"Welcome to day two of the Ninja World Tournament!" Kiba shouted from the center of the ring. "Today we have the second rounds, the rules are largely staying the same, except now we have one twist." He said with a glint in his eyes. "The fighters are not allowed to watch the fights they aren't in."
"Who came up with this rule?" Naruto asked looking at his fellow kage.
"I did." Utakata said raising his hand. "With someone like Kakashi Uchiha, and Hinata Hyuga in the tournament they can learn how everyone else fights better."
"It evens the field against the dojutsu users." Gaara said with his eyes closed. "I agree with Utakata, especially against the Sharingan that can copy jutsus."
"They do have a point." Yugito said resting her chin on her fists.
"We don't want any hostility brewing between competitors outside of the ring." Roshi said with a big smile. Besides once in the ring they can use their eyes as much as they want."
Naruto smirked as he watched the fighters all be escorted inside of the arena's hallways. "Makes sense." He said glancing over to his family in the stands.
"Why are they making everyone go inside?" Sarada asked her father.
"Because of the Sharingan and the Byakugan." Sasuke said crossing his arms.
"Who do you think is going to fight first?" Minato asked.
"They're probably going to have the genin fight first again." Sakura said. "To build up to the Jonin fights."
"Who do you think is going to win the genin fights?" Minato asked looking at Sarada who was staring down at the last of the fighters being escorted where she saw Kasai.
"She is." Sarada said calmly. "Itachi may be strong, but he's not fast enough to keep up with her and his Sharingan isn't evolved enough."
"What about Shikadai?" The blond asked.
"Same problem." Sarada said shaking her head. "He may have the Kazekage's abilities, but without the One Tail he has to control all of the sand himself."
Sasuke glanced over at his daughter when he felt Sakura nudge his arm. "She's got quite the mind."
"Yes she does." Sasuke said with a small grin. "Doesn't take after me or her mother though."
"If Hinata heard you say that she'd kick your ass." Sakura said chuckling and crossing her arms. "After yesterday I can't imagine her losing to anyone easily."
"You could beat her." Sarada said having overheard the conversation.
"Really?" Minato asked.
"Since you're like those girls from Cloud, closing a chakra point won't stop you." She said as she watched the first competitors walk out onto the field.
Sasuke looked over at Minato who was becoming engrossed in the fight below.
Itachi was walking to the center of the ring where Shikadai stood across from him.
"Go Itachi!" Minato shouted from his seat.
"You can do it!" Sarada chimed in.
"You've got quite the fan club." Shikadai said lazily.
"Doesn't matter to me." Itachi said through gritted teeth as he saw his father passively watching.
"You don't know what you've got." Shikadai said taking a fighting stance as he pulled out a single hand fan.
Itachi closed his eyes before opening them again revealing his Sharingan, "With these eyes wind won't help you."
Shikadai took a deep breath as he focused wind chakra into the fan and started to tug on the sand around him with the other. "I figured this one out by researching one of the seven ninja swordsman."
Itachi's eyes narrowed, he didn't know anything about the swordsman besides what he'd heard from his father and uncle. "Doesn't matter." He said charging forward.
"Hidden Sand Jutsu!" Shikadai shouted swinging his arms around the area as sand covered the air around the battlefield.
"Told you your eyes wouldn't help you." Shikadai said through the sand to Itachi who was covering his eyes and trying to sense his opponent.
"Fight me for real!" Itachi screamed doing a fire jutsu and hitting nothing.
"Not even the Byakugan could find me in here." Shikadai said from somewhere in the sand. "There are only two people I know of who could find me in here." He said standing right behind Itachi. "And you're not one of them." He said as he hurled a mound of sand into Itachi's back tossing him across the field into the wall where he stuck.
Naruto watched from the Kage box using just a bit of Kurama's chakra to observe the fight. "What's this?" Roshi asked. "We can't see who's winning."
"Shikadai is." Naruto said calmly. "He's using his environment and Itachi's anger to his advantage."
"Anger?" Utakata asked.
"The amount of anger coming off him is astounding." Naruto said in shock. "It's almost murderous."
"Should we stop the fight?" Gaara asked. "No one wants to see a child die."
"Let them fight." Yugito said.
"Raikage you can't be serious." Roshi asked. "If one of them dies than we'll have to call off the tournament and all of this will be for nothing."
"They both have something to prove." She said leaning forward. "And personally I want to see what that is."
