No battle plan survives


"Where's your armor, boy?"

He freezes mid-step and looks over his shoulder. Ma stands there looking unimpressed and a little bit aggravated. He swallows down any smart remarks.

"In my room," he answers warily, "I'm getting Sakura, so we can put ours on together."

Ma snorts,

"Hopeless without her, huh? Just make sure she's wearing these correctly, had to correct a bunch of idiots about them earlier."

Ma taps her hidden armguards, and he nods his understanding. Ma walks away with Kuromaru trailing behind her, and he breathes a sigh of relief.

He loves his mother, but tensions are running high at the moment. If she had decided to give him a good smack for some reason or another, he wouldn't have been surprised.

Akamaru tells him they dodged a kunai.

"You mean an explosion tag," he says dryly.

The walk out of the compound is more exciting than usual; they have to dodge randomly thrown equipment and frustrated clan members who want something to take their troubles out on.

"You're not helping with the name calling," he chides Akamaru.

The ninken says he's just telling the truth.

He snorts and knocks on the door to Sakura's house.

Sakura's parents greet him, and he plasters on a smile while Akamaru plays distraction. It's not usually a hassle, but his nerves are kind of shot at the moment. He manages to get away to knock on Sakura's door.

The door is almost ripped off its hinges with how hard she opens it.

"It's tomorrow," Sakura breathes out before zipping towards her desk.

He steps in and watches her shove a roll of bandages into a pouch. He knows she's not talking about her match against Ino.

"Don't worry," he tells her, "we've got this."

"Who says I'm worried?" She growls.

He watches her slam a book down on her desk before throwing a handful of shuriken over her shoulder. They miss the bed and force him to dodge. He raises an eyebrow at her.

Sakura slams a few more items onto her desk before letting out a sigh.

"My parents," Sakura says quietly.

"My uncle's got it," he reminds her. "I mean it. So long as we stick together, it'll be fine."

"Kiba, I'm not worried he won't be able to get them to your house in time. I'm worried about how he'll do it," she laughs bitterly.

Uncle Taro has promised to subtly get her parents under the watchful eye of the Inuzuka by inviting them over for drinks after Sakura's match. He recalls how Uncle Taro's version of subtle usually goes and grimaces.

He decides not to say anything more.

"How's Ino taking it?" Sakura asks, changing the subject.

He thinks back on an earlier conversation with the Yamanaka.

"I've got this. I've totally got this! She won't see it coming," Ino exclaims, pumping a fist.

"Sure," he humors her.

Ino's face rapidly pales.

"She's not going to try to slice my hands off, right? I mean that was an accident, right?"

He leans back from eyes that are suddenly too close.

"Sakura won't do anything permanent," he tries to comfort. "She actually likes you."

"Nervous and excited," he decides.

"Oh good, I was afraid she might think I'd slice her hands off or something," Sakura says, relieved.

He wonders if she knows how terrifying she appears to be. The other Konoha genin are placing bets on her becoming a mad scientist or Anbu.

(He's got them beat; 1000 ryo for head of hospital. The truly evil ones are always medics)

"You'll go easy, right?" He says instead.

"For the hundredth time, yes," she gives him an annoyed look, "I'm not that mean! Ino's specialized in capture and sabotage, not fighting. I won't knock her out of the arena!"

"Just reminding you," he grins as she rolls her eyes.

She huffs and begins working on a new pouch. He leans back against the wall and starts tapping his heel against the floor. He can hear the muffled sound of her mother talking to Akamaru.

"You need to come over and put on your armor," he tells her when she starts slowing down.

"It's finished then?" She looks at him in surprise. "I was wondering about that. They kept redoing it to the point I thought we wouldn't have it for tomorrow."

"Blame cousin Sode, she was over the moon about recreating the traditional clan armor. She wouldn't let it go until it was perfect," he snorts, remembering the loud arguments between his cousin and mother.

"Let me finish, and then we'll go," she tells him. "Well, after we pry Akamaru from my mother. I can hear her gushing from here."

He's about to go back to impatiently waiting against the wall when he realizes something. Making his way to her dresser, he opens it and starts digging.

"What are you doing?" Sakura fingers a shuriken meaningfully.

"You're going to need something to wear over your armor," he tells her.

He spots what he's looking for folded up near the bottom.

"What's wrong with what I have on?" She asks, miffed.

Sakura's been wearing his old jacket since the armor fittings began. He tries not to make a face.

"What isn't?" He shoots back.

He holds up a red jacket.

"You're going to need this."

"I can't wear that," Sakura jerks back. "It's a gift from Hana!"

"Yeah, to wear. To hide your armor from sight, you'll have to wear the jacket over them," he tells her.

"But—"

"Just wear the jacket," he throws it at her in exasperation.

It's a nice jacket; it even has the Haruno clan symbol embroidered on the back. To show her ties to the Inuzuka, the white collar tips are dyed red, making two fang marks hang around her throat.

It's tailored perfectly for light armor underneath.

