Hey guys! I'm gonna skip most of what happens in the matches, just because I don't wanna drag this chapter on forever. Thanks for understanding!

Fair Warning! F bomb dropped in this chapter!

This chapter includes:

The Final Rounds: Rush to the Battle Arena!

Byakugan vs. Shadow Clone Jutsu!

Ultimate Defense: Zero Blindspot!

A Failure's True Power!

Hit it or Quit it: The Final Rounds Get Complicated!

Zero Motivation: The Guy with Cloud Envy!

Dancing Leaf, Squirming Sand!

I walked down the street, finally away from the hospital. Guy and Shikamaru made me stay to have the nurses check out my throat after Gaara nearly killed me. A little bruised, but I should otherwise be fine. Although, of course, Shikamaru went home leaving me by myself at the hospital. Traitor.

I sighed, looking up at the sky to see that it was already dark. Ugh, I definitely didn't want to spend my whole day in the hospital. I rubbed my throat a little bit as I groaned, continuing down the street towards my house.

Before I even knew it, the exam came up fast. Tomorrow was the day I had to face Dosu in front of a crowd filled with people just waiting to watch us kill or fight. How barbaric was that?

"Hey Tessa!" I turned my head a little to see Shikamaru walking up to me from behind. "They told me you just left." I raised an eyebrow and looked at him.

"You went to check on me?" I asked, crossing my arms. Shikamaru froze, a panicked look on his face for less than a split second before looking away, a bored look replacing it.

"I mean, yeah, I saw it happen and got a little worried." He said cooly. I smirked, a strand of hair falling in my face.

"Aw, Shika, how sweet. I didn't know you were worried about me." I teased. Shikamaru's eyes widened, looking back at me.

"W-Wait, I didn't mean-" He stopped, groaning and running his hand down his face. "Ugh, what a drag." He said, eyes closed. I laughed, walking over and playfully pushed him.

"I'm kidding." He stared at me for a moment before looking away.

"I knew that." I rolled my eyes playfully, before looking at him curiously. "Well, thanks for making a trip all the way out here just for me." I stuck my tongue out.

"Actually, my mom sent me to look for my dad. I wanted to stop by really quick though." He said quickly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh." I blinked, rubbing my arm and looking away. Shikamaru was silent for a moment, as was I. This is so awkward. "Dooooo...you want help?" I finally asked, looking back up at him. He shrugged.

"Sure. Gotta find the old man somewhere around here." I giggled and nodded, moving my hair back behind my shoulder. I walked beside Shikamaru as he continued down the street, his hands in his pockets.

"I can't believe how many people are here to watch us fight." I spoke softly, looking around at the people crowding the streets.

"Yeah. Barbarians, I think. Watching us fight in front of them, like some big show." Shikamaru said monotonously, his eyes half-lidded. "Next thing you know, they're gonna have us sing and dance for them." I giggled at the thought of Shikamaru dancing foolishly in front of everyone.

"At least it gets us some recognition, I guess? I don't really know why that's a plus, but I guess it's something." I shrugged. As we started past a restaurant, we heard loud laughing, making Shikamaru stop. "Hm? What is it?" I asked Shika.

"I think that's Choji's dad." He replied, looking at me before going to the entrance. I followed him, eyebrows raised. We walked in just in time to see a man with large red hair on the end, a man with long dirty blonde hair in the middle, and a man with spiky black hair closest to us.

"Hey, Mister, one more order here." The red haired man said loudly. "These two pages, everything on them." My eyes widened slightly. That has to be Choji's dad. His face was extremely similar to Choji's as well. Well, its no mystery where Choji got his appetite.

"Welcome!" The owner said, looking at Shikamaru and I. I smiled and nodded at him, following right behind Shikamaru. He stopped though, his hand behind his head, making me bump into him slightly. He stumbled forward before turning to me, a deadpan look on his face.

"Sorry." I smiled nervously, rubbing the back of my head. I looked past him to see the redhead man grinning towards us.

