Naruto: I Became Orochimaru's Apprentice

AN: Sorry, I forgot this even existed ngl. To clarify Preliminary Rounds take place right after the forest of death to see who qualifies for the final tournament. This is the place where e.g Rock lee fights gaara. 

The surviving genin stood in a large, dimly lit green chamber within the tower, their bodies still aching from the grueling second stage of the Chuunin Exams. The air was thick with exhaustion and tension. Many had barely scraped through the Forest of Death, yet they now faced another hurdle before the final tournament.

Most watched from above, whilst others would soon be fighting on the floor below where grey tiles were dusted and prepared for bloodshed.

The Third Hokage stepped forward, his wise gaze sweeping across the young shinobi.

"You have all done well to make it this far," he began, his voice carrying authority. "However, too many of you have advanced. As such, we will hold preliminary battles to determine who will proceed to the final stage."

Murmurs spread among the genin. Some, like Naruto, looked shocked by the sudden news. Others, like Gaara, remained eerily calm. Hayate Gekkō, the sickly but sharp-eyed proctor, stepped forward, coughing lightly before speaking.

"The matches will be one-on-one," he explained. "If you lose, you're out. There will be no time limit. The fight continues until one of you is knocked out, incapacitated, or surrenders. If there are no questions, let us begin."

A large screen flickered to life, randomizing the matchups. The first two names appeared:

Sasuke Uchiha vs. Yoroi Akado

Sasuke stepped forward, looking exhausted.

Teriyaki noticed the spiral on his neck, he was suppressing the effects of his Cursed Seal.

Meanwhile Yoroi grinned, eager to drain Sasuke's chakra.

"I'm going to suck you up, Sasuke!"

"Huh?"

The fight was short but intense. Sasuke, unable to rely on his Sharingan, used pure speed and taijutsu, eventually finishing the battle with a powerful Lions Barrage, knocking Yoroi out cold. It was like a video-game scene, except Yoroi might have actually gotten brain damage.

"Ouch." Teriyaki muttered.

Shino Aburame vs. Zaku Abumi

Zaku boasted about his sound-based techniques, but Shino remained calm. When Zaku attempted his Decapitating Airwaves, he found his arms clogged with chakra-draining insects. Before he could react, Shino's kikaichu consumed his chakra, rendering him unable to continue. Shino won effortlessly.

The buzzing of the insects caused everyone to feel uncomfortable.

Kankuro vs. Misumi Tsurugi

Misumi, who could twist and stretch his body, tried to crush Kankuro's neck. However, Kankuro revealed he had switched places with his puppet, Karasu, before Misumi even struck. The puppet snapped Misumi's arm, forcing him to surrender.

"Ahaha. So easy." Kankuro laughed.

Sakura Haruno vs. Ino Yamanaka

A fierce yet emotionally charged battle. Both kunoichi fought with determination, their skills equal. Ino's Mind Transfer Jutsu briefly took control of Sakura, but Sakura managed to break free through sheer willpower. In the end, both collapsed from exhaustion, resulting in a double knockout.

"Two side characters." Teriyaki yawned.

Temari vs. Tenten

Tenten bombarded Temari with an arsenal of weapons, but Temari easily countered every attack with her massive fan. A final gust sent Tenten crashing to the ground, leaving her unable to continue. Temari claimed a swift victory because whenever Tenten sent out shurikens, they were all blown back her way.

"It's unlucky, you met your worst match."

Shikamaru Nara vs. Kin Tsuchi

Kin attempted to disorient Shikamaru with sound-based genjutsu, but he quickly outmaneuvered her, using his Shadow Possession Jutsu to force her into slamming her own head against the wall. Shikamaru won with minimal effort.

"Boring." 

Naruto Uzumaki vs. Kiba Inuzuka

Kiba dominated early with his speed and Fang Over Fang, but Naruto's unpredictability turned the tide. Using clever shadow clone feints, he tricked Kiba into attacking his own teammate, Akamaru. A perfectly timed Naruto Uzumaki Barrage secured Naruto's victory, shocking everyone who had underestimated him.

