The Pact

-Of Matches, Winners, and Reunions pt.1-

"Hey, hey! Kakashi-sensei!"
Amaya looked up at Naruto's excited exclamation and glanced over, spotting Kakashi casually making his way over to them. He nods at the four before putting his focus solely onto Sasuke as he passed, stopping momentarily to give some last-minute advice. "Sasuke. Don't use your Sharingan."
Sasuke's eyes widen before reverting back to normal, a small smirk forming on his face. "So, you know about it."
"If that mark on your neck gets out of control, your life could be in danger."
"I'm aware of that."
Amaya scoffed, rolling her eyes as the two glanced at her. "Good for you, Duckbutt. But just so you know, there's a fine line between bravery and stupidity."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her tone. Though before he could say anything Kakashi placed a hand onto the brunette's shoulder, beginning to lead her away in hopes of avoiding an argument. "Just to let you know, if it gets to that point, I'll have to step in and stop the fight." He calls out informatively over his shoulder. "Good luck!"

***

'Watch yourself Sasuke. Don't push it.' Kakashi thought to himself before looking at the trio standing in front of him, specifically Amaya, who was leaning against the metal railing on her forearms completely at ease. 'Speaking of... Those two seem to be at each other's throats. Usually it's Naruto and Sasuke fighting while Amaya just watches from the sidelines, keeping Sakura under control... That run in with Orochimaru must've put her on edge, I wonder what happened...'

They all watch silently as Hayate looked around to make sure all of the spectators were out of the way before turning back to the two males. Stepping back, he holds his hands out as a signal to start. "Then if you're ready... let the match begin."
Once he stepped back, the two sprung into action. Sasuke reached for his kunai as Yoroi made a hand sign. And as soon as he brandished the weapon, he was using it to block off oncoming shuriken.
Sasuke then grunts in pain and stumbles before falling onto his stomach, allowing Yoroi to move closer.
Yoroi aims a punch, his hand cracking some of the tile as Sasuke rolls away. The ravenet then stabs a kunai into the floor, using it for support as he swings his legs out.
Sasuke locks his ankles around Yoroi's legs and brings the nin to the ground. He then flips over onto his back, keeping both hands on Yoroi's right arm as he pins him down with his legs across the nins neck and chest.
"Hey, he got him!" Naruto exclaimed happily from his crouched position as he peered through the railing bars. However, the blond spoke to soon as Yoroi twisted his hand around and placed it in the center of Sasuke's chest.
Surprised and suddenly feeling weak, Sasuke loosens his grip on the nins arm. Yoroi takes this chance to land a hit to the Uchiha's abdomen before breaking free of the hold and jumping away, leaving Sasuke laying on the floor clutching his stomach.
"Sasuke, no!" Sakura exclaimed from her spot beside Amaya as she leaned over the railing.
At her yell, Sasuke brushed off his pain and shot up into a sitting position, only to be pushed back down as Yoroi sprung forward, his hand pressing down on the Uchiha's forehead. The ravenet pushes and fights the males grip for a moment before his arms suddenly fall limply to the floor.
Amaya observed the two carefully, her eyes widening in realization. "Is.. is he draining Sasuke's chakra?!"
Kakashi leans forward, his own eyes lighting up in both slight interest and concern. "That seems to be the case..."
Amaya snapped her gaze over to him. "But wouldn't that effect the mark even more?! It's siphoning off his chakra, right?!"
Kakashi nodded, keeping his eyes trained on the Uchiha below. "If it gets out of hand, Sasuke could lose control... Let's just say, that wouldn't be a good thing."
Amaya looked back to the downed ravenet in thought. "If what he did earlier wasn't losing control... I'd hate to see it, if it actually happens."
Kakashi hummed curiously and looked over. "Has the mark acted up previously?"
Amaya nodded. "It happened when he first woke up after receiving it from that Orochimaru guy..."
"What?"
Amaya looked up, her gaze moving from her teacher to the four Sound ninja across the room. "How'd you think that Sound guy got two broken arms?" Kakashi rose a brow, following her gaze to the person of interest, listening intently as the brunette continued. "I was already injured from the previous fight, but it was up to Sakura and me when those guys showed up, just itching to kill... Some of the other teams came to help out, but Sasuke woke up and went crazy once he pieced everything together."
Kakashi hummed and opened his mouth to say more but stopped and turned as Sasuke yelled out. "GET OFF!"
The Uchiha brought his foot up and placed it on Yoroi's stomach, kicking him off. As the nin skids across the floor, Sasuke takes this as a chance to regain his bearings and stand.
"So, you've got some strength left? Impressive, for a guinea pig... Don't worry little man, I'll make it short and sweet." They hear Yoroi say as he stood. After a moment of preparing himself, he runs forward going on the offensive again, making various swipes at Sasuke, who dodged sluggishly. "What's the matter? Is that really the best you can do?" He asks again, jumping back as Sasuke attempts a spinning high kick.
Naruto, not at all pleased with Sasuke's slow movements, leans over the railing while cupping his hands around his mouth. "Hey, Sasuke! C'mon man, what was that?! And you call yourself an Uchiha?! You're gonna let this goon walk all over you! C'mon, stop messing around and get it together!"
Sasuke turns and looks up over his shoulder at them, becoming slightly annoyed at the blond's words. His eyes then focus on Amaya and then Lee, an idea quickly coming to mind at the sight of the two Taijutsu users.
"I'll teach you to turn your back on me! Big mistake, and your last!" Yoroi exclaimed, running forward. He then proceeds to make more swipes at Sasuke, who continues to doge, this time quicker than before.
'Is this as far as he goes?' Hayate thought to himself, watching the fight intensely.
Suddenly, Sasuke disappears from sight for a split second, only to appear directly in front of Yoroi. The ravenet then ducks low and lands a high kick to the nins chin, sending him into the air, mimicking the move Lee used on him six days prior.
Amaya straightens up, her eyes, along with everyone else's, going wide at the familiar technique. They all watch with bated breath as Sasuke jumps up and says something quietly to the nin. However, before he can do anything, he lets out a loud cry of pain as the curse mark activates and begins to spread across his skin.
Kakashi's eyes narrow. 'Is this it?'
Sasuke grits his teeth and clenches his fists, willing the mark to recede and when it does, it surprises everyone in the room. He then lets a smirk form on his lips before spinning around, aiming a kick to Yoroi's side which is then quickly blocked by the nins arm. Sasuke, unperturbed turns again, this time hitting Yoroi square in the chest with his fist. "Come back here! I'm not finished with you yet!" He yells before kicking the nin in the abdomen, slamming him into the ground. "SHISHI RENDAN!"