"Aha! Reinforcements are here! Come on in, order something." He held up the book. Before either of us could even blink, the spiky haired man closest to us turned his head, almost glaring in our direction. Shikamaru sighed in front of me, dropping his hand. He didn't answer the man, stepping forward, me walking behind him.

"Hey. Dad, come on." He said lazily, his hands on his hips. The man grunted, looking at Shikamaru, his cheeks flushed pink. "Can we go home already?" Shikamaru asked, a slightly annoyed tone in his voice.

"What?" The man asked in the lazy tone Shikamaru showed, a square cup in his hand. Guaranteed that had some alcohol in it. I glanced past Shikamaru, taking a closer look to see the man also had chopsticks and an empty plate in front of him. He had a mesh shirt on under his flak jacket and deer skin coat. His ears were also pierced like Shikamaru's, but he had a short goatee. It's insane how much Shikamaru looked so much like his dad. "Listen, don't be a drag." I giggled at this, making Shikamaru side eye me. "You're supposed to be living it up at this festival."

"Yeah right, some festival." He looked away from his dad, groaning. "It's a total drag." I couldn't stop silently laughing behind my hand. Oh my god, they're sooo alike.

"You idiot. Since ancient-" He lifted his wooden cup, suddenly taking a long drink in the middle of his sentence. "-times," He finally continued, turning back in our direction, making me put a straight face back on. "the final competition has always been like a festival."

"I'm in that final competition tomorrow." Shikamaru reminded his father, his eyes expression flat. "Oh man, I don't have time to babysit you."

"Huh? You're in it?" He leaned towards us. "What, seriously?" I facepalmed, a loud slap resounding in the restaurant.

"Never mind, just forget it." Shikamaru said, ignoring the sound my face made. His dad's eyes finally gazed at me, cup still in his hand.

"Is this your girlfriend?" He asked flatly. I saw Shikamaru's shoulders tense in front of me.

"W-What?" He asked, his voice slightly elevated. "No dad, she's not my girlfriend." He looked to his right, showing me the redness in his cheeks. I giggled, stepping around Shikamaru and bowing my head to his dad.

"Hello, I'm Tessa." I smiled softly.

"She's in the final competition too, dad." Shikamaru added, looking at me for a second.

"Really?" He asked, surprise in his voice. "She doesn't look so tough." I chuckled, rubbing the back of my head with my hand, my eyes closed.

"I try." Shika's dad was quiet for a moment, which made me open my eyes to see him staring at me.

"Daaaad. You're staring." Shikamaru said, eyebrow twitching. Shika's dad didn't answer, still staring at me with narrowed eyes.

"Kushina?" He suddenly asked while leaning forward, making me freeze. Kushina? Who was that? My face dropped, noticing he was serious.

"W-What did you call me?" I asked, my voice slightly wavering.

"Kushina." Shikamaru's dad repeated. "I thought you-"

"Dad." Shikamaru grabbed his shoulder, shaking him. "You're being weird. This is Tessa."

"Huh?" He looked over at Shikamaru, then back at me. "Oh. I'm sorry, I mistook you for someone else." He apologized, looking down at his feet shamefully. I shook my head, taking a step closer.

"No, no, it's okay. What were you saying?" I asked, my softer, hoping he'd tell me. He looked at me hesitantly, but shook his head. "I thought you were a friend of mine." He looked away, avoiding my eyes. "Kushina. She was a friend of mine, and you look.." He stopped. "a little bit like her." He looked up at my face. I was staring at him in curiosity and confusion. Who was Kushina? He gulped, and turned away, taking a long drink, probably to avoid my gaze.

"Tessa?" Shikamaru looked at me, concern showing on his face. "Are you alright?" I opened my mouth, looking at Shikamaru.

"Y-Yeah.." I looked back at his dad, before back to Shikamaru. "I-I'm actually gonna go.." I pointed at Shikamaru, slowly backing up. "Thanks for everything, Shika, but I'm gonna try to get some sleep before the matches." I reached the entrance. "Goodnight!" I said, dashing out of the restaurant before he could say anything. I slowed when I was far enough, biting my lip and looking at the ground. He said I looked like someone named Kushina. But the million dollar question was still unanswered. Who was Kushina?