"Fine," Sakura sighs in resignation.

She makes a disgruntled face but puts it on. He nods his head in approval.

"Sis will be happy to see you in it," he remarks.

"Maybe," Sakura allows, "but I still can't get over the fact that it's a 'congrats for your first torture session' gift."

They both pause at that. It's not a topic that comes up lightly.

"She didn't mean it like that," he tries to dispel the awkward silence. "She was just happy over your chakra control. She's proud to be the one to teach you."

Sakura's lips thin.

"Your mother promised to take care of our 'extreme methods.' " Sakura snorts, "I'd like to see the Hokage's face if he ever realizes that your mother gave us a congratulatory dinner instead of disciplinary action."

"Who says he doesn't know?" He shrugs. "Ma doesn't care about anyone that's not Konoha. He has to have figured that out by now."

There's also that crystal ball of his, he doesn't say. It's one thing he's never brought up to Sakura, and he's not about to bring it up now.

"Should we care?"

He tilts his head in silent question.

"Should we care about anyone outside of Konoha?" She gives him a hard stare. "I know eventually the world unites in peace, but I don't see it. All these people with blood on their hands, all this hate, how can we just forget it?"

"It takes a common enemy," he reminds her, "and people change."

"You say that, but three of our people are dead," Sakura scowls. "One of them was a kid! We both know who's responsible, and he's going to try to kill us tomorrow! And we're just supposed to be friends with him?"

She shoves a kunai violently into the weapon pouch, and he scratches the back of his head. It would be nice if Gaara changed for the better, but—

"We're not supposed to be anything," he reminds her. "We're writing this story as we go."

"I know," Sakura blows out a breath, "and I'm terrified. What if we ruin everything?"

"Then we do," he tells her. "It's not like we can control everything. Neji's proof of that."

Sakura grimaces at the reminder.

"That poor bastard, he's even more screwed up than before."

"You mean poor Shikamaru," he says dryly. "He's the one stuck with a stalker, and we both know Hyuuga stalkers can't be gotten rid of."

"I think Chouji has it worse." Sakura refutes. "He's torn between wanting to run away from an unhinged Neji and wanting to stay to protect Shikamaru."

They give each other a look, before letting out inappropriate giggles. It really shouldn't be as funny as it is.

He lets her finish packing in peace, and the moment Sakura's finished, he's out the door to save Akamaru. Bidding her parents a farewell, they head to the compound.

It's just as chaotic as he left it. Thankfully, Akamaru listens to him and doesn't try to antagonize anyone this time. Unfortunately, he didn't think to beg Sakura not to.

"Hey, watch where you're throwing things, you jerk! Do you want me to come over there?" She yells, waving a fist.

He manages to grab the back of her jacket before she takes off.

"You do not want to see my ugly!" Sakura threatens.

He rolls his eyes and drags her towards his house. They make it without incident, if only barely. Thankfully Ma's too busy yelling at hapless clan members to pay attention to them scurrying off to his room.

Cousin Sode has already presented both Sakura's and his armor to him; the pieces are already waiting for them on his bed.

Sakura freezes the moment he tries to hand over her armguard.

"It's pink."

He blinks down at the armor piece in his hand.

"So?" He raises an eyebrow.

"Why," Sakura draws out, hissing, "is it pink?"

He doesn't get it at first.

"Because it is?" He tries.

Sakura makes another hissing noise at him. He's not quite sure how to handle this one.

"Cousin Sode probably thought it was cute? She even engraved some cherry blossoms into it," he says, pointing at the delicate flowers on the armguard.

It really is pretty, he thinks. He wishes he had something more unique like it instead of the vague fang pattern on his.

"It's armor. It's pink," she says, gravely offended.

Sakura looks like she's close to spitting acid, and he gives up trying to understand her.

"Just put it on. No one's going to see it," he tells her, shoving the armguard at her.

Sakura takes it reluctantly, and they spend the next fifteen minutes suiting up. Most of that time is spent correcting each other and arguing over who's right. Akamaru eventually calls them idiots and tells them they've both got the ties on the cuirass wrong.

They sit on his bed when they're done, quiet and pensive. Akamaru lies next to him, making no noise.

"I noticed there were some new scrolls hanging up around the compound," Sakura says, trying to find something to fill the silence.

"Yeah, Ma put them there," he tells her. "It's the five momentous steps in a ninja's life. The clan's version anyway."

"But that's not what they say," Sakura frowns. "It's supposed to go, 'Entering the academy, graduating, your first kill, teaching the new generation, and then death.' "

She picks at the shoulder strap on her cuirass.

"Why's it different?"

"It's the original version, before the Hokage, before Konoha," he tells her. "Birth, Open eyes, First Hunt, Consumption, Death."

"Consumption?" Sakura stops.

"Ma wants to go back to our roots, so she's using the old version to push the idea," he scratches the back of his head.

"There used to be this thing where we ate people—" he begins.

"Are we eating people now?" Sakura asks in alarm.

