Here are the last two to run the second stage. Please let me know what you think. Now I have to go spend the next six hours downloading drivers for my computer so that I can play Diablo III….. SO EXCITED! I promise to get the next update to you in a timely fashion..

Note: I do not own Skip Beat! or Ninja Warrior/Sasuke.

"Murasame Taira will be the next man to test his skills on Stage Two!" The audience cheered for the ex-gang member. He stood behind the gate and rolled the tension from his neck. As soon as the gate opened Murasame jumped onto the pole of the Slider Drop and was away to the floating landing. He landed lightly and spring up to take on the next challenge. He wrapped his hands around the loose bar of the Double Salmon Ladder and gracefully bounded up both sets of the paired 2x2s.

"This man is off to an amazing start!" The announcer called as Murasame reached the top of the Ladder and reached for a good hold on the first part of the Unstable Bridge. The entertainer scootched across the plank and rocked it so he could transition from the first to the second without tipping off it. Murasame crossed the rest of the bridge and kicked off the wall so that he could swing over far enough to get his balance on the top of the wall. Once free, he ran down the path to the Balance Tank. He hopped up on the cylnder and rolled it down to the wall and pulled himself up the rope.

"Murasame is giving a strong run on the Second Stage. Over halfway through and looking good!" The crowd screamed encouragements as the actor paused to study the metal spin. Once he had sized it up he took a running leap at the chain dangling over the water. His hands found perches and the ring spun around slinging him out over the landing on the other side of the water.

"BEAUTIFUL! Now Murasame only has the Wall Lift left!" The screams from the watching people pushed the challenger on and he grabbed the first wall and threw it up to slip under. She strained a little on the second wall, but managed to get it up quickly. He hit the third and heaviest wall and struggled to lift it high enough to get under it. He slipped his leg under as the 10 second warning alarm started sounding. He shoved up and wiggled under it and scrambled to the red button just a few feet away. He slammed his hand down on it and a set of metal gates swung open to the deafening roar of the spectators welcoming him to victory.

"HE HAD DONE IT! Murasame has reached stage three!"

Ren closed his eyes and listened to the din that the other actor's victory had caused. He was trying very hard to center himself so that he could take on the course himself. He was just about to head away from Kyoko and Yashiro when he heard his name called.

"Tsuruga-san." Ren looked back to see the actor that had just finished the second stage loping towards him. He paused so that the man could reach him. Murasame held out his hand to the tall actor preparing. "God speed." He said with a warm smile. Wishing someone good luck before a performance was usually bad luck. Ren looked at the man and took his hand and shook it before turning to go. He was touched that Murasame had been kind enough to encourage him even though they did not know each other, that is, Murasame did not know him as Tsuruga Ren. Ren mounted the stairs as his friends called out encouragements behind him.

"Our last challenger tonight is Tsuruga Ren!" The screams were deafening again. The crowd was worked up over Murasame's win. Murasame stood with Kyoko and Yashiro as he watched the tall actor waiting for his try at the stage. The lights behind the tall actor cast a silhouette that struck a chord in Murasame.

"You know, he is somehow familiar." Murasame said as he tried to place where he had seen the actor before. Kyoko and Yashiro paused as the man tried to work out where he knew Ren from.

"You probably saw him in something on TV." Kyoko tried to draw the man away from thinking about it. The fact that Ren had been Cain Heel had not been released yet. Murasame shook his head. He knew he had seen the man play in many things, but it felt as if he had an encounter with him before, but he could not think of it. He pondered over this as the signal sounded and Ren reached for the bar that would carry him to the mat on the surface of the pool. Kyoko's eyes followed her senpai's graceful landing and prayed that the observant actor next to her did not notice all the similarities she had when she first met Ren dressed as Cain.

"Such elegant form!" The announcer called as Ren swung lightly from the bar of the Double Salmon Ladder. Ren bounced the bar up the first half and turned around to bounce swiftly up the second side. He moved on to the Unstable Bridge.

"He makes that look so easy." Yashiro grumbled as Ren conquered the plank that had dropped him into the water. Kyoko laughed at the manager and they shifted down the course to watch Ren pass onto the Balance Tank. Ren smiled as the water carried the sound of Kyoko's laughter to him. He stepped onto the cylinder and started to roll it down the ramp. His mind was on the young girl and not where his feet were and the log rolled a little too quickly. A tangible gasp issued from the crowd as the tall actor started to fall forwards but he pushed off hard and just grabbed the rope hanging on the wall. His feet were just barely out of the water and he scrambled up the wall to the dry walkway.

"That was a close call for Japan's favorite actor!" The announcer cheered him on with the crowd. Ren chastised himself for letting his mind wander and he pushed himself past the spouts of fire and over the glassy surface below the Metal Spin. His nimble fingers caught the chain and he bounced as it twisted around to deposit him on the other side of the gap.

"He is almost there! Just the Wall Lift baring his way now!" Ren ignored the announcer and the roar of the crowd as he tossed up the 66 pound wall and passed under. He lifted the second wall with easy and went to the third. Ren had to bend low to pass under the 110 pound wall, but he made it to the red button and his place in Stage Three just as the first warning siren sounded.

"Tusuruga Ren had made it to Stage Three!" The crowd roared with excitement! After a quick congratulations from the woman with the microphone, Ren went to join the actor standing with his friends.

"Fantastic." Kyoko bounced around in her excitement. Ren smiled warmly at the girl, she was so cute it was all he could do not to grab her up in a hug. Murasame watched the giddy girl interact excitingly with her taller senpai. He was now sure that he had seen those two together somewhere and the familiarity of the pair tickled at the back of his mind. Ren's silhouette at the beginning of his run brought images of BJ from 'Tragic Maker' to his mind, but he shook these thoughts away. There was no way the tall gentleman could possibly have anything in common with that unknown foreigner. Murasame had spent several hours trying to locate ANYTHING associated with Cain Heel's name, but nothing came up on any search engine that he used. Murasame studied Kyoko as she chattered on to the tall actor. He shook the thought away. There was no way this cute girl could possibly be the same hot girl Cain had called sister. No way, she was much too innocent

"Congratulations." Murasame stepped up to the taller actor. "I am glad that you made it to the Third Stage." A shadow passed through Ren's eyes before he smiled kindly to the actor.

"Thank you. And to you too." Ren answered kindly. Murasame froze at the actor's reaction. He thought he had caught a hint of venom passing through Ren's eyes before the smile, but he could not explain it. Anymore interaction was cut off when a course worker informed them that they needed to head to the Stage Three starting point.