Silence fills the room as everyone watches the Uchiha skids across the floor before coming to an abrupt stop. Himself and Yoroi going limp.
Hayate stares at the two quietly for a moment before walking forward to inspect Yoroi first. Looking down, he notes that the younger nin is out cold. 'Well, this one's had it...' He thought before looking up as Sasuke lets out a groan.
The ravenet slowly sits up, his hanging low as he hunches over, panting. He then looks up and wipes the blood from the corner of his mouth.
Hayate stands to his full height and holds his arms out, looking up at the spectators above. "I'm declaring this match over. As the winner of this Preliminary Round, Sasuke Uchiha advances to the finals."
Naruto jumps happily, a wide grin on his face. "WAY TO GO!"
Kakashi disappears from Amaya's side and reappears behind Sasuke. He sticks his knee out, propping the Uchiha up as the boy began to fall backwards. "Hmm.. not bad." He compliments, gaining the ravenet's attention. "Funny, before the Shishi Rendan, you're technique was very reminiscent to Gai's jutsu. Must've used your Sharingan to copy it when you fought Rock Lee that time."
Sasuke doesn't say anything, not that he had the chance to as Naruto began laughing. "YOU OK?" He asks between his snickers, his grin widening. "HEY, SASUKE! YOU WON, BUT IN SUCH AN UNCOOL WAY! YOU CAME OUT LOOKING LIKE YOU'RE THE ONE BEAT UP!"
Sasuke scowls slightly as the blond began to cackle loudly. "Idiot. Give me a break, you little..." He begins before letting a small subtle smile form on his lips. "Oh well..." He mumbled before locking eyes with Amaya, who shook her head but couldn't stop the smile growing on her face as she glanced away.

***

A few minutes later, three Medical Ninja enter. Two load Yoroi up onto a stretcher and begin to pack him out as the third makes his way over to Kakashi and Sasuke. "Sasuke Uchiha, maybe you should come along to the infirmary, too, and let us treat your injuries."
Kakashi shakes his head. "I think you're out of your league with this one."
"Huh?"
"I'll look after him." Kakashi answers, crouching next to the ravenet. "Okay, up you go. You're coming with me." He said before placing a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, leaning in to whisper the next part. "We've got to seal that curse mark."
Sasuke turns to look at his teacher, a disbelieving look on his face. "Before the Preliminaries are over?! I wanna see who gets to go on to the finals!"
Kakashi stands up. "Forget it."
"But--!"
"And don't even think of arguing." Kakashi warns, cutting Sasuke off as he continued. "If we leave it any longer, who knows, it might be too late. I've already cut you enough slack as it is. C'mon, lets go."
Sasuke sighs and begrudgingly stands to his feet. He reaches up and grips his shoulder as Kakashi begins to lead him out.
Naruto notices and turns to the pinkette next to him. "Hey, Sakura... Maybe I'm just crazy but, did you see any weird marks on Sasuke's neck during the fight?"
Sakura stays silent for a moment, remembering the promise she made to Sasuke. "What mark? I didn't see it?"
"Oh, okay..."
Amaya glances over at that, wondering why the pinkette would lie about the curse mark. Sakura sends her a look, prompting her to drop the subject and look towards Hayate as he spoke.
"Uh.. okay then. Let's move right on to the second match." He said, looking back to the display as the names began to flash across the screen.

Zaku Abumi vs Shino Aburame

Hayate turns back around, waiting for the two to reach the bottom floor. Once they do and are close enough, he clears his throat. "Step forward please... Very good. Now, if you're both ready, then we'll begin."
'That's that Sound Village Shinobi... The one who had his arms broken by Sasuke. How's he's going to fight with those arms?' Sakura thought to herself curiously, still slightly intimidated by the male.
"Do you think Shino will be alright?" Hinata asked softly, a little ways down from where they were standing.
"He's okay, don't you worry about him." Kiba replied, and at her expression he continued. "He's the last person I'd ever wanna take on."
"Saa~... You got that right..." Amaya cuts in, making the two and their sensei turn her way. "That dudes tough, but he doesn't really think things through. Shino's got this in the bag, it'll be over quickly."

And quick it was. The fight itself was filled with sly comments and cocky remarks, though Shino put it all to an end when he cornered Zaku with his beetles.
The bugs had been crawling towards the nin, leaving him to decide which issue to deal with first. Fight Shino and leave his back completely open to the insects, or use his jutsu to hold the beetles off, inevitably giving Shino an even bigger opening to attack.
Refusing to accept defeat, Zaku pulls his other arm free from the constricting sling and proceeds to use his jutsu again. However, things didn't go as planned. Instead of the jutsu emitting from his palms, his chakra begins to erupt from the bend of his arms, causing the ligaments to explode.
"M-my arms! What's wrong with them?!" A frantic Zaku asks as his arms fall limply to his sides, the adrenaline of the fight allowing him to ignore the pain for the time being. Looking down, his eyes widen even more as he spots bugs crawling out of the holes in his palms. "What?!"
Shino then makes his move and appears behind the nin. "While I was distracting you with my helpful advice, I was also sending some of my little friends to plug up those bothersome holes in your hands. Both hands just to be sure... You see while an ace in the hole is good, two aces are better." He informs before sending a sharp blow to Zaku's face, sending him roughly to the floor.