"Nah, we're using the alternate version. Instead of eating a worthy rival, we'll consume their spirit instead," his eyebrows furrow, "or something. I'm not sure if we're supposed to take that literally or not."

Sakura looks like she has something to say about that only for her shoulders to droop.

"Just so long as we don't start eating people," Sakura eventually settles on.

He thinks about the long, dark history of his clan, and then he thinks about the faces the Hyuuga elders would make at such a display.

"I make no promises," he tells her.

Sakura makes a face but doesn't say anymore on the issue. She probably understands he's not kidding.

"So, you've warned your new friend?" Sakura asks, changing the topic.

"Yep," he replies, "sort of anyways. I gave Kenny a hint that things might get dicey enough to pack up early."

"I can't believe he lets you call him Kenny," Sakura says in disbelief.

"Well, when you eat there almost every day," he grins.

"Right," she rolls her eyes, "so long as you can save the pizza man, right?"

"It's what true heroes do," he says solemnly.

The good mood doesn't last long.

"I can't believe we managed to get the Hokage to estimate tomorrow's attack," Sakura speaks quietly. "I can't believe we did it, us."

"We're ninja, it's what we do," he reminds her.

"But is it really okay, what we've done?" Sakura frowns. "Your family's got a blank check to arm themselves to the teeth. Konoha will think it's for the invasion, but—"

Sakura grimaces and doesn't complete that thought. He understands what she's trying to say anyways.

The Inuzuka are in the middle of preparing for war, but it's not just from external threats. Without really meaning to, Konoha has suddenly went from "home" to "place we're currently living in.' "

It's not his proudest achievement to be honest.

"One step at a time," he eventually says, "we concentrate on surviving tomorrow for now. The clan won't make the first bite until Hinata's say-so."

Which is potentially the day after, Akamaru reminds him. He makes a face at his partner.

Ma bursts into the room before he has a chance to say anything.

"What the hell are you two doing?" Ma barks at them, "This ain't no time to rest!"

All three of them jump up from the bed instantly. The sheer speed they possess in getting downstairs would definitely impress their teachers.

Ma runs them through everything, low on patience and often getting side-tracked. Ma tells them where each clan member will be, where they're expected to be (in the thick of things, Ma snorts), how to tell friendly fire from enemy fire, the best way to make a Suna ninja cry, etcetera.

They've already been over this hundreds of times, but he's not about to say anything to his mother. One glance at Sakura tells him she knows better too. He battles to keep the whine in his throat and knows he's in for the lecture of his life.

(His mother is no way, shape, or form overprotective. Now get that thought out of your damn minds already. Where's your soldier pills, boy? Pinky, you take this medicine pouch right now or so help me.

Sis swings by and gives Sakura and him a commiserating look. Eventually his sister takes pity on them. They've got to eat and sleep, Sis persuades)

He walks Sakura home. They don't say anything more about what the next day will bring, but they share a long, determined look.

They're not going to be sitting idly by. They're soldiers after all, and right now Konoha is his home.

Against all odds, he neither dreams nor gets woken up in the middle of the night.

The next morning comes without incident; the only odd thing out is the extra time it takes to get dressed. His armor sits heavy, but it won't take long before he's used to it.

Contrary to yesterday, Ma eats breakfast completely calm and unruffled. Sis wears a grumpy face and snaps at the smallest slight. If he didn't know better, he'd say they switched personalities overnight.

"Kiba, take care of Akamaru," Sis says sharply. "If I have to take care of him," she trails off ominously.

"I got it," he whines through the leftover chicken in his mouth.

"Akamaru, take care of Kiba," Sis says next, "if I have to take care of him you will not want to come to your next appointment."

It's Akamaru's turn to start whining. Ma just grins before throwing a piece of meat over her shoulder for Kuromaru to snap up. The Haimaru Brothers look on with pitiful expressions, but seem to know better than to bother their partner.

"I told Chouji I'd sit with him. I'm off," he tells his mother once breakfast is over.

"Bite a Hyuuga for me," Ma says in response.

He flashes a grin at his mother before leaving, Akamaru at his heels. The ninken is positively salivating over potential Akimichi food, and he rolls his eyes.

The amount of people heading to the stadium is amazing, and even the area outside of it is swarming with people. There's so many different smells, he almost can't stand it.

"Kiba, over here!"

Chouji waves at him near the entrance, and he throws up a hand in response. Akamaru lets out a low huff.

"Is that all you brought?" He asks for his partner.

The Akimichi looks down at the eight stacked bento in his arms.

"Yeah, I know. I'll probably get up and get something during one of the intermissions," Chouji says.

"I made sure to bring some dumplings for Akamaru though!" Chouji hurries to add.

Akamaru makes a pleased bark, and it's all he can do from making a sarcastic quip.

"He appreciates it," he manages to say instead. "Let's go find a seat."

They find a good place in the stands near the railing. Akamaru is at his feet already tearing into the dumplings, and Chouji places the bento in the empty seat next to him.