I crossed my arms, rubbing them with my hands as I walked down the street. I felt goosebumps, a cold chill. Maybe it was just nerves, and I was being stupid. But one thing for sure. I could not get that name out of my head.

Kushina.

I couldn't sleep much last night. I was too deep in thought about the name Shikamaru's dad called me. He said she was a friend of his, but would he know her on a more personal level? Would he give me answers, if I asked him questions about her? He said I looked like her, but that couldn't mean anything...could it?

I let out a sigh, looking down. Thinking about this right now is pointless. It's gonna get me nowhere, and I gotta focus on my match. Before I realized what happened, I was already walking in the arena, too deep in my thinking to notice.

"Hey, you made it in time." Shikamaru's voice pulled me out of my head. I looked up at him, too deep in thought to say anything. "Hello?" He waved his hand lazily in my face.

"O-Oh, sorry Shika." I said distractedly. Shikamaru sighed, closing his eyes.

"I'm sorry about my dad last night. I don't know what he was talking about, but it seemed to shake you a little bit, so I'm sorry." He apologized. My eyes widened slightly at him, before a smile grew on my face.

"It's okay Shikamaru. I just didn't get much sleep last night. Nerves, I guess." I lied. Shikamaru smirked at me, tilting his head slightly over at me.

"What for? You're totally gonna beat Dosu." He replied. I chuckled, playfully shoving him.

"And you're gonna kick Temari's ass." His smirk dropped and he groaned.

"Man, what a drag. People are gonna be mad I beat up a girl if I win." I looked past Shikamaru, seeing Neji, Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari. I furrowed my eyebrows, looking at Shikamaru.

"Where's Shino?" I asked, slightly concerned. There's no way he'd miss his match. "And Dosu is missing too." I added, not too sad about him missing.

"Naruto and Sasuke is missing too." Shikamaru replied to me, head turning to the entrance. My eyes widened slightly, as I put my hand on my chin. Sasuke too? I know he'd been missing from the hospital since we went to go see him, but did he turn up at all? Anywhere? "What is that?" Shikamaru's voice interrupted my thoughts, making me turn to him. He was looking behind me at the entrance. I turned to look just in time to see Naruto sliding across the ground into the arena, and sounds of bulls I think, outside the entrance. Naruto slid to a stop right behind Shikamaru and I, eyes spinning.

"What the hell, Naruto?" I asked, leaning down. Shikamaru leaned down as well, throwing one of Naruto's arms around his neck. I did the same with his other arm, helping Shikamaru lifting him up.

"Oh man, what a drag." Naruto groaned in response, probably still recovering from the slide.

"You're totally late, Naruto." I scolded, knocking him lightly in the head with my fist. He suddenly yanked his arm back from around my neck, standing on his own.

"Guys, run! You won't believe this, but there's a huge herd of stampeding bulls coming this way!" He pointed back to the entrance where he came from.

"What?" Shikamaru asked. I rolled my eyes.

"What are you talking about Naruto?" I asked, my eyebrow twitching in annoyance.

"You're right, I don't believe it." Shika added, putting his thumb in his pocket and letting the rest of his hand hang down. I sighed, ignoring Naruto as he ranted to Shikamaru about these so called bulls that weren't in existence at this moment, but noticing all the other contestants except Gaara facing us, clearly annoyed with Naruto themselves.

"Hey wait, where's Sasuke?" Naruto asked, head turning, probably hoping he's just hiding behind one of us. I shrugged.

"Shino and Dosu are missing too for some reason." I said, trying not to show the concern in my voice about Shino.

"Hey, knock it off. Quit your fidgeting, you three." a voice said, making me look up. The man in front of us wore a flak jacket, a bandana covering the top of his head. Something was hanging from his mouth, some sort of stick or something. "Stand up straight and present yourself proudly to the spectators." I rolled my eyes, my hands on my hips.

"Yeah, sure dad, why don't we just dance while we're at it. Clearly we're just monkeys for their entertainment." I said, sarcastically, annoyed at what he said. I'm not gonna stand proudly. Mostly for the fact that now that he said it, I don't wanna do it even more.

