Chapter 21: Preliminary Round! Only the Best Survive!

It felt even worse standing in front of her, the weight of our failure heavy on our shoulders. We had let Orochimaru slip away and he had marked Sasuke at the exact same time. The seals over our own curse marks were gone and we were still weak from our fight. Hideki had been awake when I had returned to them and the Sand Genin had long gone. Kyoske had still been out, still suffering through a high fever and Hideki had been tending to him, struggling to keep it even when I had returned and helped soothe the pain.

Now, we stood before Megumi-sensei in the tower at the center of the Forest of Death and it felt like there wasn't enough words in the universe to explain it all. We had run out of excuses and our appearance spoke for itself. I was out of it, still suffering from the effects of the mark and haunted by Orochimaru's words but also unable to shake the feeling of Sasuke's lips on mine. It was all I could think about, our kiss and how perfectly it slid into place, how excited my heart became by just thinking about it. I had liked the kiss, wanted it, and the more I tried to think about when I had wanted such a thing, the more I was bombarded with images of him. The muscles in his arms flexing as he had hovered over the stove making us tea, the tension in his jaw, the curve of his lips as he pressed them into a tight line. Sweat beads dripping down his brow from the humidity in the air, the taste of salt on his lips…

I was flushing all over again when Megumi-sensei's eyes darted to my face and I felt stuck instantly. It was like a spotlight had gone on over my head and suddenly all eyes were on me, waiting for me to find my voice. I struggled to swallow and wasn't surprised when it proved difficult thanks to the lump that had formed in my throat.

"He's back." I managed, two words that sounded strained and distant from each other, but forced out nonetheless. Megumi-sensei blinked at my words, her firm expression not changing as she took us all in.

"I know." She said a moment after. "Anko Mitarashi made sure to bring that up before the Hokage and all of us Jonin. My favorite part was her entrance, when she burst through the doors with wide eyes and a pale face."

"Sensei we—" Hideki began.

"I also liked it when she insisted they end the exams and focus on him. The resentment in her eye was a nice touch as well." She continued, cutting Hideki off. Hideki clamped his mouth shut and just watched our sensei as we all did, our eyes careful, our hearts in our throats. If she was mad, she was doing a great job at hiding it. She seemed calm almost and even though her expression was firm, that was nothing new. She always wore a serious look on her face.

She took a breath, squeezing her eyes shut as she took a step back, her body relaxing. I wanted to take a breath as well but I knew our lecture was just getting started. I could see the frustration eating away at her brow, the vein in her forehead pulsing and when she opened her eyes to us, there it was, blatant rage shining in her eyes.

"Sasuke Uchiha…" She said, her voice trailing off on purpose and Hideki glanced at me as my palms began to sweat.

"We were attacked by a group of Sound brats!" Kyoske snapped then, his hands in tight fists at his sides. "We were fighting and beating them up when he showed up! He took away our seals, he attacked us! He tormented us!"

"Uchiha…" Megumi-sensei said again, her voice measured but it only fueled more rage through Kyoske's body.

"We were right back where we started! We were focused on taking him out that's what you wanted! That's what Akane wanted!"

"Kyoske." She said, her voice low.

He slammed his foot on the ground in response, his eyes dark. He was seething, his green eyes watering from the frustration.

"It doesn't hide the fact that you three failed…again." Megumi-sensei said before folding her arms over her chest. "Which you've been doing a lot of lately."

Kyoske seemed to freeze, his eyes going wide as he stared at our sensei, as her words rang true throughout our bodies.

"Ever since we got to this village you three haven't done much, at least not the way you used to. The team I knew would have gotten me results within the first week. They wouldn't have entered the forest blind. They would've done their research, kept their senses on high alert and they most certainly wouldn't have faced me now with those terrible excuses on their tongues." Megumi-sensei said.

"Yeah? Well what have you done ever since we got here?" Kyoske fired back and I could tell the moment the words left his mouth, he regretted it. But, they were just the words needed to throw Megumi-sensei off. She blinked at us, her eyes wide, shock filling her features. I was just as shocked and stared between the both of them while Hideki placed a hand on Kyoske's shoulder.