"Hokage?" Utakata asked.
"I agree with Yugito, for now." Naruto said focusing his chakra.
"Fight me for real!" Itachi screamed when he saw Shikadai walking through the sand.
"I am." He said watching the Uchiha. "Forfeit."
"Never." Itachi said as with his free hand he performed a hand sign and burned the sand that was on him until it turned to glass. He threw his arms together shattering the glass and landing on the ground.
"You can't go on like this." Shikadai said putting his hands together as a shadow stretched off his body before it grabbed onto the Uchiha. "Shadow Possession complete." Shikadai said standing up straight again as Itachi did the same. "There's nothing you can do now."
Itachi was trying to fight against the restraints on every part of his body but found that he couldn't move an inch.
"Is Shikadai about to win?" Sarada asked.
"No." Minato said with a straight face. "Give him a second."
"Give up." Shikadai insisted. "You aren't going to be able to break out of those restraints."
"Never!" Itachi spat.
"Fine." Shikadai said before taking a breath and raising his hands in the air. "I give up." Right after he said it the sand in the air fell to the ground.
"You what?" Itachi asked feeling the jutsu release his body.
"I give up." Shikadai clarified. "I only entered this thing to figure something out about you, and I got my answer." Shikadai said walking away.
"Don't you walk away from me you bastard!" Itachi screamed as he started to form hand signs but found his hands were being held by someone. He looked up to see his father's Sharingan staring into his own.
"This is not the place." Sasuke said coldly. "You've already won, now go."
Itachi yanked his hands away staring up at his father. "Fine." He said turning around quickly.
Sasuke looked up and made brief eye contact with Naruto before he jumped back into the seats.
"I'm going to have to apologize for that." Sasuke said sitting back down.
Minato continued to stare at Itachi who was walking away. "What happened to him?" He asked looking down.
"I don't know." Sarada said.
"No," Minato said shaking his head. "It's his chakra, there' something different about it."
"What?" Sakura asked looking past Sasuke.
"I don't know." Minato said cocking his head. "It's almost like there's a little piece of dad in his chakra."
"Why would he do that?" Rin asked the boy.
"I don't think dad knows." Minato said. "The chakra is slightly different, but I don't know why."
Sasuke watched silently as the next two genin took their places.
Temari was covering her face in shame as her husband started to laugh at the irony. "Shut up it's not funny!" She snapped at him. "There's no way he was out of chakra."
"He accomplished what he wanted to." Shikamaru said wiping the tear from his eye.
"Which was?" Temari asked with a bit of venom in her voice.
"No idea." Shikamaru replied.
"Hello Kasai Nii, my name is Metal Lee!" The boy said giving her a thumbs up. "I look forward to testing my youth against someone as esteemed as yourself."
"What?" Kasai asked looking at him funny before looking towards Kiba.
"Don't even worry about it." Kiba said waving her off. "Shinobi combat, begin!" He shouted jumping away from the two.
"I'm going to make this short." Kasai said yawning. "Mom was mad at me for playing around too much yesterday." She leapt into the air and ended up behind the taijutsu user and brought her leg up to strike the boy when she felt herself strike something hard.
She looked and saw the bowl cut wearing boy had already turned around and made eye contact with her, blocking her kick with his forearm.
"Go Metal!" Tenten screamed from the stands.
"Youth!" Lee and Guy screamed standing on their seats.
Up in the Kage booth Roshi looked over to Naruto. "You've got quite the rowdy ninjas."
Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "You don't know the half of it."
"What are you talking about?" Yugito asked. "He's one of the rowdy ninjas."
Back in the stadium Kasai swung her other leg but Metal jumped away from the girl allowing her to fall to the ground. "You're pretty fast kid." She said standing up straight.
"I have decided." Metal said pointing in the air.
"Decided what?" Kasai asked cocking an eyebrow.
Metal pointed his finger at the girl. "I shall make the beautiful Ms. Nii my girlfriend!"
"Like hell!" Kasai screamed back. "With the way you dress I'm surprised you aren't the laughing stock of your village."
"Your words cut deep." Metal said resting his hand on his chest. "Instead I shall prove to you that I am a ninja worth your affection."
"Stop it!" Kasai shouted. "This is a fight, so let's fight!" She shouted as she put her hands together for a hand sign.
Yugito covered her face in shame as Naruto and Roshi were laughing hysterically at what was happening. "I swear I will burn you all." She said rubbing her face.
