I DO NOT OWN NARUTO AND/OR THE CHARACTERS

Akemi's Determination

Sora faced off with her opponent from the Village Hidden in the Stone, Takumi Yatate.

"I'd hate to ruin that pretty little face of your," he said. "You should quit now that you don't have your teammates with you."

"You talk too much," she replied frankly.

"Okay," Genma said. "You may begin."

Not wasting anytime, Sora Body Flickers and begins her attack as he retreats.

"Wouldn't have figured you for a coward with all of your tough talk," she said.

With a smile, he counterattacks and made her back off letting him perform a set of hand signs.

"Earth Style Summon: Stone Rook Jutsu!"

A tower grew appeared beneath him and lifted him out of harms way.

"What is that?" she thought to herself.

"You'll never be able to get to me from up here," he said with a devious smile on his face.

Sora had to be quick on her feet and dodge as weapons began to rain down on her. Meanwhile, Akemi decided to visit Shoichi in the infirmary to check on him.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he replied after seeing that it was her. "Lady Tsunade came and healed me."

"That's good, so you're going to fight in the next round, right?"

"Uh, no," he said with a little disappointment in his voice. "I still have to take it easy plus I don't have any chakra left."

"Oh, that's too bad. It shouldn't matter though, the way you two fought, you're sure to be selected as chunin."

"Here's hoping."

"We should celebrate," she said with a smile on her face.

"You could start by kissing me."

She immediately blushed when she saw the look in his eyes as he smiled at her, she nervously approached him and placed her lips on his. Unknown to them, Hiroshi had walked in to find them and cleared his throat to get their attention.

"Oh," she said embarrassed. "I'd better get back, you're sister should've defeated her opponent by now."

She left trying to avoid eye contact with Hiroshi.

"Do you ever give it a rest?" he asked Shoichi.

"Don't hate the ninja," Shoichi said with a smile. "Hate the mission. Besides, I like her."

"Just her?"

"Well, it's out of her and the Daimyo's daughter, Reiko. Anyway, what do you want?"

"I came to congratulate you on your victory," he said as he bowed.

"No need for formalities cousin, I won't be able to continue anyway."

"Is that so?"
"Yeah, where the hell did you get that punch from?"

"I did some training with Lee and Guy-sensei to get ready for this."

"Good, listen, we need to end this crap between us. There's nothing wrong with being rivals but we're family, there's no point in this tension between us."

"I agree, Neji has told me about the dangers of animosity within a family."

As Shoichi and Hiroshi put their differences aside, Sora's match was still raging on.

"She just needs to get him off of that tower," Naruto said.

"But it's all she can do to avoid those weapons," Hiashi replied.

Sora tried to go on the offensive and charged the tower, she applied her chakra to her feet and began running up the wall only to find a large blade barreling down on her making her leap off to avoid it.

"Damn it," she thought as she landed.

She looked at her father and grandfather as she tried to devise a plan.

"I know they told me not to use this but I don't have any other choice."

After their final training session was done, Sora and Shoichi received their final instructions for their match.

"One last thing," Naruto said. "Don't use your wind chakra."

"Why not?" a confused Shoichi asked.

"Because the cutting nature of wind chakra makes it's variety of jutsu deadlier than the other types."

"And the point is to become chunin," Hiashi added. "Not kill your opponent."

Sora had made up her mind and was about to go against their wishes.

"Hell, he's using his element," she thought as she performed some hand signs. "Wind Style: Sword of the North Wind."

She created a sword of wind in her hand and charged the tower with it.

"We told her not to but it looks like she has no other choice," Naruto said.

Using the infinite cutting power of the wind sword, she cut the tower down causing it to fall. Takumi leapt of to avoid major damage of falling with it.

"Damn, she's good," he thought to himself. "Where'd she go?"

She appeared behind him and unleashed a powerful barrage of Namikaze and Hyuuga jutsu that demolished him. She left him lying at the feet of Genma who called the match.

"Sora Namikaze wins."

"2 and 0, you and Hinata must be proud, Naruto." Sakura said.

"Yeah, even though Shoichi got hurt I'm glad he doesn't have to fight his sister."

"I don't know how I would've handled that," Hinata added. "How are you going to deal with Hajime fighting his cousin? They aren't like Shoichi and Hiroshi."

"They've come to terms with it and so have we," Sasuke said.