"He didn't mean that, Sensei." Hideki said, sounding like the only sane one between the three of us. I instantly regretted letting Kyoske get all worked up. It was always better when Hideki spoke for us, not the other way around. Kyoske's head lowered, his bangs covering his eyes, his lips trembling.

"I've been trying to clean up the messes you three have caused!" Megumi-sensei snapped. "I've been throwing my neck on the line diverting attention away from you, protecting you like I always do! Like I always have!"

"And we're grate—" Hideki said but stopped when Megumi-sensei stepped forward and grabbed a fistful of Kyoske's shirt. She pulled him up, but he never raised his head to face her. He was too ashamed.

"He's here." Megumi-sensei growled in Kyoske's face. "So what are you three going to do about it?"

"Sensei, please." I begged and lifted a hand just as she released Kyoske sharply and he stumbled back, his head still low.

"It's time for you three to grow up and face your demon." Megumi-sensei growled. "He came and he ruined everything. The Leaf knows and soon every other nation will. He gave Sasuke the mark and he survived it which makes him a target now." We were silent as she finished, her rage so powerful it went beyond her almost. It towered over her, a deep, fiery, and blistering fury that made my knees wobble.

"So tell me, what are you going to do about it?" It had been said to Kyoske but it was meant for all of us. The only problem was, I wasn't sure what to say. I was confused, scared, my mind still half stuck on Sasuke and the other on the real threat at hand, Orochimaru. Hideki was silent at first, his hands trembling at his sides and just when I was about to attempt an answer, he spoke.

"We're going to fix it." Hideki said, his voice low with an edge of darkness in it. "We're going to fix everything."

Megumi-sensei was silent for a moment, until her body began to relax. The anger on her face drifted away and though there was still the ghost of her rage, the height of her emotions was easing down.

"At this point everything feels like it's beyond fixing." Megumi-sensei growled before she took a step back and composed herself completely. Her shoulders eased back, her hands folding behind her. She looked down at us with an air of authority. "You three make 27."

"27?" I asked, my voice still low, unsure.

Megumi-sensei looked at me. "27 teams made it out of the Forest of Death."

"That's crazy." Hideki said. "That number shouldn't be that high."

If it affected our sensei, she didn't show it. She was back to looking at ease, bored almost.

"There will have to be a preliminary round." Megumi-sensei said. "Two sound teams made it as well."

"Great." Kyoske grumbled.

"We go as far as they do." Hideki reminded us.

"What if we have to go up against them?" I asked.

"If worse comes to worse we can always drop out at the finals." Megumi-sensei said. "You three do what you see fit."

…

We all watched as the smooth surface of the wall panel jutted out slightly before sliding to the side, revealing a big screen behind it. Hayate, the third exam proctor, coughed as he turned to face the screen. I was still staring back at the door Kabuto had walked out of, my hands in trembling fists at my sides. He had quit, just like that and it burned me inside, just like the mere sight of him did.

"In just a moment, the screen will reveal the first match chosen completely at random." Hayate managed before another wheezy cough made its way out of his chest.

"Tch…if he even makes it that long." Kyoske grumbled as I turned my head away from the door. He was still in a sour mood, his lips pulled down into a firm frown, his eyes narrowed as he stared at all the Jonin before us. The Third Hokage stood with his arms behind his back, his gaze powerful as he seemed to study all of our faces. I had noted Megumi-sensei standing beside Baki and I also noticed how tense the Leaf Jonin appeared standing on the opposite side of them as well as the glances Kakashi kept stealing at her. Ibiki and Anko were whispering urgently to the Hokage and judging to where their eyes kept darting toward, they were talking about Sasuke and his team.

I glanced over at them, a few bodies away and spotted Sasuke with a hand over the mark on his neck, a thin sheen of sweat on his brow as Sakura stared at him tentatively. She seemed worried and Naruto was glancing back at them, confused and bewildered.

"They're probably thinking about taking him out of the exams." Hideki whispered.

I glanced back at him, my nails digging into my palms. "That would be giving him just what he wants."

