DISCLAIMER- it is exactly what it says.

Nao ad Izumi met at the top of the stairs. Nao was clenching his fists, and Izumi looked as though she might cry. They looked up at each other with mixed emotions, none of which a young teenager should have to face.

"Izumi-chan… I… I…!" Nao tried to say he didn't want to fight her. The words simply wouldn't come out.

Izumi looked at him sadly. "It's okay, Nao-kun. Even if we have to fight… it's okay. We'll be friends no matter what…. Kay?"

Nao nodded. "But… this… thing…" he grasped his shoulder. "what if I hurt you, Izumi-chan? I don't want to hurt you."

"Hey," she said with a smile. "give me some credit! I can fight too."

The raven-haired boy smiled back. "That's not what I meant and you know it. What if… I lose control again? I don't want to lose control. I don't want to hurt you."

Izumi's eyes softened. She looked at him with true intensity and stepped forward. Just as her mouth was about to meet his, she turned her head so that she was by his ear. "Then don't." she whispered. "Don't forfeit. Don't run. Just fight me." She pulled away and looked him straight in the eye. "This blonde hair isn't the only thing my dad passed on to me. And these eyes aren't just for show."

"I see." Nao smirked, summoning up the courage not to show her that he was scared. "Then this will be interesting, won't it?"

Izumi nodded. "You know it will."

"First match!" the examiner's voice echoed through the arena. "Nana v. Akimichi Hitoshi!"

Nao watched as the pair descended down the stairs. Nana looked bored as usual, and Hitoshi looked a little frightened. As the pair fought, Nao looked at his sister. She looked nervous. She looked anxious. She looked… scared. The raven-haired boy walked over to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Hey." He said.

She didn't even looked up at him. "Yo." She muttered.

"Don't freak out. I have to fight Izumi." He said.

Kimiko looked up at him now. "Yeah… and I know that you… I know how you feel bout her. But… you haven't beaten Izumi to a pulp before. You haven't used the thing in full throttle."

"Just don't let it take over, Kimi." He said. "You don't belong to it. It belongs to you."

"And suddenly you're Mr. Optimistic?"

"I'm not the one that didn't talk for a whole week, Ms. Pessimistic." He grunted.

Kimiko shrugged. "Fair enough." She said. "This curse mark thing… can we really surpass it out there?"

"We won't know…" Nao said. "…until we try."

"Winner: Nana!" the examiner's voice rang out. The twins watched as Hitoshi was carried off in a stretcher and Nana came back to their level. She received many pats on the back as she walked to Shin.

"You're up." She said.

Kimiko ran to Shin.

"Hey!" she called out and Shin immediately stopped.

He turned and faced her with a smile. "Yeah?"

Kimiko took a chance and hugged the boy. He was shocked, but recovered from it fast enough to put his arms around her waist. "Just don't… just don't tear yourself up too much… okay, Shin?"

He pulled out of the hug and looked her straight in the eyes. "I won't. I promise."

Shin left as his hands slid through Kimiko's. "Be careful Shin… be careful." She whispered.

"And I know how you feel about him, Kimi." Nao's voice rang out behind her.

She smiled. "That obvious?"

"Kimi… it's more obvious than the fact that the Fourth was Naruto-Nii's father." Nao said with a smirk.

Kimiko laughed now. "That's pretty damn obvious."

"The match between Sabaku No Hioshi and Nara Shin begins… now!"

Kimiko was practically hung over the banister. Nao was, too. Izumi had joined them, along with Katashi.

Sand lunged at Shin. He swiftly dodged it and stared Hioshi down. Even from there, Kimiko heard Shin's voice, and he sounded just like his father.

"How troublesome."

She almost laughed.

"Kage Mane no Jutsu!" he yelled.

Hioshi was bound tight. She couldn't move, other than what Shin wanted her to do. But when Shin tried to move, he couldn't.

"What the-?!" Shin looked the immobile girl over. "A clone!" he exclaimed in realization.

Kimiko's eyes shot open she saw something her friend didn't. "Shin!" she screamed. "Behind you!"

He turned fast, releasing his jutsu, and dodged the girl's sand spear just in time. There was no way Shin could do the mind transfer, not without Kimiko and Nao there to back him up. It would take to long. He sighed, figuring he'd just have to wait for an opening or he wouldn't win.

"You don't have to win, Shin. I became Chuunin by forfeit." Shikamaru's voice suddenly rang in his ears. "I'm going to be proud whether you become Chuunin or not. You are my son."

"Alright, Dad." Shin said, pulling out some kunai. "Alright."

If I can avoid her long enough… maybe I-

"Oy!" Hioshi's voice cut off his thoughts. "Is this all you got shadow boy?"

"Tch." Shin grunted and quoted his father. "Fighting with girls. How troublesome."

Although, she had a point, Shin had to admit that to himself. He could fight with her forever, and the result would always be the same. She'd dodge it, and he'd go at it again. Besides, his chakra was low enough already. The boy knew it was stupid to train before the match. But still… he needed to show everyone that he wasn't worthless. He had to get her once… and something in his brain snapped. He knew how.

Hioshi shot the sand at him again. Her chakra reserves were MUCH larger than Shin's. She had nothing to worry about. The sand made a smooth beeline to Shin, never disconnecting from the gourd on her back.

Shin smirked. The arena fell silent as the boy stood there, as if waiting to die. In the contestants box, his friends grimaced.

The sand froze.

"What the hell?!" Hioshi exclaimed. She couldn't move. The sand retracted into her gourd, but the shadow it made stayed in place.