A minute or two passes before Hayate walks over to inspect Zaku's fallen from. He looks at the boys pained face before glancing to his arms, where he quickly spotted multiple small holes where the chakra forced its way through. "I'd say this one has had it. The winner is Shino Aburame."
A determined glint forms in Naruto's blue orbs as he clenched his fist. "Man, that Shino is good! Who would've thunk it, with him being so quiet!... I can't wait to get my shot at him!"
Amaya shook her head as she pictured Naruto battling it out with the Aburame, the mere thought of the blond trying to defend himself from thousands of insects causes her to snicker.
Hayate watches the med nins leave with Zaku before turning to look at the spectators. "Uh.. alright everyone... Moving right on to the third match."
Amaya flinched as Kakashi returned, appearing behind them with a small pop and a cloud of smoke.
"Kakashi-sensei!"
"Hi." The Jounin replied cheerfully with a small wave.
Sakura scowled. "What do you mean, "Hi."? Is that all you can say?! What about Sasuke? How is he?!"
"Oh, he's fine... Sleeping soundly in the infirmary." Kakashi replied, earning a sigh of relief from the pinkette in return. He then moved his gaze away from the three and to the Hokage, giving the elder a nod of confirmation. 'But he's been put under guard by the ANBU Black Ops.' He mentally added, moving his gaze to the display as the next two names were chosen.

Misumi Tsurugi vs Kankurō

Amaya looks up, her eyes locking on the Sand nins painted face as he smirks and turns to walk down the stairs. Rolling her eyes, she rests her chin on her palm and sighs. "Saa~ His confidence makes me sick... No, his entire presence is nauseating."
Sakura lightly whacks the brunette on the arm. "Amaya! Don't be rude! Besides, you're just saying these things because you two got off on the wrong foot, that's all."
Amaya looked over. "Saa~ Well, can you blame me? The guys as prickly as a porcupine... If he wasn't such a pompous ass and a jerk to Konohamaru-kun, then he wouldn't have gotten a face full of dirt. I did us all a favor."
Sakura sighed tiredly as the Minamoto began chuckling to herself, completely reliving the moment. "Amaya...."
"Heh, sorry! ~..."
Kakashi raised a brow as he stared at the two in amusement. 'Those two seem to be getting along... Maybe a test like this was what they all really needed...?' He thought to himself as he turned back to the match below.

"I'm not like Yoroi. I don't get careless, not even against kids... A piece of advice, once I go into my jutsu, give up quick. If you do, I promise to make it short and painless."
"Funny... I was about to say the same thing." Kankurō replies with a smirk as he pulled "Crow" off of his back. A slight hollow sound forming as it was placed onto the ground. "Though I can't promise it'll be painless." He added smugly.
Hayate looked between the two and stepped back. "Alright then, if you're ready?... Let the third match begin."
Kankurō placed a hand on Crow. "Let me do you a favor and end this battle quickly."
"You can't end it if I end it first!" Misumi exclaims before running forward.
Kankurō brought his arm up to stop the oncoming punch, though what happened next surprised everyone in the room. Misumi's arms and legs stretched and began to wrap around Kankurō's own ligaments, keeping the Sand nin in a tight hold.
"I dislocate every one of my joints, softening my body. Then, with my chakra, I can control it perfectly." Misumi informed, tightening his grip around Kankurō's neck. "The more you struggle, the tighter I squeeze. I don't know what you're carrying in there, but as long as I have a hold on you, it makes no difference... I could break your neck right now if I wanted too, and I will unless you give up!"
The two go back and forth for a moment before Kankurō's neck is snapped. Misumi loosens his grip on the nin slightly, only pausing as something chips away and falls to the floor.
Suddenly, Kankurō's head completely spins around, revealing a wooden face whose paint is chipped around one of the eyes. Misumi's eyes widen as the puppet begins to speak. "Now, it's my turn. So, say goodbye!"
Wooden arms spring out from the puppets side and quickly wrap around Misumi's body, pinning the nins arms to his side. He struggles for a moment before looking over as the bandaged item unravels itself, revealing Kankurō controlling everything with chakra strings.
Amaya let out a low whistle. "So that's what the "Crow" is, eh? A puppet...? Kinda creepy..."
"He controls it with chakra from his hand..." Sakura murmurs, observing as Kankurō moves his fingers.
The Crow's arms tighten its hold around Misumi, small sounds emitting from the males back and ribs as his bones begin to crack under the pressure. "ENOUGH! I GIVE!" He yells out, his eyes screwed shut from the pain.
"But if your bones are all crushed, just think of how more flexible you'll be!" Kankurō replies sadistically, a smug look forming in his face.
'That was close... I almost stopped the match in the middle... But it's a good thing I didn't.' Hayate thought to himself, sending Kankurō a look for him to release the nin.
A silence fills the air as Misumi falls to the ground, still wrapped up in the Crow's hold. Hayate sighs and looks up. "Because his opponent is unable to continue, the winner is Kankurō."
Naruto squints and turns to the Jounin beside him. "Two against one is hitting below the belt, isn't it? I mean, is that thing even fair, Kakashi-sensei?"
"It's not really two against one. It's a puppet, not another ninja."
Sakura nods and leans past Amaya to look at Naruto. "Yeah, it's just a puppet master jutsu. He's controlling the puppet with chakra, it's a ninja tool.. like a shuriken." She informs before looking back down as Misumi is carried out. 'Everyone here wields their chakra perfectly! And I thought my chakra abilities would give me an edge over the others.. so much for that idea.'
"I'll admit, it's cool and all... Especially since they can expand the puppets abilities at any time... But it doesn't make it any less creepy." Amaya mutters, earning a chuckle from Kakashi in return.
Hayate coughs, catching everyone's attention. "Now, let's continue. It's time to begin the fourth match."
Naruto huffs and looks up at Kakashi. "Well, no matter who's picked, it'll be two weirdos. This contest is chock-full of 'em!"
"Well you're one to talk." Kakashi replies with a raised brow, earning a laugh from Amaya.
Sakura giggles and looks over. "Yeah, good point."
Naruto scowls. "Hey! Give me a break!"
Kakashi ignores the blond and looks to the display, his amusement sobering as he leaned down to talk lowly to Sakura, who was still giggling. "Um, this isn't a time for laughter."
The trio stare at him curiously and follow his gaze to the board, Amaya's lips slowly forming a smirk. "Hey, Naruto. Looks like the next weirdos have been chosen." She said with a snicker, causing the blond to sweat nervously as the two chosen turn to him with a glare.