The spectators cheered for us as we stood in the middle of the arena, the anticipation filling their faces.

"Welcome all, and our deepest thanks for coming here to the Village Hidden in the Leaves for this year's Chunin Selection." The Hokage's voice came over the arena loudly. " We have come to the final competition between the ten candidates who made it through the preliminaries. We ask that no one leaves until all the matches have been completed. Now, everyone enjoy!" The crowd cheered yet again, filling the arena with sound.

"Oh, there's one more thing before we get started." The guy in front of us, whom I now assumed was our proctor, reached into his jacket and pulled out a paper. "Look it over." I looked at the page carefully. Dosu's name was no longer on there, making my eyes widen. The grew larger as I saw that my opponent was now Kankuro, who was originally Shino's opponent.

"What the hell?" I mumbled under my breath. Why such a huge change in the matchups?

"There's been a slight change in the matchups." The proctor said finally.

"Slight?" I narrowed my eyes. "Where the hell is Shino? And what about my opponent Dosu?" The proctor didn't even hesitate.

"It doesn't matter, what matters is that this is now the matchups. It's set, so everyone take one last look." Everyone was silent for a moment, while my anger stirred in my chest. This didn't make any sense. Dosu wouldn't just drop out, would he? His only interest was in Sasuke, but maybe he dropped out because he wouldn't get to him in time? No, that wouldn't be it. And Shino, he was training for this, so there's no way he'd just give up either.

"Uh, question!" Naruto's voice said. I turned my head to see his hand up like we were back in the classroom.

"What is it?" The proctor asked with annoyance.

"I uh, was just wondering what will happen to Sasuke? I mean, if he doesn't show up?"

Maybe it's a good thing if Sasuke doesn't show up. I leaned forward slightly, my eyes landing on Gaara. Especially if he has to face that guy.

"Alright, listen up." The proctor said, hands behind his back. I must have missed whatever he said in response. "The terrain's different, but the rules are the same as before. That is that there are no rules. The match continues till one candidate acknowledges defeat or dies. That being said, if I determine that a match is over, I can step in and stop it at any time."

Will you though? I scowled. The last guy didn't, and because of that, Lee might not be a ninja again.

"These are the opponents for the first match; Naruto Uzumaki, and Neji Hyuga. Those two stay. The rest of you can go to the waiting area." I looked over at Naruto giving him a big grin.

"Kick his smug little ass, Naruto." I grinned. Naruto looked at me for a second before grinning back.

"Will do." I nodded, before following Shikamaru and the others to the stairs, up to the area the Proctor was talking about. When we got there, I immediately sat on the ground, putting my legs through the railing and sitting, swinging my legs off the edge anxiously. I know Naruto could do this, I really did. That didn't make me any less anxious about his match though.

"Good luck, Naruto." I whispered, leaning the side of my head against the railing.

A wide smile was on my face as I saw Neji panting on the ground, lying on his back. Naruto stood over him, clearly tired at his match.

"You did it!" I hear a familiar voice belonging to a familiar pinkette. I laughed, standing up from my spot in the railing, and threw my fists in the air.

"Way to go Naruto! You beat his smug little ass!" I yelled, excited. The crowd started clapping at Naruto's performance during the match, some shouting his name. I felt so excited for him, he deserved the win, and the attention. Naruto shouted, running around in the arena with a peace sign thrown up.

"Ughh...Naruto defeated Neji? Oh man, I can't believe it." Shikamaru sounded surprised, watching Naruto with widened eyes.

"What, like you had doubts?" I asked, crossing my arms and looking at him with a smirk, a challenging glint in my eyes.

"I thought Naruto was the same as me, one of the dorky, uncool guys." I giggled, leaning close and putting my arm on Shikamaru's taller shoulder.

"You're not even uncool." I smirked, leaning my head on my arm, my face about a foot away from Shikamaru's. "Besides, who cares? Choji clearly likes you, and so does Naruto, so what does it matter?" Shikamaru sighed, turning his head back towards the arena.