Hideki shrugged. "It's up to the Hokage now. Let's hope that he knows that."

I looked back up at the Third Hokage and saw Anko's cheeks were flushed, her brow pressing together with frustration. I caught the amused smirk on Megumi-sensei's lips and knew that they wouldn't take Sasuke out, but they would probably wait. But wait for what? Orochimaru wasn't stupid enough to appear in the middle of the preliminaries, and using Sasuke as bait wouldn't help the whole friendship and power speech the Hokage had pitched to us in the beginning.

Above, the screen lit up and everyone seemed to suck in a breath as they turned toward the screen. I spotted the Sand Genin standing at the far end of our line and looked over Gaara who of course had not one scratch on him nor one speck of dirt either. The rest of us looked like more worn, some sporting bruises, others a few tattered pieces of clothing. There was no resting for us either, as tired as we all might have been. The preliminary round had been met with shouts of disagreements and nobody took the idea of the us putting on a show for all the important leaders of the other villages, nicely. Either way, only one had raised their hand and he was gone, leaving the rest of us to bite down on our comments, refusing to back down especially now. There were 26 of us left and everyone was ready to win, ready to get to the real fight, ready to fight those of us who were truly the best.

The computer began to generate the first match, the two names moving furiously across the screen. I wondered who everyone would go against and wondered what I would do if I went up against Gaara or Neji or even Sasuke. The first fight set the bar for the rest of the matches and it was always good to come in strong. I looked away, knowing then that no matter what I wouldn't lose. The computer stilled just as my resolve hardened and Hideki chuckled behind me. Slowly, I look up at the screen and felt my eyes widen slightly.

Miyuki Obanji

Vs.

Haru Katzanagi

"Alright the first match will be between Miyuki Obanji of the Water Village and Haru Katzanagi of the Sound Village! Will the two challengers step forward?" Hayate called before coughing into his sleeve.

"Lucky." Kyoske muttered.

Haru stepped forward first and my neck craned to try and catch a peek of my opponent as they made their way to the front. I followed shortly after, moving through the crowd until I made it to the front at the same time and as we walked toward Hayate, I looked my opponent over.

It was a boy, a few years older than me with jet black hair, a snarky smirk, and dark, wide eyes. His Sound headband was tied over his forehead and it shined despite the dim lighting. He was still smirking when we turned to face each other, and his expression was almost condescending as it looked down at me.

"Now that the first match is about to begin, everyone else please make your way up to the second level." Hayate advised before coughing into his hand.

There was slight hesitation but soon everyone started turning to the two staircases. Kyoske and Hideki headed up the stairs on the right with the other Leaf shinobi while the rest of the Sound ninja and the Sand Genin headed up the stairs on the left. The respective team Jonin headed up after them as the Hokage and his small entourage headed to even higher ground.

"Alright! Go get em' Miyuki!" Naruto cheered from above.

"Start it off right!" Kyoske shouted right after.

"Any objections before we begin?" Hayate asked, his eyes moving between us.

"You sure about this, little girl?" Haru asked, his voice deeper than I had expected.

"We'll see who fights like one by the end of this." I said, forcing a smirk onto my lips. "You're not worth be objecting."

Haru laughed a little too loudly as Hayate nodded before jumping back and raising a hand.

"Begin!" Hayate said before slicing his hand through the air. Not even a second after, Haru was running toward me, pulling shuriken from his sleeve, holding them between his knuckles. He's fast, I realized as he swung toward me, delivering punch after punch, each hit whizzing just past my head. I dodged him just as quickly as I tried to make out a pattern in his movements.

He swiped one of his shuriken knuckles down toward my face and just as I was about to block it, he inhaled deeply. On his exhale, I felt a small slip of wind brush against my cheeks right before my ears popped and something hard slammed against the side of my face. I grunted as I went flying back, my body landing hard a few feet away as Haru chuckled darkly.

"Miyuki!" Naruto shouted, making me flinch.

I lifted a hand and touched my cheek. The hit had felt like a punch to the face, nothing more, but I hadn't seen it at all. I was sure he hadn't punched me himself, which meant he had built chakra into his lungs and sent a ball of energy toward me upon exhale. I ground my teeth together and pushed myself back to my feet.