"They're going to give it their all but their not trying to hurt each other," Itachi added.

"That's easy for you two to say," Sakura said. "You didn't have to push them out."

"Yeah," Anko added. "You just got the fun part."

"The fun part of what, mom?" Kiyomi asked.

"Uh, nothing."

As Asu and Akemi came out, Anko was feeling a little frisky the mere mention of sex with her husband.

"Hey, why don't we find somewhere to be?" she whispered into Itachi's ear.

"Really?" he whispered back. "Where?"

"Look, I've been a proctor going on 15 years, I know this place inside and out," she explained. "Just remember to be quick so we don't miss the match."

"Okay, let's go."

"Uh, could you watch Kiyomi for a second, Sakura?" Anko asked. "I, uh, hurt my back training Michio and Itachi's going straighten it out for me."

"Sure."

They got up and left quickly as Naruto, watched them.

"Those two sure go at it a lot," Sakura said knowing where they were going to do.

"Really?" asked Naruto.

"My brother's a bigger horn dog than you'd think," Sasuke explained frankly.

Sora had just made it back to the waiting area where she was congratulated by Hajime and Michio.

"Thanks, that guy was tougher than I thought."

"I knew he wouldn't beat you though," Hajime said."

"I'm glad you're so confident in me but I'm more interested in what's going to happen with you two."

"Hey, they're about to begin," Michio said.

Asu and Akemi faced off in the middle of the arena.

"I have to show Shoichi how good I am," Akemi thought. "I can't lose."

"Begin!"

Akemi attacked first with taijutsu skill superior to that of a genin.

"I expected her to be that talented in taijutsu with Hanabi as her sensei," Hiashi said.

"She moves like a Hyuuga," Gaara said to Kakashi.

"Makes sense since a Hyuuga is her jonin instructor."

In the crowd, Shikamaru watched with Temari who was visiting with Gaara.

"Your student is barely defending," Temari said.

"Well, taijutsu isn't her jonin's forte or mine, for that matter, but she'll find her way."

Asu ducked a punch and gave her the stiffest kick she could then put some distance between them.

"Shadow Warrior Jutsu."

Asu's shadow stood up off of the ground and began to attack Akemi.

"Is your clan alright with you teaching her one of your jutsu?" Temari asked.

"They were being troublesome but I didn't teach her any jutsu, I just taught her how to work her chakra into her shadow, this is a completely original jutsu."

Akemi was put on the defensive as the shadow fought in Asu's place.

"I can't believe I can touch a shadow like this," Akemi thought. "I have to figure out a way to get to her."

Thinking quickly, Akemi headed for the arena wall, she ran up about halfway then shot off of it towards Asu leaving the shadow unable to keep up. Surprised, Asu broke the jutsu to defend herself from the punch that Akemi gave her. Having her punch blocked, she flipped in midair and landed behind her giving Asu a kick that floored her as Akemi got to work with a few hand signs.

"Dragon Fist Jutsu!"

"She should win it with this," Hanabi thought to herself. "She almost beat me the last time she used it when we sparred."

Her body began to glow as she got into her fighting stance, Asu got up to only to be met with an even more another barrage of attacks more intense than the first. Akemi finished her off with an uppercut that knocked her out make Genma call the match.

"Asu is knocked out, Akemi wins the match."

Akemi could've flown into the sky from her happiness.

"Wow, she's pretty good," Shoichi said as he and Hiroshi watched from the window of the infirmary.

"Yes, she's very talented. Asu's Shadow Warrior Jutsu is extremely difficult to overcome yet she did it with such a simple action."

"How troublesome," Shikamaru said. "After all that training."

"It'll be okay," Temari said giving him a hug and kiss on the cheek. "She still may become a chunin."

"So that's the Dragon Fist Jutsu," Naruto said. "I've heard about it when her family came to the village but this is the first time I've seen it."

"I'd like to spar with one of them to see it for myself," Hiashi said.

"So would I," the returning Itachi said.

He sat down with Anko who handed him his hair tie back, the both of them sweating.

"Wow, she's glowing," Sakura said to Hinata.

"Well, I'm just glad Naruto's so focused on the matches or that could be me right now."

"Hey, your kid's are coming out," Naruto said. "If nothing else, this should be interesting."

OKAY I'M BACK, ENJOY.