They've got a while before the first match begins, so they pass the time with small talk.

"How's Ino and Shikamaru?" He asks.

He knows without a doubt the things Chouji loves to talk about most are food and his teammates. Chouji doesn't disappoint and launches into the conversation with enthusiasm.

"Shikamaru acts like he doesn't care, but he's actually really nervous! And Ino, well…"

He sits back and relaxes. Akamaru does too as the ninken's commentary is slow-going and less harsh than usual. The Akimichi transitions from topic to topic, and he only has to speak up every now and then.

It's actually refreshing; he never gets to hang out with Chouji one on one. Chouji is rarely without Shikamaru, and Shino always seems to be there when the Akimichi is without his genius sidekick.

"Hey, look at that," Chouji suddenly says.

He blinks and follows the Akimichi's line of sight. Up and to the right is—

It's Neji.

Hyuuga Neji sits apart from the rest of his clan, the ones that aren't on security detail, face twisted in concentration. Undoubtedly the Hyuuga is watching Shikamaru's every move even from here.

He feels a sympathetic twitch in his back.

"Can't ever get a break, can you?" He asks, deadpan.

An uncharacteristic dark look appears on Chouji's face as he opens a bag of chips.

"You have no idea," Chouji crunches in a potato chip.

His eyes narrow as he realizes something. On Neji's right is Tenten, whose face is consistently contorted into a "Why me" expression, but on his left—

"Where's Lee?" He asks.

His back twitches again.

"No idea," Chouji says, puzzled, "he said he'd be here. Said he'd support the reason for Neji's youthful blossoming no matter what."

It's concerning. He hasn't forgotten that Hisato is here, or that Lee had probably been sabotaged by the Grass ninja in the preliminary.

"Of course," Chouji scowls again, "I wouldn't have put it past Neji to have snapped and murdered him."

He taps his hidden armguard. Where is Lee?

"Nah," he reassures the Akimichi, "Neji wouldn't get rid of his best sparring buddy."

He frowns as his back keeps twitching. It's not just Hisato that could have something against the genin, there's also Gaara.

Though he's not sure they ever met, Gaara has already killed three people. Orochimaru wouldn't take interest in a boy with no chakra, so Lee's safe on that front.

"Maybe he's just late or is buying some snacks," Chouji offers.

He blows out a breath and wishes he knew a way to keep track of his fellow ninja. His back twitches again, and he finds he can take it no longer.

"Maybe. I'm going to get some snacks. You want any?" He asks.

Chouji's eyes light up and he almost wishes he never said anything.

He only takes a few steps down the staircase before he recognizes he's being followed. He keeps going, and Akamaru alerts him when the coast is clear.

"Alright, come on out," he calls to his shadow.

Hinata's sister peeks out from the stairs above him. Blank eyes look down at him in disdain, and he holds back a sigh.

"Are we going to have this conversation in the stairwell, or should we take it to the hallway?" He asks.

"I'm supposed to be getting takoyaki," Hanabi sniffs.

"Alright, let's walk together then," he says with a grimace.

He knows with certainty her father is watching every move she makes with his Byakugan. In fact, most of the Hyuuga probably are. With this many enemy ninja around, they'd be an idiot not to.

He tries to remember this when she passes him, shoving him into the wall. They've got to act like normal which means she acts like an utter brat with him barely tolerating her.

Akamaru huffs at almost being stepped on, and he withholds another sigh.

"So, care to tell me why you've been trying to get my attention?" He asks.

"I need to talk to you," Hanabi says, walking in front of him. "You may be a filthy mutt, but you're my sister's teammate."

"I'm so glad I fail your standards," he says dryly. "Last thing Hinata needs is another snobby Hyuuga on the team."

Hanabi comes to a sudden stop. He almost trips trying to maintain a good distance from her. He honestly can't afford to have his chakra blocked.

"What?" He asks irritably.

Whirling around, Hinata's sister glares up at him,

"Big Sis is in trouble! Are you going to help or not?"

"Of course, what do you take me for?" He snorts. "Hinata's not just my teammate, she's my friend. Like hell I'd let her just do this alone!"

The angry expression on Hanabi's face falters.

"Even if it means going against my father?" She whispers.

Oh, damn, he thinks. He's not prepared for the "your family has betrayed your sister, so I'll probably kill them all" speech. He's unable to say anything of that nature to the girl's face, so he settles on committing treason.

"Even if it's against Konoha, I promise you. I will help your sister," he utters after making sure he can't smell anyone nearby.

The Hyuuga doesn't seem to know what to make of that and an interesting amount of expressions cross her face before settling on anguish.

"I was there when they said they would—" Hanabi chokes.

"They said they would—while I watched—they—"

"Hanabi!" He cuts her off before giving her a stern look. "Watch it. The walls have ears and all-seeing eyes."

Hinata's sister gives him the most heart-rending look. Her tiny shoulders seem to slump in defeat. He grimaces, unsure of what to say.