It had been a cheap shot, a foolish mistake on my part, and the smirk on Haru's face didn't help either. I reached up to readjust my hair in its hair tie which made his smirk deepen into a dark smile.

"Lucky shot." I called out to him. "Don't get excited because it won't happen again."

Haru snorted before coming at me again. I braced myself, positioning myself in such a way, I was ready to defend and attack. Except, he jumped into the air at the last second and opened his mouth just as he let out a loud siren-like shriek. My eyes widened and everyone above groaned, hands shooting up to cover their ears but nothing compared to what I felt.

It sounded like nails scratching against a chalkboard, the sound right next to my ear drum and covering my ears didn't make it better, if anything, it made it much worse. I groaned, stumbling back as Haru landed a few inches in front of me before he kicked me square in the stomach. I went flying back once more, lying in a shivering pile on the ground.

I coughed and when I looked I spotted some blood on the ground beside me. That familiar iron taste pooled in my mouth and I groaned as a new pain, this one from the back of my head began. Someone was pulling my head back, yanking me to my feet, pulling me up by the roots of my hair.

"Big talk from someone who's getting her kicked across this floor." Haru growled before he leaned down close to my ear. "What kind of show are you giving him, Buki?"

My eyes widened, my heart instantly moving to my throat. The sinister chuckle that followed his words filled me with an icy terror. I hadn't heard that name in a long time and though I could count on one hand the number of times I remembered being called it, I knew it went deeper than that. Only one person had called me that word, their voice dripping with affection. They had treated it like some sort of pet name but what followed were memories of all the bloodshed and echoes of screams. I struggled under his firm hold, but he didn't let me go, instead, his grip grew even tighter.

That was when I felt it, the distant ache trembling from my unsealed mark. I flinched, gritting my teeth together as Haru continued to chuckle down at me.

"So weak it's a disappointment." Haru smirked. "Exactly how did someone like you make it out of the forest?"

"Don't take that, Miyuki!" Kyoske growled.

I didn't turn my head to face them, I was too busy glowering up at Haru and secretly hating myself for being so foolish, for forgetting the promise I had made to myself. I wasn't going to lose, I couldn't lose and now, now I refused to lose to someone like him.

"Stop fooling around!" Megumi-sensei called. "We don't have all day!"

I could imagine the looks shot in her direction at her agitated tone. Everyone wondering exactly what she was talking about because clearly our sensei had to be stupid because Haru had me right where he wanted me. But, then again, looks could always be deceiving. Either way, I took my sensei's words to heart. It was time to stop playing around, it was time to push through the pain and show this guy, this Haru, who I was, what I had been through and that I had gotten that nickname with good reason.

I moved quickly, jumping to my feet before reaching back, catching his wrist and pulling him forward. He lost his grip on my hair in the process and just as the shock registered on his face, and the pulsing ache in my neck began, I kicked him across the face. Haru's body went flying back, landing and rolling even further. But, he was quick to recover and jumped to his feet to fire off a stream of shuriken and kunai.

I dodged it with the help of a few clones and used the small cloud of dust his weapons barrage had made to jump up to the ceiling, building chakra in my feet to keep myself up. Below, Haru jumped into the smoke cloud, and I could hear him grunting as he swiped blindly inside the cloud and watched as everyone stood on high alert. Naruto was gripping the railing, Kyoske watched intently and Sasuke was standing beside Naruto one had gripping his neck, the other at his side in a tight fist.

"Wh-where is she?" Ino shouted. Everyone was bewildered, especially Haru who finally seemed a little uneasy, his head turning in every direction. I began making head signs as his head slowly turned to the ceiling.

"Water Style! Raging Waves!" I put as much chakra as I could into it and as the water stream slammed onto the ground, it knocked Haru clean off off his feet. I jumped down shortly after, landing just as he found his feet again and just in time to knee him right in the face. He stumbled back, blood spewing from his now broken nose. He groaned, his eyes wide as he stumbled back.

"Forfeit." I growled.