"How am I gonna beat Naruto? Ugh, what a drag." I rolled my eyes playfully, turning towards the stairs to see Naruto walking towards us, hands behind his head.

"Nice job, Naruto!" I ran towards him, tackling him in a hug.

"Uhhh," Naruto froze for a second before wrapping his arms around me, hugging me back. "thanks, Tessa!" He grinned, chuckling. I pulled away, smirking.

"That oughta teach Neji!" I chuckled evilly, making Shikamaru and Naruto deadpan at me. "What? He's all strung up all high and mighty, he can take a few hits to knock him down a few notches." I added. I looked up at the crowd as I started to hear them booing, shouting in anger.

"That Sasuke," Shikamaru started, leaning forward on the railing. "what in the world does he think he's doing? Forfeiting?" I shook my head, holding my chin, also leaning on the railing

"No way. There's no way Sasuke would forfeit a match, he's too egotistical to do so." I responded, tilting my eyes over at him. Naruto looked our way as well, his head resting on his arms on the railing.

"He's definitely gonna be here, believe it." He smiled for a moment, but then stopped, looking over at Gaara. His expression turned into a glare then, making Shikamaru and I look at Gaara. Gaara was also glaring back at Naruto, Shikamaru and I looking back and forth between the two. I glared back at Gaara as well, mindlessly rubbing my throat with my hand, remembering his grip on my throat as he tried to kill me.

"What are we gonna do now?" I hear Kankuro whisper, looking at Temari. I don't move my head, my eyes glancing at them as they talk. "If he doesn't show up, our strategy is ruined."

"This his really bad." Temari replied, a nervous look on her face. I cleared my throat, leaning my head on my hand and leaning forward on the railing, tilting my head at them.

"What...strategy?" I asked with an accusatory tone. Temari's eyes flickered up to me, widened in shock. Kankuro looked over to me, eyeing me dangerously. I thought his hand moved the slightest bit behind him, probably in case I attacked him. I narrowed my eyes at both of them. "If you guys try anything to ruin Sasuke's match against Gaara, you're dead." I warned.

"Oh yeah?" Kankuro's voice raised, him getting defensive. "Well why don't you-"

"Kankuro!" Temari shouted, grabbing his arm. He closed his mouth in a tight line, letting out a soft growl, before turning away.

"Why don't I what?" I challenged, leaning my back against the railing and crossing my arms, looking at him. He didn't answer me, hands clenching into a fist. "Yeah, that's what I thought." I scoffed, looking away. I know that I'm winding Kankuro up, but that doesn't mean I'm not now both terrified, and angry at Gaara. If I could find a way to beat him, I 100% would. The thing is, I don't think I could beat him. Not only that, but I honestly don't know if Sasuke can beat him.

We waited for some time, the crowd getting rowdier and rowdier, until I noticed a ninja at the bottom with the proctor, talking to him. The ninja disappeared, the Proctor finally turning to the crowd.

"Listen, everyone. One of the competitors from the next battle has not arrived yet, so we're going to postpone this match briefly and simply jump ahead to the battle that would've followed this one." I hm'd, not really disappointed, but more annoyed. Of course Sasuke would get an exception, he's an Uchiha.

"That's good." Naruto sighed and nodded.

"Hey, that means my battle's one match closer now, what a drag!" Shikamaru said alarmed. I giggled, elbowing him.

"What, you nervous? You'll do great Shika."

"Then on to the next battle. So, Tessa and Kankuro, come down." My smiled dropped, me looking at Shikamaru.

"Oh shit." I remembered. "Oops, well, looks like I'm up." I chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of my head. Well, so much for being prepared. I started walking towards the stairs, when Kankuro yelled.

"Proctor! I withdraw!" I stopped in my tracks. "I withdrew, so please advance to the next match." I dropped my hand from my head, glaring at Kankuro and feeling my chest heat up in anger.

"What the fuck did you just say?!" I cursed, clenching my fists. "You're just gonna give up like that?!" I stomped towards Kankuro. "You're such a-"

"Hey!" Shikamaru and Naruto grabbed my arms, holding me back. "Calm down, it's not even worth it." Shikamaru said.

