his teeth as he would feel his punch connect, slamming into that joint harder, harder, aware of the sweltering heat of the Lave Floor Technique. There was a bright light that engulfed the two shinobi, a sudden flash of chakra that blinded the audience.

When the light faded, the two Genin would be seen falling from their places on the walls. Yojo and Kashi would land roughly 5 meters apart with the sound of a hard thud greeting them both. The crowd remained silent as they watched the two, waiting for one to move. It was a horrid atmosphere of dreading anticipation. Slowly though, with a sudden jolt running through his body, Yojo sat up off the ground, inhaling as if the life had returned to him. He was breathing rapid, short, breaths in and out in quick succession. His eyes were wide as he slowly got up to his feet. He looked to see his opponent, but upon laying eyes on him, wished he hadn't.

Kashi's right arm had been cut cleanly off of him.

That... Certainly wasn't what Yojo'd been aiming to do. The boy was horrified to see the limp limb a short distance away from its original owner, a cauterized stump where its joint was meant to be. The proctor body flickered in-between the two. Shocked at what must've been a freak accident of sorts, but swiftly delivering a verdict regardless. "This match is over. Kashiki is unable to continue the battle. The winner, and champion of these exams, is Yoshihiro Joe!-poyo!" the proctor said hurriedly whilst motioning for the medical nin to come onto the field to tend to Kashi.

Things suddenly took a sinister turn though with that declaration. A large shadow swooped over the stadium, blotting out the sun momentarily as it descended from the sky. The rider was unseen, yet eyewitness reports would certainly note locks of vibrant purple hair on top of the large bird crashing down with a dynamic entry. It would caw at Yojo, and the proctor, picking the limp Kashi up in its talons, before leaping back upwards into the sky. The rampant winds of the beast was enough to send those on the arena floor back a few meters, sliding along the ground.

Yojo tried to shout over the wind, something about being sorry for the grievous wound, but his words were lost. Instead, the black silhouette of the bird disappeared from sight, fading away like one of the nameless secrets of the desert. The disturbance was sudden, and had ended just as quickly as it had come in the first place. The sandstorm was over... or, as many would come to believe, it was only an ominous sign of what was to come.

Standing up again once the wind an dirt settled, Yojo looked around at the silent audience. There was a pause of uncertainty after the departure of the bird-rider. However, the applause began eventually, with rancorous cheers and chants breaking out for the steadfast shinobi. He hadn't been the fastest, nor the strongest, nor had the best jutsu- but he had enough of them together to call himself a shinobi. Yojo felt his arm being raised by the Proctor, chants of "YoJo YoJo YoJo" breaking out.

The young Uchiha grinned somewhat sheepishly. After a moment, he raised his other arm into a fist. He was accepted by his village, and for that he was glad. He had won....Oh if only he knew the dark days that were laying ahead. If only he knew the war that was looming. For now though, he tried to find some small joy in being a child, of feeling proud.

For that one day, he was happy. His hard work had paid off. No one could take this feeling from him anymore. No one.


1121/2919

Total WC: 2919

• Training C Endurance to C1, 1000/1000
  
• saving extras for later!
  

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