Haru scoffed and slowly pulled his hand away from his nose. He looked down at the blood sliding down his palm and chuckled. "Slightly impressive."

"Forfeit or I'll kill you." I growled, my voice rising even louder.

"I'll believe it when I see it, Buki."

My eyes narrowed and I ran toward him, drawing a kunai from the holder on my thigh. He snickered just as an ache shot across my eardrum, wrapping around my head. It made my steps falter and that was all the opening Haru needed to defend himself. He was opening his mouth again and I knew another one of his screeches were coming. I pushed myself forward, fighting through the pain until my hand came down hard on his throat. His eyes bulged as he choked, a wheezing sound escaping from his throat as he dropped to his knees.

"Forfeit." I repeated.

"Does it…hurt yet?" Haru wheezed.

I arched an eyebrow.

"Give him what he wants." He whispered. "Go on. Give into him."

"Shut up." I growled, pushing a warning into my voice.

"What's wrong, Buki? Afraid of what will happen if you give in? There's nothing holding you back now. They can't stop you. He told me to tell you that no one can."

I shivered at his words, Orochimaru's voice echoing them in my head. I could feel the mark burning even more and I could feel the blistering and relentless desire burning within me as well. It went beyond wanting to teach Haru a lesson or even wipe the smirk off of his face. I wanted more than that. I wanted him to pay for it while his life dangled on the line and at the last second, I wanted to end it.

Everything around me faded to the background as I looked down at Haru who was laughing at me now, his eyes dark and crazed. It fueled the rage within me, made my desire for his blood that much stronger. All that existed were me and him and the feeling of the darkness within me rising. I could feel the mark beginning to spread, feel it's fire-like grasp stretching over my skin.

I ran forward, building chakra in my feet as the blood seeking fury took over. I appeared behind Haru and ripped the hand he had over his throat away before pulling it up, his forearm pressing against his neck. He managed a gurgled response as I pulled my kunai over my head. I could hear it then, the screams ringing out around me, desperate cries for help that would never come.

My hand was swinging down and my kunai was just a hair away from plunging into Haru's right eye when a hand shot forward and caught my wrist. My entire body froze and I looked up at the person who was holding my wrist in place only to find Megumi-sensei staring down at me. Hayate was just beside her, his palms up worry knitting his brow together. I blinked between the two of them, the voices, desire, and anger fading from my body. I looked down at Haru who was still in my grasp, his body shivering his eyes wide with fear instead of his annoying confidence. He was breathing heavily, sweat trickling down his brow as he stared up at me, completely at my mercy.

"He forfeited." Megumi-sensei said, her voice low. "That doesn't mean you keep on fighting and try to kill him."

I opened my mouth to say something but no words came out. I simply couldn't remember Haru forfeiting. The last thing I could remember was his stupid smile as I ran toward him.

"Let him go." Megumi-sensei growled, her eyes narrowed.

I looked down at Haru and released him a moment later. He fell to the ground then, a shaking, wide-eyed mess. Megumi-sensei's hand snaked around the back of my neck and her touch pulled me further back into reality. I felt the stunned silence in the arena and looked up toward the balcony. Naruto seemed a little wary, Sakura was holding a hand over her mouth and the boys didn't seem impressed, though Kyoske seemed just a little tense. The Jonin above held me with mixed reactions and White Fang was regarding me with wide eyes.

"We have to get that sealed." Megumi-sensei growled in my ear. "Now."

"Umm…" Hayate coughed. "Though it was a close call, Miyuki Obanji has won the first match."

But it didn't feel like I had won. Everyone was still silent as Hayate's words echoed throughout the room. Megumi-sensei's hand slipped away from my neck after she nudged me forward slightly. I started walking, but a few steps in, the sharp ache that ran along my eardrum returned, making me gasp before stars gathered in my eyes.

"Miyuki!"

The voice that uttered my name sounded far away and I realized as I took a few more staggered steps forward that the shriek jutsu Haru had used had after effects, effects my body had managed to ward off until…until the curse mark's power had drifted away.

My knees gave out from under me and I fell forward, not feeling the ground when I landed.