Sakura Haruno vs Ino Yamanaka

Amaya laughed as the two females made their way to stand in front of Hayate. "Saa~ It's about time!" She said happily, rubbing her hands together. "I've been waiting for this for so long!" Kakashi sweatdropped and sent a look to Naruto, who only shrugged in response.
"I never thought I'd fight you. Or at least, I didn't think it would happen this soon. But don't expect me to go easy on you!" They heard Ino say from their spot, prompting Naruto to lean over the railing.
"GO, SAKURA! YOU CAN DO IT! DON'T LOSE!" The blond yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth.
Amaya wrapped an arm around the boy, joining in on the cheering, though hers was a little different. "OI! WHOEVER WINS GETS TO SPEND A WHOLE DAY CARING FOR SASUKE IN THE HOSPITAL...! ALONE!"
Sighing, Hayate looks away from the excited duo and back to the two females. Stepping back, he gives the two a small nod. "Begin."
Both girls surge forward, quickly meeting in the middle of the room. Sakura attempts a high kick, which Ino dodges as she throws a punch. The pinkette quickly blocks the hit with her forearm before dropping to the floor to swipe her leg out, in hopes of tripping Ino up.
The blonde jumps away, giving Sakura the chance to pull out and throw three shuriken. Ino pauses for a moment, watching the three weapons closely before catching one. She then throws it and knocks the other two off course before turning her gaze back to Sakura, who is now charging right at her.

Naruto grins. "Sakura's totally blowing Ino out of the water in this battle!"
"What a fool." Shikamaru, who now stood next to them with his own team, mutters.
"What'd you say to me?" Naruto growls, leaning past Amaya to look at the male.
Shikamaru looked over and returned the blonds scowl. "You wanna make something out of it? Then go ahead, because you'll lose."
Naruto steps forward. "Who do you think you are?!"
Amaya sighs and shares a look with Kakashi and Asuma before wrapping her arm around Naruto's neck tightly, pulling him away from Shikamaru. "Saa~ Cut it out you two. You'll have your chance to fight when your names are picked." She grumbled, spinning slightly on her heel to put Naruto, who squawked at the sudden move, back in his previous spot beside her.
"That's it? That's as best the Kunoichi can get in hand to hand combat?" Neji mutters from the other side of the blond.
Naruto's ear twitches and he turns, with great difficulty, in Amaya's grasp. His eyes instantly locking on the Hyuuga. "What?!"
Tenten glances over, noticing the stormy expression on Naruto's face. She then turns to Neji. "It's not because they're girls, Neji. It's just because those two are using kid gloves, it doesn't matter if you're a man or woman in battle."
Naruto hums in confusion. "Using kid gloves?"
Amaya sighs and lets the blond go, causing him to look at her. "As excited as I was for this fight, she's got a point... Now that they have a chance to get the beef between them squashed, they're hesitant. Both could use ten times more force in their hits... They're treating it like an academy sparring practice than an actual battle. Even so, they're not putting their all into it." She informs, causing the blond's eyes to light up in understanding as he turns back to the fight below.
By this point both girls had entered a Taijutsu battle, with each hit and kick being blocked and retaliated one after the other. Eventually, Ino finally lands a punch to Sakura's abdomen, stunning the pinkette momentarily. Seeing this opening, Ino brings her arm back to punch again, though what happened next was unexpected.
SMACK
A heavy silence fell over the room as everyone stared down at the two in shock. Ino gasped and recoiled, realization of what she just done washing over her as she stared at her hand.
Sakura widened eyes slowly narrowed. Clenching her fist, she moved her gaze from Ino's hand to the blonde's face. "Alright, listen up, Ino. I'm not going to fight with you over Sasuke."
Dropping her hand, Ino stared at the pinkette bewildered. "What did you say?!"
"I'm not that weak and needy girl I used to be! You're not even in my radar, and you're not Sasuke's type, Ino-Pig!"
"Sakura! You better watch your step! You have any idea who you're mouthing off to?! Don't press your luck with me, you little Billboard-Brow!"

Naruto looks away from the two and over to Kakashi and Amaya. "Did you hear that stuff? Sakura was so mean! That's out of line, isn't it...? She sure made Ino mad, I've never seen her look so scary."
Kakashi moved his gaze back to the pinkette. "Hmm... Yes, but there's more to it than that. Sakura isn't the kind of person to do things like needlessly flaunt her own power and callously hurt people... But she also doesn't like having Ino take pity on her and pull her punches."
Amaya grinned. "I'm kinda proud of her... She's finally growing some backbone." She commented, watching as Sakura pulled her headband out of her hair and tied it around her forehead. "Looks like it might be getting a little more serious now..."
"W-what in the world is going on?"
Kakashi hummed and turned back to Naruto. "What do you mean?"
"Why are those two getting so worked up just looking at each other?"
'Hmph, he just can't see he's exactly the same way when it comes to Sasuke.' Kakashi thought amused. "Well, Naruto, rivalry is a tricky business. Not that I would know." He replied as he glanced over the blond's head towards Gai who, feeling someone's stare, looked over with a hum. "Oh...! Hi there..."
Gai stays silent and narrows his eyes as Kakashi sends him a small wave. 'Ugh.. what else would I expect from my old rival Kakashi? Yet another hip and senseless statement. Man, it burns me up when he acts so cool!'