"Hell yeah!" Naruto was covered in dirt and bruises but he had won. Kiba was left sobbing with Akamaru.

"We'll get them next time..."

Hinata Hyuga vs. Neji Hyuga

A brutal match. Neji coldly dismantled Hinata, shutting down her chakra points with precise Gentle Fist strikes. Despite Hinata's determination, Neji showed no mercy, leaving her battered on the floor. Hayate had to intervene before Neji could finish her off. Neji won without taking a single hit.

"This is your fate, pathetic at best." He shut his eyes, Hinata was left trembling.

Rock Lee vs. Gaara

The most intense fight yet. Lee, unable to use ninjutsu, relied on pure taijutsu, shocking the audience with his incredible speed. Even Gaara struggled against Lee's Hidden Lotus, but when Lee removed his weights and activated the Gates, his power skyrocketed. He nearly won, but Gaara's absolute defense proved too much. Gaara crushed Lee's arm and leg with his Sand Coffin, ending the match violently. Lee was left unconscious, his dreams shattered.

Afterwards, Gaara's usual crazed and vicious attitude was skewed, he was staring at his hands, as if he couldn't believe it. He felt parts of his skin and felt scratches and rarely bruises.

"He... Hit me this much?"

Teriyaki vs. Renjiro of the Rain Village

The screen flickered, and Teriyaki's name appeared alongside a lesser-known genin from the Rain Village, Renjiro. He was a serious-looking shinobi with dual kunai in hand and a confident smirk.

"If I fail here, not only is it embarrasing but I don't think Orochimaru will let me wake up tomorrrow."

Teriyaki went pale. "I should also try to avoid using too much Kinjutsu infront of the third hokage."

As soon as the fight began, Renjiro rushed forward, his movements rapid and precise. Teriyaki barely dodged a kunai slash before retaliating with a swift body flicker, appearing behind his opponent. Renjiro, however, was experienced—he twisted and countered with a barrage of shuriken, forcing Teriyaki to leap backward.

"He wasn't even fazed..." 

Not wanting to give Renjiro the upper hand, Teriyaki weaved hand seals. Water Gun Technique! He spat out a high-speed bullet of water that clipped Renjiro's shoulder, forcing him to dodge. Taking advantage, Teriyaki lunged in, slashing with a kunai. Renjiro barely parried in time, the two exchanging rapid strikes in a flurry of steel.

Renjiro smirked, suddenly substituting himself with a log and appearing at Teriyaki's flank. "Got you!" he declared, slashing downward. But at the last moment, Teriyaki cast a water jutsu.

"Wild Water wave."

Teriyaki swerved his head and let out a jet of water that slammed Renjiro into the ground.

When the jutsu ended Renjiro was choking out water and blood.

Teriyaki appeared behind him using body flicker technique, weaving his final jutsu. Wild Water slicer! A sharp arc of water slashed through the air, striking Renjiro's chest and knocking him flat onto the floor. He groaned, clutching his wound, and tried to push himself up, but Hayate had already called it whilst Teriyaki was starting a new set of handsigns.

"Winner: Teriyaki."

Teriyaki exhaled, lowering his stance. He had won—not as decisively as some, but he had proved himself.

"It's a good thing my opponent was weak." He stared at Gaara, likely the strongest here.

"Yeah..."

Choji Akimichi vs. Dosu Kinuta

The final match. Choji hesitated, knowing his strength paled compared to his teammates. When he finally used his Expansion Jutsu, Dosu countered with a powerful sound-based attack, knocking Choji out instantly.

"For the sound village! Ewowowo!"

With the fights concluded, Hayate announced the names of those advancing to the final stage. A month of training awaited them before the final tournament.

As the exhausted but victorious genin stood in silence, Teriyaki clenched his fists. The battles had tested them, but the real challenge was still ahead. He had earned his place—but whether he was strong enough for what was coming remained to be seen.

"You all have one month to rest for the third part of the exam, good luck." The third hokage left alongside Hayate.

Teriyaki looked up then at Sasuke.

"I have to do this."