"What the hell do you mean?! Not even worth it, that's such bullshit, he's just a coward!" Kankuro only narrowed his eyes at me, watching me. "Come fight me, and be the ninja you claim to be!"

"Ugh, knock it off!" Shikamaru said annoyed. "Just fight someone else later, save your energy." He said, looking at me in the eyes. I growled, stopping my struggle, and looked away, cursing under my breath. Just then, Temari grabbed her fan, swinging it around and opening it, flowing down to the arena on top of it. Shikamaru's eyes widened in shock, watching her jump off at the bottom. She exchanged words with the proctor at the bottom, before he looked up.

"Hey, you up there. Come down." Shikamaru sighed, leaning over the railing and looking down.

"Aw, come on. What are you doing moving these matches up like this? Why does sit have to be my stupid match that gets pushed up? Oh man, this is such a drag." He groaned. I was still upset, but I looked at Shikamaru with fire in my eyes.

"Yeah, well, use my energy about how that idiot quit, and beat her ass, Shikamaru." I said, a wicked grin on my face.

"Shikamaru Nara, come on." The proctor repeated, more urgently. I lightly shoved him, a teasing smile on my face.

"Come on Shika, if you win this match, you probably will be able to get some good rest and be lazy all you want after the exams." He looked at me, seeming to be almost tempted. Suddenly, Naruto jumped over to Shikamaru, slamming his hand into his back with a loud crack.

"All right! Go on Shikamaru, you can do it!" Shikamaru panicked as Naruto shoved him forward, sending Shika over the railing. I gasped, my hands over my mouth.

"Naruto!" I looked over the railing, Shikamaru screaming helplessly as he fell to the bottom of the arena. He ungracefully landed on his back, looking straight back up at us, the dirt flying around him dissipating. "Naruto, you idiot!" I turned to him, slamming my fist into his shoulder pretty hard. "Look at what you did!"

"I-I-I'm sorry!" He yelled, anime tears falling down his face. I groaned, putting my hand on my face in annoyance, ignoring the idiot beside me.

"Shika, are you okay?!" I shouted down, leaning over. He didn't even answer me, probably thinking about how much of a drag Naruto is. The crowd started booing, throwing garbage including cans, paper, and banana peels into the arena and at Shikamaru. Shika even got hit by a piece of paper in the forehead, not even fazing him.

I saw Temari slam her fan down on the ground in anticipation. "What is it? You planning on giving up too?" She asked, her face clearly ready to fight.

"Get up Shikamaru, beat her ass!" I yelled, getting fired up just hearing her. If I could, I'd fight her myself. Shikamaru tilted his head back to look at her before looking up at the clouds.

"Come on, come on, get up and fight!" Naruto shouted beside me, moving around and getting antsy and hopping around. "Get it together, Shikamaru! You gonna get going sometime this year?!"

"Stop yelling in my ear, you idiot!" I shouted at Naruto, glaring at him.

"Well, if you won't move, I will." Temari suddenly threatened. She started running at Shikamaru, her fan in her hand still.

"Hey, I didn't start the match yet!" The proctor shouted lazily. Shikamaru finally spoke in response.

"I forgot, this girl's a spunky one." I rolled my eyes, looking away. Spunky? She's annoying at most. "I hate spunky." he added, taking out two kunai. Oh. Well, whatever, I mean, I'm sometimes spunky, and annoying, but he didn't hate me, right? What am I even doing, why do I even care if Shikamaru hates me?

"Get a grip Tessa." I mumbled to myself, leaning on the railing. Temari slammed her fan down on the ground where Shikamaru lay, throwing up a dirt cloud and making the ground shake. I didn't even worry, I knew Shikamaru was fine. When the dirt cloud cleared, Shikamaru wasn't there. Temari's eyes widened, looking up. Shikamaru stood on two kunai embedded in the wall, his hands in his pockets.

I bit my lip, a smile crossing my face. He was pretty smooth, I'll give him that.