Ino watches Sakura for a moment before following suit, pulling her own headband from her waist to tie around her forehead. Once she was finished, Sakura charged forward again, this time preforming the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
"This isn't just some ninja academy graduation exam! Do you really think you can beat me with a basic ninja art like that?"
At the blonde's question, Sakura and her two clones speed up. Ino prepares herself but wasn't ready for the double faint the two clones achieved. They dispersed right as the real Sakura surged forward, landing a punch that sent Ino backwards. "I'm not some crybaby anymore! You play with fire and you're gonna get burned! Let's see your best, Ino!"
Ino stands and wipes her mouth. "It's not like I needed your invitation, ya know? I'll give you my best, but you're not gonna like it!"
The two then run at each other again with their fists drawn, though neither land a hit as their fists are caught by each other. They push each other away and throw a shuriken, the weapons hitting the other with a clang as they ricochet in random directions.
The fight continues on for a few more minutes until finally the two punch each other in the face, sending them both sprawled out onto the floor.
"Woah..." Naruto mumbles, staring at the two females as they slowly stand.
Kakashi sighs as shares a look with Amaya before looking back to the fight. 'At this rate, this battle will never end.'
Hayate coughs slightly and switches his gaze between the two Genin. 'This has been going on for so long... They've been at it for ten minutes.' He thought to himself as the two straightened themselves out.
"This isn't how it was supposed to go! How can you be evenly matched with me?!" Ino asks, her eye narrowed into slits as she stared at the Haruno.
Sakura smirks. "Heh... I guess you're right, Ino, your obsession with your looks and hair can't be surpassed. I've been training too hard to worry about that stuff."
Ino growls and pulls out a kunai. "You're gonna pay for that! I've had enough of you making fun of me!" She yells before bringing the kunai up to chop off her long blonde hair, leaving a tiny portion tied back with a hair tie.
"Heh, you think that'll help?" Sakura asks, angering the Yamanaka even more.
"That's it!" Ino exclaims, throwing the chopped off hair onto the floor. "See! I don't need this!" She adds before making a hand sign. "Alright, I'll put an end to this right now! Get ready to tell everyone you lost to me, Billboard-Brow!"
Sakura looks at Ino's hands, and with the blonde's fingers forming a circle she knew instantly which jutsu the Yamanaka was going to use. "Look, I know you're frustrated. But that's pointless."
"Oh yeah? We'll just see about that!" Ino replies, keeping her eyes locked on Sakura's form.
Naruto looks over after hearing Shikamaru and Chōji mutter to themselves. "What jutsu is she going to use?"
Amaya sighs. "It's the Mind Transfer Jutsu... To paraphrase, it's a jutsu that allows the user to take over their opponent's spirit and body for a few minutes. However, it's pretty dangerous to attempt."
"Dangerous?" Naruto asks again, his focus solely on the brunette beside him.
Amaya nods. "All kinds of things can go wrong when it's used. That's why the jutsu is usually used when the opponent is incarcerated or unable to move by any other means." She informed before choosing to elaborate further. "The user's spiritual energy can only fly straight, and it moves slowly. Also, if the spiritual energy misses it can't return to the user's body for several minutes, leaving them completely vulnerable to attacks."
Asuma, who was listening to the brunette's explanation, nodded to himself silently. 'Thats right, the Mind Transfer Jutsu is only used for spying. It's not a battle jutsu.' He thought as he returned his gaze to Ino's form. 'Ino, using that jutsu here wouldn't be just a bad idea, it would be a fatal mistake.'
Kakashi hums. 'It's a powerful jutsu, but as long as Sakura can dodge it, it's not really a threat. Plus, if she can avoid it, she can attack Ino without any resistance. If that happens, Hayate will be forced to bring the match to an end.' He thought, watching as Sakura runs to the side as Ino performs the jutsu.
The blonde drops to her knees as Sakura comes to a stop. Slowly, the pinkette starts to laugh, and after revealing the jutsu didn't work she then begins to walk towards Ino's slumped form. However, Sakura didn't get far as her legs movement was constricted. Looking down, she spots chakra coated hair wrapped around her leg's and ankles.
"No way!" Amaya exclaimed with a small laugh as she leaned over the railing.
Ino looks up, a smug smirk on her lips. "You fell for it, Sakura! Hah! I finally caught you!" She exclaims with a laugh before further explaining that what held the pinkette in place was a special rope made from her hair, which was indeed coated in chakra. "Now that your trapped, I can take over your body and make you say you're giving up on the match! There's no way I'll ever miss with this jutsu now!"
Naruto leans over the railing, his eyes wide with worry for the pinkette losing. "You gotta get out of there quick!"
Sakura shifts slightly in hopes of freeing herself, only tangling her leg's further. By this point Ino finishes her hand signs and they both go slack.
A minute or so passes before Sakura's arm slowly starts to rise. The pinkette looks over to Hayate. "Now I, Sakura Haruno, would like to say that I with--"
"NO! SAKURA, DON'T!" Naruto yells, effectively interrupting the female. "YOU WORKED SO HARD TO GET HERE, SAKURA! DON'T DISGRACE YOURSELF NOW BY LOSING TO THAT LAME INO GIRL!"
"Yell all you want, there's nothing you can do now." "Sakura" replies before recoiling slightly. "W-what?!" She mutters before leaning over, crying out in pain while holding her head. "What's happening...?! Sakura! This can't be happening!"
Hayate eyes narrow. "What's happening? Are you withdrawing...? Well are you or not?"
"Sakura" lets out a scream before standing straighter than before. NO, I WON'T BE WITHDRAWING! NOT TODAY OR ANY OTHER DAY!"
Hayate looks between the two females conflicted. 'Which one is it?'
The pinkette winces again before bringing her hands up to release the jutsu, she then drops to her knees.
Not long after Ino raises up, panting heavily. "How can you have two spirits in you?! Just what are you anyway?!"
"Someone just as strong as she is beautiful. I mean, a girls gotta be tough if she's gonna survive something like this." Sakura replies as she follows Ino's example, slowly standing up.
'Once you're caught in that jutsu it's certainly not easy to cast out the invader. Ino's lack of chakra contributed that's for sure, but even more important than that, was Sakura's defiant heart and combative attitude towards Ino. It also seems like Naruto had something to do with this, his voice awakened Sakura's spirit, allowing her to cast Ino out... Just like I've seen in Naruto, Sakura's fighting spirit is stronger than the others, so she could overcome obstacles that would otherwise be beyond her abilities. But now, both of them are almost out of chakra... this battle will come down to brute force.' Kakashi thought to himself, watching along with the others as the two girls sprint towards each other, their fists drawn once again.
They both punch each other in the face for the second time that day, this time however, once they skid to a stop, they're unable to stand back up, both quickly falling unconscious.
Hayate looks between the two, waiting for a sign of movement before sighing. Letting out a cough, he looks up to the spectators. "Since neither combatant is able to continue, by double knockout no one gets through the fourth battle of this preliminary. This match is over."