"Something wrong, Hioshi-chan?" Shin asked her mockingly.

Hioshi gave him a glare that could kill any man. Shin just shrugged and raised his hand. Hioshi did, too.

"What? He going to make me forfeit?" she whispered.

"Okay!" he yelled. "I give up."

"WHAT?!" Hioshi yelled.

The official walked up to Shin. "You sure, kid?"

Shin shrugged. "Yeah, I've got her now, but my chakra is almost spent. I've got maybe another five seconds to hold on. Then, she'd win hands down anyway."

Sure enough, the shadow let go of Hioshi and she relaxed her body.

The examiner nodded and announced, "Winner: Sabaku no Hioshi!"

Shin headed up to the level where Kimiko and the others were. The minute he walked through the entry, he was pounced by Kimiko in a hug. "Great!" she yelled. "You were great!"

He laughed. "Thanks, Kimi."

Kimiko let go and smiled brightly at him.

I feel weird thinking this… Shin thought. … but she's really pretty… more so when she smiles…

Katashi and Aburame Ume were next. SHOCKER! Katashi won. DUH.

"Haruno Nao vs. Uzumaki Izumi!" the two headed down at their names.

While in the staircase, Izumi looked at Nao. "Hey," she said. "don't go easy on me or anything just because I'm a girl."

Nao laughed. "Who'd do something like that?" he said, if only to keep her happy.

She laughed too. "Okay! Good!"

They faced each other, a bit more seriously, in the arena. Up in the others' level, Kimiko looked worried.

"Don't worry, Kimi!" Shin said. "Nao can keep himself in check, no problem."

Kimiko nodded, desperately wanting to believe those words.

"Begin!"

Nao and Izumi flew at each other with kunai at the same time. The sound of steel hitting steel filled the air as the two went at it.

"Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" Izumi yelled, and five more of her appeared.

Nao wasn't sure what to do, because he'd never sparred with Izumi before. He just realized he didn't know any of her techniques… or anything about her fighting style for that matter.

The clones rushed him, and he didn't have any time to react. One tripped him, another sent him flying. He closed his eyes, and felt himself being beaten up in the air as the Izumi clones yelled:

"U!"

"ZU!"

"MA!"

"KI!"

A foot slammed into his stomach. It was stronger than the others, and in a split second he guessed it was the real Izumi.

"IZUMI RENDAN!"

He was knocked into the ground mercilessly. Nao felt himself grow angry, for no reason. He activated his sharingan, and the crowd gasped. Nao could hear, "He's an UCHIHA?!" and he could practically feel his father wincing, but he didn't know why.

Izumi smirked. "Come on, Nao. Your turn. You want to try to hit me with a Shishi rendan now that I've got you with mine?"

Nao shook his head. "What am I? A one trick show?" he said, angry, again, and he didn't know why.

"Oh… no." Izumi whispered. The black marks spread across Nao's body.

They were stronger this time. Nao could feel it. The curse mark was full of murderous intent this time. But Nao wasn't going to murder Izumi. HE tried to suppress the marks, but they kept spreading.

ANBU agents stood up, but Naruto's voice rang out from the Kage's level. "Stop! Don't interfere. If he doesn't stop it, he'll kill you anyways!"

Sasuke looked over at his friend. (He was up in the Kage's box with him.) Was he really putting so much faith in Nao that he was willing to risk his own daughter's life? The Uchiha wasn't sure he could do that if it was Kimiko and not Izumi down in that arena.

"Come one, Nao. Come one. You can stop it. Come on." Izumi whispered.

The black marks receded. "Yes…" Nao whispered.

Izumi smiled and decided it was time to go on with the fight.

Nao remembered to use the mirror ability in the sharingan. His father had shown him an amazing kick originated by none other than Rock Lee. He used the insane speed that Sasuke had also spent time teaching him, and disappeared before Izumi's eyes. That's how fast he was. By the time she could see him again, he was right in front of her, and he kicked her right below the jaw, this time sending her flying.

Rock Lee was watching in the stands with wide eyes. "N-no way. That's my-?" he looked at Sasuke, who was looking back at him and smirking. Lee gave him a thumb's up and smiled. Sasuke nodded and looked away. "Very good, Sasuke-kun." Lee said, putting his thumb down.

By that time, Nao was in the air with Izumi, behind her. He spun his body and slammed his leg into her stomach. She was shot straight into the ground.

"Heh." He huffed. "How's that?"

Izumi stood up shakily. "Pretty good. Try this one on for size." She formed the proper hand seal and yelled. "Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"

One clone appeared beside her, and a spinning ball of chakra formed in her hand. The clone seemed to be compacting it…

"Fine. Then you try this!" Nao formed his hand sealed and a compact ball of lightning energy developed in his hand.

Izumi's clone disappeared and she charged at Nao, who charged back.

(Naruto and Izumi, Sasuke and Nao, both, one pair or the other)

"Sasuke…"

"Naruto…"

The friends looked at each other.

"Shit."

"RASENGAN!"

"CHIDORI!"

A/N:

Hey! Sorrrrry. This one took longer than usual. It was fun to write! I kinda liked this one. I hope you guys did too!

Well, I had a really busy weekend, and I have a cheer thing all this week, so I'll try to keep updating. Hopefully at the most I'll only miss one day!

REVIEW! Please. I got a lot last time and it made me very, very happy!!!! DO IT AGAIN! Haha!

-HUGS!-

UchihaKyoko