They've never gotten along. Hanabi looks down on him as she's taught to and is maybe jealous of the time he spends with Hinata. All he's ever seen is a small Hyuuga brat not worth his time.

It hurts to admit, but Hanabi is just like him. They both adore their older sisters and are the favorite to inherit. The key difference, he knows, is how their respective families treat them.

Hana's never wanted to become clan head and has found another way to contribute her time. Gods forbid the Hyuuga let Hinata do the same.

"Your sister's working on it," he eventually says. "Shino and I will back her up no matter how it goes down. Believe in her."

"Believe in her?" Hanabi repeats almost brokenly.

"Yep," he nods, "it's one thing to hurt her. It's another to hurt someone she loves. Big Sis already has something in the works. All you have to do is believe in her."

He's not sure where the Hyuuga is looking at, but it's not at him. A thoughtful expression crosses Hanabi face.

She slowly nods,

"I will believe in Big Sis."

To his surprise, she gives him a familiar, vicious grin.

"And if she needs me, I already know how to activate a really useful hand seal."

He grins back just as viciously.

They go get takoyaki before parting ways. He has to shop for the rest of Chouji's snacks, and if he stops to grab a slice of pizza, well.

He makes it back in time for Hinata's match. There's no way he's missing it. Akamaru sits on top of his head for a better view, and Chouji chomps down on the rest of his home-made food.

They line up the contestants as the Hokage makes his speech. Sasuke is missing, and Sakura seems to be arguing with Naruto. Shino, hands in pockets, is glaring at Hisato who keeps making faces back.

Hinata seems to be pretending to drown in her jacket. Shikamaru slouches with an irritated expression next to Ino who seems to be the only one aware that there is a crowd watching them.

The children of the Kazekage all stand there impassively.

"How do you think Hinata will do?" Chouji asks as they watch the examiner usher the contestants into a side room.

"Awesome," he says firmly, "she's going to do awesome."

"She looks kind of like she's going to be sick," Chouji says worriedly.

He doesn't say anything to that because Hinata does, in fact, look like she's about to pass out. Gekko Hayate coughs and gestures to the two to take their places.

"Let's do this thing! Hope you're ready Hinata!" Naruto shouts, pumping a fist.

It doesn't seem to reassure Hinata; if anything it makes her go a shade paler. He reminds himself to breathe.

Vaguely, he wonders if there are seals amplifying the sound of the arena. He wasn't able to hear Sakura chewing out Naruto before.

"Just think of it as a spar!" Naruto grins, throwing a thumb up.

He lets out a growl, and Chouji side-eyes him nervously. Never has he wanted to smack the idiot more than he does now. Naruto is, as always, oblivious to Hinata's pain.

"Oi, Hinata," he yells, "wipe that stupid look off his face!"

"Hey!"

Funnily enough, Naruto makes a stupid face in response.

"Show him who's boss, Hinata!" Chouji calls from beside him.

Hinata seems shocked at their support. He wishes she wouldn't be. It turns out it's not their words that spur Hinata on.

"You can do it, Big Sis!" Hanabi screams, hands around her mouth like a megaphone.

Hiashi gives a disapproving look to his youngest daughter. Hanabi, who only has eyes for her sister, ignores him. He can't help but grin.

One glance to the stands is all it takes for Hinata to strengthen her resolve. The Hyuuga falls into the Gentle Fist stance.

"N-Naruto," She begins quietly, "w-we're friends. I don't want to hurt you, but even so-"

Hinata takes a breath and says something near silently before looking into Naruto's eyes.

"I will do my best!" Hinata shouts. "You do your best too!"

The dumbfounded look on Naruto's face is absolutely priceless. The knuckleheaded ninja breaks into a wide grin.

"Got it! Let's show everyone what we're made of!" Naruto yells, hands forming his signature technique.

Hayate coughs before calling out,

"Begin!"

Whether through fate or just Naruto being predictable, the fight goes exactly as expected. Naruto summons a legion of clones, and Hinata breaks through them as if they weren't even there.

It's not like he can fault either of them though. Naruto has less than a handful of techniques, and Hinata's fighting style is the exact same as Neji.

The fight becomes a brutal taijutsu match with Naruto acting as the never-ending drunken fighters to Hinata's classy martial artist.

It's actually kind of thrilling to watch, almost like a movie really. The crowd thinks so too, if the hollering is anything to go by. Hinata looks to be the clear winner, but—

But, he thinks, this is Naruto.

It certainly seems like Hinata's won after a particular vicious blow to the stomach puts Naruto onto the ground. His teammate stands over her opponent, palm out.

"Yield," Hinata says calmly.

The Hyuuga is completely focused, she's barely breathing hard. Naruto's prone form doesn't move.

"Yield," Hinata repeats.

Naruto doesn't say anything. Hayate looks like he's about to call it when there's a sudden chakra flare, bright and malicious. It's coming from Naruto, he realizes.

Hayate freezes, and the stadium goes quiet. The silence around him is nothing compared to what he's feeling. For a moment, everything seems to stop.