***

"Very well then." Asuma murmurs as he and Kakashi crouch to pick up the two unconscious females.
Kakashi adjusts the pinkette in his arms. "Good grief." He sighs before following after Asuma, both using chakra in their feet to jump back up to the second level. And once they near, all four remaining team members, plus Lee, gather around.
With the five Genin making a ruckus Kakashi turns to them, after leaning Sakura against the wall, and shushes them.
Asuma grins as the five move back, each one going off into their own little conversations. "I don't think treatment will be necessary. They'll probably just wake up after a little while." He said, staring down at the two sleeping girls thoughtfully. "Well, they both certainly put up a great fight."
Kakashi grins behind his mask. "Yeah. Despite her success with Naruto, Amaya, and Sasuke... I didn't think Sakura had what it takes to win here. But she's grown a lot. She may not have done as well as she liked, but still, a lot of good happened here. I really feel it was the right choice to send her to the Chunin Exams."
Amaya looks away from the two Jounin and to the display as it flickers on. "Saa~ I wonder who's next?" She mumbles as the names are chosen.

Tenten vs Temari

Neji moves closer to the rail. "So, this is another Genin from the Sand Village. This should be interesting to watch."
Amaya goes to stand next to the Hyuuga and looks over as Tenten makes her descent down the stairwell. "We had a run in with those guys before the exams started..." She informed, earning attention from the members of Team Gai. "Just like that Kankurō guy, she's a mystery. But that red headed kid? Gaara? He has some kind of sand jutsu, that's why he carries that gourd."
"I'm not worried. Tenten can handle herself." Lee replied determinedly before looking over the railing as brunette neared Temari and Hayate. "GO, TENTEN! ALRIGHT! C'MON, TENTEN, USE THE POWER OF YOUTH!"
Gai grins and pats Lee on the shoulder. "Nice, Lee! Let's hear that support...! YOU CAN DO IT, TENTEN!"
Lee's smile widens. "TAKE HER DOWN, TENTEN!"
Hayate looked away from the cheering duo and back to the two females. "For the fifth match, Tenten... Temari, get ready."
After Hayate gives them the go ahead, the two stare at each other silently until Tenten makes the first move by jumping back. Lee punches the air excitedly. "ALRIGHT, TENTEN! KEEP HER GUESSING!"
Gai's grin grows wider and soon enough he joins in on the cheering once more. "GO FOR IT! YOU'VE GOT THE POWER OF YOUTH!"
"C'MON, TENTEN, SEND THAT GIRL BACK TO HER VILLAGE ON A STRETCHER! WE'RE RIGHT BEHIND YOU ALL THE WAY, TENTEN!"
"LET'S HEAR IT...! TWO! FOUR! SIX! EIGHT! WHO DO WE APPRECIATE? TENTEN! TENTEN!"
Naruto groans and covers his ears as he scowls over at the two unimpressed. "How did I get stuck in the cheering section?" He asks, earning a snicker from Amaya as the two paid him no mind and continued.
Hayate once more turns his gaze away from the cheering pair and back to the two girls, his eyes focusing mainly on Tenten, who remained stock still as she stared at Temari. "What are you waiting for? I did say begin."
Temari smirks. "Hmph, I guess she's waiting for me to make a move." She answers before turning her attention back to the brunette. "Big mistake, cause the first move I make will be the last one you see." As she says this, she takes a step forward, prompting Tenten to move back. "C'mon... I don't want this match to be over too quickly. So why don't you go first? C'mon girl, show me what you got."
"Okay, if you insist. Remember, you asked for it!" Tenten replies as she jumps into the air. She throws four shuriken, each one missing its mark as they hit the floor by Temari's feet with a clang. "I missed her?! They just no way!"
"What was that? A warm up exercise? Or maybe you're a little nervous and it's affected your aim, is that it?" Temari asks, earning a scowl in return causing her to smirk. "Rats, I was at least hoping to work up a sweat. But forget that idea if that's the best you've got."

Lee leaned forward, his already naturally large eyes, larger. "What is going on?! How could she have missed?! It is incredible!"
"It's impossible." Gai said, not taking his eyes off his student below. "Tenten's aim is perfect! She always hits her mark."
"Not this time she didn't." Neji commented.
Gai wasn't pleased. "She never misses. There must've been something that made her miss." He said, causing Lee to look at him in surprise. "Huh?!"
Shikamaru sighs. "Man, this is embarrassing... Sand Village wins again." He grumbles earning Naruto's attention.
"What are you talking about? The match just started!"
Shikamaru looked over dully. "It's over."
"Give me a break! What makes you so smart? Why don't you explain it to me, so that I'd understand?" Naruto asks again, his brows furrowing in annoyance.
"Ah skip it. If you can't see it, I'm not gonna waste my breath." Shikamaru replied with a groan, looking back to the fight.
Chōji, who stayed pretty quiet throughout most of the matches, gives the blond a nod before looking away. "It's obvious, like he said, this one's over."
Naruto huffs and looks back to the fight. "Ah, I don't get it. I really don't understand these guys at all."
Amaya's eyes narrow slightly. 'Of course, Naruto wouldn't notice, it happened so fast I barely caught it myself. It was a split second, but she moved...' She thought, moving her gaze to Temari. 'She's like me, a wind style user... Tenten's weapons won't stand a chance unless she's able to get close enough.'