"It really doesn't make a whole lot of difference to me whether I ever become a Chunin or not, but I guess maybe I shouldn't let myself get beaten by a female." He said. Wait, what's wrong with getting beaten by a girl? I bet I could beat Shikamaru. Well...maybe not actually. But at least I could try. "So, let's do it." Temari glared, lifting up her fan again, and swinging it, slamming wind at the place Shikamaru stood on the kunai. He had disappeared.

I grinned, grabbing a strand of hair and playing with it, watching carefully. Shikamaru will beat her, I know it.

"What the hell did he just say?!" I shouted, my face contorted into disbelief.

"What?! What did you say?!" Temari shouted, her arm in the air like Shikamaru's.

"I used up all my chakra on that Shadow Possession Jutsu. I'm good for about another 10 seconds, and that's it." He said, eyes narrowed and his mouth set in a firm line. "Bummer, and here I'd already planned out the next 200 moves in my head. But, my chakra's running low." He put his hand down. He totally would've beat her if he had more chakra. Damn! He needs to carry around chakra pills or something. "Anyway, if I was doing this thing, it would just mean more work." He added, closing his eyes.

"The winner is Temari!" The proctor announced. Shikamaru's shadow retreated, and he groaned, rubbing his shoulder and looking away.

"Man, I'm beat." Temari just stared at him, maybe in disbelief, or shock. She knows he could've beat her too.

Naruto next to me was growling, his hands gripping the railing in front of us tightly. I could see him shaking in anger.

"Naruto?" I asked, looking at him and raising an eyebrow.

"What the heck was that?!" He suddenly shouted, making me jump. "Forfeiting the match when he had it won! Geez!" He slammed his fists down on the railing. "Man, that really ticks me off! That lazy son of a-" He put a foot on the railing, jumping over it down the the arena. "I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind!" I gasped, reaching for him but not being able to grab him.

"Naruto!" I groaned, rubbing my head in annoyance. "What a-ugh!" I jumped over the railing as well, following Naruto down into the arena. I didn't exactly want to scold Shikamaru, but I didn't exactly want to congratulate him either. I landed behind Naruto, who ran at Shikamaru and started shouting and pointing at him while Shika stretched.

"Eh, who are you calling an idiot, idiot?" I hear Shikamaru say, stretching backwards.

"What?!" Naruto snapped. "Why'd you give up? Are you really that lazy, or are you just a big chicken?!" Shikamaru stood back up straight.

"Hey, it's over. Let's just forget it, okay?" He asked softly, clearly not in an argumentative mood. He looked back up at the sky, his mouth in the form of a smile. I didn't say anything, staring at him for a moment. He was so calm after his match, not even having a care in the world. Which, yes, he was lazy, but still, he was content with the match. But...damn. I didn't know Shikamaru was so smart.

He looked over at me, his eyebrows raised, and his mouth moving, though nothing came out of it. Then again, I couldn't hear anything but my thoughts. His eyebrows furrowed a little, mouth moving again. I moved my head, snapping out of it.

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked, moving some hair back.

"I said, why are you staring at me?" Shikamaru asked, his thumb in his pocket. I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. What was I supposed to say to that? 'Hey Shika, I was staring at you because I think you've gotten really strong, and though you're lazy, I think you're kinda cute.'. Who does that?! I felt my cheeks heat up, looking away, not saying anything. A leaf then fell in front of my face, making my blush go away, me looking up. There was a small tornado of wind, and before any of us even knew it, two pairs of feet stood in front of us.

Right in front of us, stood Kakashi and Sasuke, back to back. Instead of his normal attire, Sasuke stood in front of us in a black one piece shorts and short sleeve shirt, light brown bands covering his elbows, and bandages and belts on his left arm.

"Sorry we're late. You wouldn't believe the traffic." Kakashi said. I rolled my eyes, my hands on my hips and leaning forward.

"What? So he's getting to be late like you, too?" I asked annoyed, still kind of mad at Kakashi for not training Naruto or I.

"And you are?" The third proctor asked the raven haired boy in front of us. Sasuke looked up at him, his eyebrows turned down.