Are you really going to use that against Hinata, his mind whispers. Would you really go that far, Naruto?

Then the flare of chakra disappears almost instantly. Naruto gets to his feet, leaning heavily against his knees. The blond, breathing hard, shakily points to Hinata.

"I'm not giving up! I'm not giving in! I'll show you what I can do!"

He breathes again. Sound returns as the crowd around him seems to roar alongside Naruto. Hinata's eyes are wide, but she nods and falls back into the Gentle Fist stance.

Naruto bites his thumb before going through a series of hand seals. Slamming his hand into the ground with a shout, a toad appears in a puff of smoke. It's a familiar summon, an orange toad that wears a blue vest.

It's also roughly the size of Akamaru. Chouji comments on the size out loud next to him.

"Hey," it says blinking up at its summoner.

"What the—what's a shrimp like you going to do?" Naruto screeches.

"Who you calling a shrimp, shrimp?" It yells back, waving a webbed hand.

"Tch, just help me out here!" Naruto orders.

The toad glances between Naruto and Hinata.

"What, you need help fighting a little girl?" The toad asks in disbelief.

"That's Hinata, she's a badass! I can't get near her. You going to help or what?" Naruto scowls down at the toad.

"Pass."

"Pass? What do you mean pass?" Naruto squawks in disbelief.

"Not going to do it. On your own kid. I don't want to. Pass," the summon says irritably.

"You little! Fine! Let me show you how a real ninja fights!"

Naruto grits his teeth and takes his rough brawler stance. Hinata doesn't move an inch, but he knows she's tracking every move.

With a war cry, Naruto launches himself at Hinata who sends him flying just as fast. Naruto bounces back and tries to go in for a sweep. Hinata kicks him into the side of the arena for his trouble.

The moron is able to pick himself up without much effort. Chouji cheers on Hinata from beside him.

He can't help but think if Naruto actually dedicated his time to learning a real fighting style, he'd be unstoppable. It's actually unfair how quickly Naruto can recover.

Naruto summons even more clones and launches himself at Hinata once more. Hinata destroys them in seconds.

"He's already tried that. He's just going to get himself knocked out," Chouji scoffs.

If it was anyone but Naruto, he'd agree to that sentiment. As it is, he can already see the beginning of the end.

Hinata, he thinks regrettably, it's over.

He wonders if his teammate can see the same thing. Instead of trying to keep her opponent away, she seems to be trying to get to his arms almost desperately.

Hinata takes out her opponents left leg, and Naruto falls face-first to the ground with his hands under him. Naruto manages to summon more clones even as he's forced to eat the dirt.

This time the clones appear in every direction, and Hinata has to defend herself from an attack at every angle.

Naruto summons another wave of clones, and he sees the endgame before it happens.

Below, he silently urges Hinata, look below. Naruto's used the newest clones arrival as a cloak. That Naruto still lying on the ground is definitely a fake.

It's not to be.

Hinata is not Neji. For how ever good she is, she's still a genin, and there's a limit to her ability. She simply can't concentrate on everything at once, not yet.

Naruto pops out of the ground beneath her, and lands a good solid hit on her back that sends her flying. Her head makes a particularly loud crack against the ground.

He winces and even Chouji hisses between his teeth. Akamaru makes a whine so heartbreaking; he pets the ninken to comfort him.

Naruto doesn't say anything and waits.

A hushed silence falls over the stadium. Everyone holds their breath.

Hinata slowly moves, and he almost sags in relief. His teammate gets to her feet, and her expression is so fierce, it looks like she's going to continue fighting.

Naruto and Hinata stare at each other, and he wonders what they're saying in their silence.

"I yield," Hinata says, lifting an arm.

"Winner, Uzumaki Naruto!" Hayate coughs.

"Huh, not bad," the summon, having stayed to watch the fight, disappears in a puff of smoke.

He lets out a breath. It's over. Hinata lost.

Sudden noise makes him jump. Startled, he looks around; everyone seems to be cheering. The Hyuuga stand out for remaining silent, looking down at the arena with shocked expressions.

It is, he notes, not Naruto they're looking at with surprise.

"That was awesome!" Chouji yells into his ear. "You were right, Hinata was awesome!"

His eyes go to the stoic face of the Hyuuga clan head. Hiashi stands up and leaves quickly, startling Hanabi who follows after. Maybe it's not as desperate a situation as he thought.

Hinata is directed towards a side room, and Naruto goes with her. Naruto's eyes never leave her, and a thought hits him. It's only a slight suspicion, but perhaps Hinata's crush isn't as one-sided as he fears.

Either way, Naruto is almost as protective as he is when it comes to his friends. His teammate is in good hands.

Chouji decides to give a blow by blow account of the fight. He listens to it with half an ear. Akamaru wants to go see Hinata, but he hushes the ninken with a few scratches above the ears.

Hinata, he knows, will be fine for the moment. He's got a bad feeling, and it's not for his teammate.