Temari reaches for the large fan, which like her siblings, she carried on her back as Tenten broke into a run. The brunette circles her for a moment before pulling out a scroll and jumps into the air.
"Alright! Try this on for size!" Tenten exclaims as she begins to twirl the scroll around, her figure becoming obscured from the small whirlwind created. Suddenly, weapons of all shapes and sizes begin to fly out from the scroll, each one aiming for Temari, who still stood below.
Once again, Temari moves in a a flash and the weapons are blown away, clattering to the floor. By this point, Tenten lands silently on the ground in a crouch. "No way! She stopped everything I threw! What has she got in that fan of hers?"
Temari laughs. "Take a look." She replies, motioning to the slightly opened fan to reveal a purple circle. "This is the First Moon, there are two more. When you see all three moons, you'll know you've lost the match."
Lee leans forward. "TENTEN! DO NOT PLAY YOUR OPPONENTS GAME! MAINTAIN FOCUS! MAINTAIN. FOCUS."
Tenten sighs at her teammate's words and after a moment of thought, pulls out two scrolls.
Gai raises a brow. "She's.. using that already?"
"What's with the two scrolls? What is she planning on doing with them?" Naruto asks looking between Gai and the brunette below.
Amaya sighs. "It doesn't matter, it's not going to work." She answers, prompting the two to turn to her.
"What makes you say that?"
Amaya looks over at the blond's question, briefly making eye contact with Gai as she explains. "Saa~ If all she has are weapons, Temari's wind style will just blow them away. Especially if they both stick to long range battle tactics. Temari isn't exactly cornered, and my guess is that Tenten only has so many scrolls... Pinwheel down there has this in the bag. Just watch."
All three turn back to the fight below as Tenten sets the scrolls on the floor. "It's not going to work, whatever it is." Temari calls out with a smug grin.
Tenten makes a few hand signs. "Shōshōryū!"
As she says this, a large burst of smoke fills the lower half of the room. Suddenly, two dragons rise into the air, eventually revealing themselves to be the two unraveled scrolls. Tenten jumps up in between the two and begins to use the seals written on them, inevitably throwing numerous weapons at an unimpressed Temari.
"Hah, it doesn't matter how many you throw at me." The blonde states as she picked her fan up and opened it wider, revealing a second circle. "It's all the same... Moon number two!" She then swings the fan, sending out a large gust of wind towards the weapons, leaving them scattered about on the floor.
"I'm not done!" Tenten yells as she moved her fingers around, much like Kankurō when he controlled his puppet.
The weapons on the floor, now revealed to be attached to wire, tremble and shake before they're slowly lifted from the ground. Once she has them high enough, Tenten throws them toward Temari in one large unified attack.
The blonde laughs and swings her fan again, sending Tenten and her weapons flying back. Her fan now completely open, with three large purple circles revealed. "Moon number three." Temari states with a grin, she then twirls the fan around in a circle and disappears from sight, as if she was never there.
Tenten looks around furiously. "Over here!" Temari calls out from behind her, prompting the brunette to turn. She instantly spots Temari gliding towards her on top of the fan. The Sand nin jumps off and lands in front of her.
"Now it's my turn... Kamaitachi no Jutsu!" She yells as she swings the fan again.
The wind sends Tenten back, who cries out as small cuts and slashes begin to appear on her skin and clothes.

"Tenten!"
Neji glances over at Lee for a moment before using his Byakugan. "Temari's chakra is controlling the vortex."
Lee looks over in shock. "Huh?!"
"She fought well, but she'll never escape from that whirlwind. It's over." Neji replies looking back to the fight.
They all watch as Tenten falls. Her back then makes contact with the folded fan, the impact alone causes the brunette to cough up blood.
Naruto trembles slightly at the sight. "Woah... That girls really ruthless."
Temari smirks and looks over at the unconscious female. "Wasn't much of a match. Kinda boring."
"Yep, it's another win for the Sand village. Just like you said it would be." Amaya heard Chōji say with a sigh as he looked over at Shikamaru and herself.
"Well of course, that's why I said it."
Hayate walks over. "The winner of the fifth match... Temari."
The Sand nin smirks and moves her fan to throw Tenten off and onto the floor. Lee, catching on, moves fast and jumps down to the first level. "Wait a second!" He yells, barely making it to catch his fallen teammate as Temari threw her to the side.
"Hey, nice catch."
Lee glares up at her. "What is wrong with you?! She may have lost, but that is no way to treat an opponent who has done her best!"
Temari grins viciously and stamps her fan on the ground. "Oh, beat it. And take that sack of garbage with you."
Amaya scowled. "Does everyone from the Hidden Sand have a terrible attitude? Sheesh, and I thought Sasuke was bad."
"Tell me about it..." Shikamaru grumbles in response.
Lee growls and places Tenten gently onto the ground before standing.
"No Lee!... Lee!" Neji yells as his green clad teammate runs forward.
"Leaf Hurricane!" Lee yells, moving to attempt a spinning high kick. He fails however, when Temari blocks the hit with her fan.
"Not even close." She replies, looking away from his leg to his face. "You know what? You're as dumb as you look."
"What did you say?!"
Before anything could escalate any further, Gai jumps down. "Lee, stop!"
"But, Gai-sensei!"
"Temari." Gaara called out making everyone go quiet and focus on him as he spoke. "Forget them, the match is over so get up here. You won. Why are you wasting time with that pathetic loser and his ridiculous mentor?"
Lee's eyes narrow as they lock with Gaara's. "What?!" He hissed.
Gai steps forward and places a hand on Lee's shoulder. "Just calm down, Lee." He says before smiling up at the three Sand ninja. "A word of warning. You Sand villagers have no idea what Lee is capable of. Remember, he still hasn't fought yet, so I'd be careful if I were you."
'We haven't seen him fight yet, either...' Amaya thought to herself, shivering slightly at the look in Gaara's eyes as he stared down at Gai and Lee. She then turned to Naruto and Sakura, who had woken up and was now conversing with the blond.
"Stay sharp... Oh, thanks by the way. If you hadn't called out when you did, who knows what would've happened. If it hadn't been for you, I might still not be here." The pinkette said.
Naruto's eyes squinted as he thought. Finally, with a small hum, he nodded. "Yeah, that's probably true."
Sakura glared at the boy's response. "Oh, you little...!"
Amaya snickered and slung her arm over the blond's shoulder, deciding to add her own input. "You would've been completely crushed! I mean, how embarrassing would that be, losing to your rival of all people!" She said, her tone causing Sakura's annoyance to grow even more.

***

A few minutes later, after the floor had been cleared from both people and weapons, the display lit up again. Amaya looks over to the two praying males beside her.
"Here we go! Let it be me! Please let it be me! Let it be me!" Naruto chanted, his hands clasped in front of him as he closed his eyes.
Lee however, stood completely different. He stared at the displays screen wide eyed and hopeful. "No! It's my turn! My turn!"