"But he loves her!" Naruto said holding his stomach and laughing.
Tenten was watching the fight with a similar look on her face. "He's your son all right." She said patting Lee on the shoulder.
Lee was watching with tears of pride in his eyes. "Gai Sensei, he's the model of youth!" He shouted hugging his sensei.
"He truly is Lee!" Gai shouted with him.
Kasai held her hands in the tiger sign before exhaling multiple blue fireballs at the taijutsu Genin.
Metal jumped around dodging each attack before they could touch him. "My heart burns for you, just as your jutsus burn away those stopping our love!" Metal shouted landing on the side of the stadium and sticking to the wall.
"Shut up!" Kasai screamed charging forward and slamming her fist into the wall where Metal had just been. Her eyes widened when she realized that he was right next to her already swinging his leg and it made contact with her chest hurling her across the ring.
"I am sorry my love!" Metal proclaimed. "But I must prove my worth to you, I shall win this entire tournament or I will walk around the entire village on my hands for three days!"
Kasai hesitated for a moment, "That just gives me more reason to beat you."
"Feel the youthful power of love!" Metal screamed charging forward faster than any untrained eye could see.
Kasai ducked under his strike, "I might have to use it early." She said to herself dodging another punch.
"Metal!" Lee shouted from the stands. "Unlock your gates!"
"What?" Sasuke asked looking over to where Lee was standing. "He must be insane!"
"Lee." Naruto grumbled from his place in the stands.
"Yes father!" Metal screamed jumping away from Kasai before he started to scream. "Open, Gate of Opening!" He screamed as he felt the limiter on his brain give way.
"Whoa." Minato said feeling the surge in chakra. "He has even more chakra than I do now."
"Open Gate of Healing!" Metal screamed, before putting his arms back together. "Open Gate of Life!" He screamed as his skin turned red and the air around him started to move.
Sasuke let out a deep breath. "Might as well get the doctors ready." He said.
"He's going to lose." Sarada said with her Byakugan active. "The chakra she has is still far beyond his, even now."
"I know." Minato said quietly. "When me and her were at the dango shop her chakra levels were insane."
"The what?" Sakura asked. "Just the two of you?"
"Stay on topic." Sasuke said when he saw Metal charge forward.
He moved faster than he did before and caught Kasai in the chin launching her into the air. Metal jumped after her and spun in midair driving his leg into her stomach forcing her back to the ground.
She landed in the center of the ring as a cloud of dust formed around her. Metal landed on the ground his skin still red as the chakra around him moved. "Gotta hold it." He said to himself.
"Here we go." Minato said narrowing his eyes.
Out of the dust a red chakra arm extended out and grabbed Metal before throwing him into the wall and shrinking back into the dust cloud. "You actually hit me pretty hard." Kasai said climbing out of the crater surrounded by a chakra shroud with a single tail swinging behind her. "Even broke a few ribs with that last kick."
Metal pulled himself out of the crater in the wall and stood across from the chakra beast in front of him. "Close." He said as his skin started to return to normal and he fell to the ground.
"That's all?" Kasai asked as the red chakra around her receded back into her body.
"Winner, Kasai Nii!" Kiba shouted. "We need a medic!" He shouted again as a medical team came out to pick up Metal's unconscious body.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the girl. "That was just like when me and Naruto fought."
"At the Valley of the End?" Sakura asked.
"Hn." Sasuke grunted looking up to the Kage box.
Naruto slammed his fist down on the table. "Why didn't you tell us about this?" He asked the Raikage.
"Because they're my ninjas, and my children." Yugito snapped. "The chakra is completely theirs, so there's no risk of them losing control. Your Uchiha however is the most reckless person in this whole tournament!"
"Enough!" Gaara snapped standing up. "We cannot fight." He said calming down. "Yugito should've told us about her daughter's power, but it is also understandable how she would be worried. She may know us, but she doesn't know the people of our villages." He looked to Naruto, "Wouldn't you do the same for Minato, didn't Lord Sixth do the same for you?"
Naruto took a breath. "I'm sorry for shouting Yugito."
"Good." The Raikage said. "Now that the cat's out of the bag there's no reason to keep it a secret. More biju chakra goes into the children than we thought."
Naruto took a deep breath as he sat down again. "After this is over I feel we should have a talk with Rin about what this means for Kakashi."
"Agreed." Yugito said turning to watch the announcement of the Chunin rounds.