He looks down at the arena with narrow eyes.

Sakura and Ino are quick to take their places. Ino does a good job masking her nervousness, but Sakura's confidence is completely genuine.

"Sakura should be able to win this no problem," he tells himself.

"Don't underestimate Ino," Chouji warns.

He tilts his head in acknowledgement but doesn't say anything. Sakura is leagues above Ino in fighting ability. Ino really will be lucky to even get in a hit.

So why does he have such a bad feeling about this fight?

"Begin!" Hayate calls.

Sakura dashes towards Ino, and throws back her fist. The Yamanaka dodges the first punch but can't avoid the next one. Sakura brings up a knee and catches Ino in the stomach.

He winces as Sakura roundhouse kicks Ino to the dirt. Holding back indeed, he thinks wryly.

He understands what Sakura is doing though. This match will be a pure taijutsu fight. Sakura doesn't want to hurt Ino, but she can't risk giving her opponent room to use her Mind Body Switch technique.

Sakura's chakra nails are designed for maiming; she's not about to bring them out against friends. Anything else Sakura can do is straight up lethal; throwing a punch is the safest method for everyone involved.

Ino aims a kick at Sakura's ankles from her position on the ground, and Sakura jumps over it effortlessly. A sweep kick forces Ino to roll away and get to her feet.

The Yamanaka is already getting winded, if her hunched shoulders are any indication. Sakura frowns and lets Ino take the initiative.

Ino charges with a punch that is blocked and gets elbowed in the stomach for her trouble. While Ino gasps for breath, Sakura punches the Yamanaka so hard in the face there's an audible crack; the crowd around him lets out a collective groan of sympathy.

Ino hits the ground face-first, and Sakura makes no move other than to stare down at her opponent. No doubt she's trying to figure out the best way to get the girl to yield.

He resolutely does not look at Chouji. It has to hurt to see your teammate beaten up in a one-sided fight.

If Hinata had looked like the clear winner in her match against Naruto, it's nothing compared to Sakura's match against Ino.

Of course, Naruto always has something up his sleeve, something that turns the tide at the last moment. It's not like Ino's known for doing the same thing.

His train of thought comes to a crashing halt.

Ino's too passive, he realizes. Sakura really is going easy on the girl; Ino should have been able to land some hits.

Shit, he thinks, it's a trap.

Just as Sakura takes a step forward, Ino clamps her legs around Sakura's ankle and rolls over. Sakura doesn't go down, but it gives Ino a moment to clasp her hands together.

"Got you," Ino smiles.

Hands together in the famous Yamanaka seal, Ino passes out and Sakura stands rigid. Almost everyone in the stands go silent, waiting to see what happens next.

"She's got her! It's over now!" Chouji cheers.

He fights the urge to get up and run to the railing. Akamaru has no such scruples and leaps off his head to get as close to the arena as possible.

Sakura, under the control of Ino, starts raising her hand.

"Winner—"

"Sorry, but no."

Sakura brings up her head and smiles. It's a terrifying smile, one that he's never seen on Sakura's face before.

"Thought you won, Ino?"

Ino comes back to herself with a violent spasm, and Sakura looks down at the blonde with amusement. He feels like he's been punched in the chest.

Chouji says something, but he can't hear it. The sudden cheer of the crowd is enough to deafen him.

It doesn't matter what the Akimichi is trying to say, or that his ears are ringing. His eyes never leave Sakura's form.

There is something very wrong.

"I'm giving up now, Mr. Referee," Sakura practically sings. "Can't go on without chakra, can we?"

That statement makes no sense. Sakura should have plenty of chakra.

"Alright then," Hayate narrows his eyes before coughing, "go."

Medics with a stretcher appear, and Sakura all but skips to the exit. He can't get out of his seat fast enough. He ignores Chouji's concerned cries and dashes down the stairs with Akamaru charging ahead of him.

Akamaru leads him; he's too upset to search himself, too scared. There's something very wrong with her scent, Akamaru tells him.

He hears Sakura before he sees her. She's singing softly to herself about matricide. That's—that's definitely not normal.

"Sakura," he slides to a halt, "what's wrong?"

"Oh," she tilts her head, "hello Kiba."

She gives him a dreamy smile, and he lets out an aggravated sound.

"What's up with you?" He asks urgently.

"What's up with you?" She repeats, tapping her chin. "Up with you. With you. With me?"

"Sakura!" He yells.

Hisato, he thinks with alarm, she's been in the same room as Hisato. Has she been drugged? Poisoned?

"Relax," she gives him another dreamy smile, "it's all good. Sky's not going anywhere."

Definitely drugged, he thinks.

"We're going to the hospital," he grabs her wrist.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Sakura sing songs.

"And why not?" He asks through gritted teeth.

"Because it'll be the first place smashed!"

Alright, so she's not completely gone. He almost forgot about that.

"Then where am I supposed to take you? How am I supposed to fix you?" He asks desperately.