Shikamaru Nara vs Kin Tsuchi

Both boys deflated as Shikamaru made his way to the first level. "Guess it's me."
"Good luck, Shika!" Amaya called as he rubbed Naruto and Lee's back, receiveing a grunt in return as he made his way to the stairs.
Once the two are facing each other, Hayate steps back. "Ready? The sixth match... Shikamaru and Kin, begin!"
"It's all I've got..." Shikamaru said as he brought his hands up to preform a hand sign.
Kin smirked. "You're not trying that stupid shadow thing again, are you?"
Shikamaru growled. "Shut your mouth...! Kagemane no Jutsu!"
Kin watches with a smirk as the Nara's shadow grew and began to expand in her direction. "Is that all you know? If that's the only trick you've got, this is gonna be easier than I thought." She said as she moved backwards, away from the shadow. She then pulls out two senbon, with bells tied on their ends, and throws them.
Shikamaru dodges and looks back at the two weapons, which are now embedded into the wall, a smug expression of his own forming on his face. "Bells?... Oh please, not that old trick. Let me guess, next you'll throw senbon with bells and senbon without bells at the same time. I'll react to the bells and while I'm focused on dodging them, I won't notice the silent needles coming at me. Am I right?" He asks before looking back to Kin. "Heh, good luck."
"You sure talk a lot, don't you?"
Shikamaru grins. "Now I know to be careful to dodge all the senbon, not just the ones with the bells."
Suddenly, a small chime sounds from behind Shikamaru, prompting him to turn around. It's then that he spots the barely visible thread tied to the bells. They chime once more, almost tauntingly, making his eyes widen in realization as he spins back around to face Kin.
This time it's her turn to grin. "Too late!" She exclaims as she brings her hand back to throw three more senbon. Each one hit their mark, right above the bend of Shikamaru's arm.
The Nara grimaces. "One inch higher and that would've been a fatal hit." He said as he pulled the needles free from his arm before throwing them to the ground. "Okay, now I get a turn!"
Kin smirks. "Sorry, that was your turn." She informs as she tugged on the thread again, causing the bells to chime a third time. Not long after, almost immediately, Shikamaru falls to his knees. Her smirk grows wider at his confused expression. "You see, you don't ever ask for whom the bell tolls, because it tolls for thee. This bell sends off a peculiar sound vibration that travels to the outer and inner ear, then directly to the brain... First comes paralysis, and soon you'll start hallucinating." As she said this, Shikamaru reached up to cover his ears in hopes of blocking out the chiming bells. "It won't work. You can't block out the sound once it's inside your head, it's useless." She added with a laugh.
Shikamaru grits his teeth and squints up at the female, who he now sees multiple of as he tried to pinpoint her voice. "I can't tell which one of them is the real one..." He mutters.
"You can't move your arms or legs and even if you could, you wouldn't know which one of us to throw your shadow at. Face it, you're cooked little man." Kin replies before pulling out more senbon. "I'm gonna cook you nice and slow, over a hot fire."
"You think it's that easy, huh?"
Kin doesn't answer at first, instead opting to throw the senbon in her hand, hitting him in the arm once more. "That was three, next time I'll throw five. Each time a couple more till you end up looking like a hedgehog."
Shikamaru sighs. "Stop playing games, why don't ya?" He asks and when she hums curiously, he continues. "If you're so tough, get it over with. Stop wasting my time."
Kin stares at him for a moment before pouting in faux innocence. "I'm sorry... So, you're not a fan of my slow and painful method, huh? Fine, suit yourself. We'll do it the quick way then, and painful." She then goes to throw more senbon only to have her movement restricted by some unseen force. "Wha-what's wrong?!... I can't move my arm!"
Shikamaru stands, a slow grin forming in his lips as he hears Amaya, Ino, and Chōji cheering "silently" from above. "You really don't see it?" He asks.
"What do you mean?!"
"Look at the thread you're holding. Don't you find it a little strange that it would even cast a shadow at this height? Of course you didn't notice it, cause you were concentrating on other things like killing me."
Kin looked down to the thread in her hand, sure enough it was casting a dark shadow. She tried to move again, her body trembling at the attempt. "The shadow spread out around me, and I didn't see it coming!"
"Right. I stretched my shadow out along the line of that thread and following it all the way back. Now, I'm attached to you." Shikamaru replied, raising his hand in the air to point at her.
Kin's arm automatically follows suit. "And now we mirror each other's movements, so what? Cute trick, but what do you gain by it?"
Shikamaru huffed. "Man, you're annoying. Shut up and watch." After saying this, he reaches down and unbuttons his weapons pouch with a smirk.
Kin's eyes widen. "You must be insane! If you throw that shuriken at me, you'll just be attacking yourself!"
"Makes it kind of interesting, doesn't it?"
"You wouldn't...!You couldn't!"
Shikamaru grins. "Yeah? Like a game of chicken, lets see who ducks first!" He exclaims before throwing the shuriken.
Kin quickly follows suit, throwing her own starred weapon. "You're crazy!"
As her shuriken came closer, Shikamaru smirked to himself and leaned backwards. Kin obviously does the same with the exception of her head slamming into the wall behind her, effectively knocking her out for the rest of the match.
"And that's what I call using your head." Shikamaru hums with a grin before flipping himself over onto his feet. "The wise shinobi always scouts out the physical layout of the battlefield, and never loses sight of position on it. That was her problem, I made sure she was so busy focusing on me, she didn't notice the wall inches behind her head. So, when we both dodged backwards... KABONG! Now who's hearing bells?"
A stunned silence filled the room for a moment before it was broken by Hayate. "Winner of the sixth match... Shikamaru Nara."
Naruto huffs, gaining Amaya's attention. "Even that good for nothing, lazy bum won his match! When am I gonna get my turn?!" He asks, scowling at the display.
Amaya then moves her gaze from the blond and over to Lee, who stood next to Sakura, as he continuously cheered "Me next!". Letting a grin form on her lips, she reaches out and ruffled the blonds hair. "Saa~ I've gotta say, I'm getting pretty excited too..."
"Alright, moving on to the next match." Hayate calls out as Shikamaru makes his way towards his team. At his words, the display lights up causing the room to fall silent.
Once the names are chosen, Kakashi chuckles and pats Amaya on the shoulder. "Looks like you don't have to wait any longer..."

Amaya Minamoto vs Hikari Takahashi