"Silly Kiba," she laughs, "you can't do anything."

Fear hits him.

"But—"

"What do you smell?" Sakura says suddenly.

"What?" He blinks at her.

"Smell me!" Sakura giggles.

"You," he takes a sniff, "you smell like Yin chakra."

He lets go of her and sniffs her again.

"You smell like nothing but Yin chakra."

"I have a lot of spirit," she tells him straight-faced before breaking out into a grin.

"I don't understand," he says.

It's true that Sakura has always smelled like excess Yin chakra but never to this point.

"Your spirit's covered in dirt," Sakura waves her hands around. "Mines not. Only had a little bit of soil. It's gone now."

Dirt, he frowns, what is she talking about? Sakura makes a telescope with her right hand and peers through it.

"Some can use their spirit to see death, some use it to see minds, but now I am it," she informs him.

Akamaru gives him an idea. Earth and Heaven, the ninken barks.

"Wait, are you saying," he speaks slowly, "that Ino somehow cut off your physical chakra?"

Sakura claps her hands together.

"Yin went out and sang, Yang left with a bang," she sings.

"Shit," he says rubbing his forehead.

"Shit," he says again with feeling.

"The world's full of it!" Sakura croons.

"I'm taking you to my house, and we'll figure something out," he says, grabbing her wrist again.

He starts pulling her towards the exit, and she doesn't try to resist.

"You don't have time," Sakura reminds him with a smile. "The dance starts soon."

"I need you," he says desperately.

"The soil will come back eventually. Just not for the dance," she reassures.

He blows out a breath.

"Don't worry, you've got Akamaru and Shino. It'll be fine."

It sounds so much like the normal Sakura; he stops and looks behind him.

"Did you know you have a lot of spirit too? It probably tastes like blood," Sakura says with a vacant expression.

His shoulders slump, and he starts the long trek home. The walk to his house ends up being impossibly long, longer than he can ever remember.

It doesn't help that every clan member stops him the moment he reaches the compound. Some even try to keep him from going any further as if Sakura is a threat.

"If you stay in my way, I'm going to go through you one way or the other," he warns them while Akamaru growls.

His clan members decide that pissing him off is not a good idea, and they do eventually get to the house.

Unfortunately, Sakura's parents are already there. They practically descend on him, claws out, the moment Sakura opens her mouth and utters something nonsensical.

No explanation seems good enough for them. He grits his teeth to keep from physically lashing out.

"Her chakra's unstable," he almost snarls, "she needs to rest. Stop her from using anything that requires chakra. Keep her here and away from any ink."

He turns on his heel and stomps out. Both Akamaru and he let out a howl that echoes throughout the compound.

It's not the normal howl—the one of solidarity—it's a threat. This is his house, and if anything happens to Sakura or her parents under their watch, he will make them wish they were never born.

We've got this, Akamaru reminds him.

"I know," he tells the ninken, "but I was counting on Sakura's help."

It's supposed to be Sakura and him against the world. They've been preparing for this day for a long time. The fact that his other partner has been thrown out of the battle before it even begins—it leaves an uneasy feeling in his gut.

He is, however, nothing if not adaptable.

"Let's go," he says, determined. "We've got a fight to win."

They head back to the stadium, running fast and hard. Two guards let him and Akamaru through without a problem, and he feels relieved to know he hasn't missed anything yet.

"Winner, Temari." He hears while climbing the stairs.

His old seat is still empty, but Chouji is already gone. He wonders if the Akimichi left to check on Ino, or if Chouji found someone else to sit with. Akamaru jumps up and takes the seat for himself.

"Finally," half the crowd around him mutters. "I can't believe he gave up," the other half says in disbelief.

He gathers from the irritated audience that Shikamaru has kept to the script and used the lowering of the sun to strengthen his shadows. Shikamaru doesn't know it, but the shadow-user has bought him precious time.

He leans forward and tries to slow the beating of his heart. Shino will be okay, he tells himself. It's Gaara and Orochimaru who's the real threat.

He can almost believe it too.

Shino and Hisato take their place in the arena. Hayate stands between the two, coughing.

"Begin," Hayate says.

Hisato throws an arm up immediately.

"I give up!" Hisato shouts.

He blinks, and Akamaru lets out an incredulous bark. The audience sits in stunned disbelief. Shino's body language all but screams rage.

"I mean, why fight with regulations when we can have a real fight?" Hisato smiles ominously.

A shiver goes down his spine.

"It's time to start the show," Hisato says looking straight at the Kazekage. "Isn't that right, Lord Orochimaru?"

Silence descends, and then so do feathers. For a moment, it entrances him, and he can feel his body relaxing against his will. His eyelids close, and he hears the whisper of sleep echo through his mind.

I don't think so, he thinks.

Kurenai-sensei has taught him far beyond the basic dispel technique. He's ready to snap the genjutsu when he feels a sharp pain go through his neck.

"I've got the Inuzuka boy. Hurry up and find the girl."

It's the last thing he hears.