"I'm Sasuke Uchiha." Naruto leaned forward, a challenging smile on his face.

"Huh, so you decided to show up after all. I was betting you wouldn't come, cause sooner or later you'd have to face me." I avoided Kakashi's gaze, looking over at Shikamaru. Shika looked just as annoyed as I did.

"So what about you two? Did you win?" Sasuke asked, eyes flickering between Naruto and I. I crossed my arms in annoyance.

"Kankuro forfeited like a stupid coward." I snarled. I could feel the anger rising in me. First Kankuro quitting, then Shikamaru not finishing his match, then stupid Sasuke and Kakashi. Everybody was pissing me off.

"I won!" Naruto said, not even skipping a beat. Sasuke nodded at both of us.

"Well, don't get too full of yourself." He responded to Naruto. "You're still a loser." What the hell am I, chopped liver?! Yeah, good to see you too, asshole. I glared at Sasuke, noticing his hair had gotten longer as well. He didn't even acknowledge my glare, smirking at Naruto.

"Sorry if we kept you waiting, but um, how late are we?" Kakashi asked, rubbing the back of his head. "I mean, it's not like Sasuke is, well, disqualified or anything, right?" Naruto and Shikamaru looked at the third proctor, me closing my eyes in annoyance. Not gonna lie, I secretly hope the proctor says he can't fight.

"Like master, like pupil, even down to your lousy sense of time." The proctor responded.

"Well? What about it?" Kakashi asked, clearly holding back a nervous chuckle.

"You know, you were so late that we extended the deadline for you, twice in fact. And it's lucky for you we did, because you just made it. No, he's not disqualified." I turned my back on them, opening my eyes.

"Yeah. Lucky." I said sarcastically.

"Huh?" Naruto looked at me, a questioning look on his face. "Tessa, what's wrong?" He asked. I turned my head to see him, but also noticing Kakashi give me a troubled look in his eye.

"Nothing. I'm perfectly fine." I snapped, sarcasm still lacing my words. I ignored the rest of their conversation with Sasuke, ready to just go back up the stairs. I sighed, but before I could start walking, Kakashi stood in front of me, ignoring the rest of the conversation as well.

"Look, I'm sorry." He said softly, letting only myself hear him. "I know you're disappointed that I didn't train you or Naruto, but-"

"But Sasuke is special evidently." I snapped, a little loud. Kakashi's eye widened, but he knelt down slightly, getting to my level. "Stop it, I'm not that short, and besides, its rude." I crossed my arms, avoiding his gaze.

"Tessa.." Kakashi started. "are you jealous?" He asked, genuinely. My head snapped over to him, a dangerous look in my eye.

"Excuse me?" I asked, venom lacing my words. Kakashi shook his head, looking at my feet for a moment.

"I know there's a lot going on right now, but-"

"Thanks for the concern Kakashi, but I'm done." I said, hating this conversation.

"Come on guys." Shikamaru suddenly says, casually grabbing my arm and pulling me behind him. "They don't need us here." I nodded, ignoring Kakashi's eye burning into the back of my head after we walked past him. "And I'm gonna take the stairs this time, if you don't mind." Shikamaru added, still dragging me behind him. I blinked, realizing he was pulling me, but I wasn't complaining.

"Come on, are you still upset that I gave you a little push?! You ought to be grateful!" Naruto shouted. We started up the stairs, my mind racing. Why was I upset at Kakashi? Could I be jealous that he was focusing all his attention on Sasuke? That's stupid, isn't it? "Will you hurry up, come on!"

"Relax, Naruto. You're gonna give yourself an ulcer." Naruto slightly turned, looking down the tunnel ahead of us, and stopped. "What is it?" Shikamaru asked, reaching the same step as Naruto. I followed suit, turning and looking down the tunnel as well, and stopping. Two ninja were standing in the tunnel, Gaara coming in this direction. It seemed like the ninja were exchanging words with Gaara, who clearly had no patience to deal with them.

Without any warning, I hear the cork in Gaara's gourd pop, sand spilling out of it like water. The sound of glass breaking followed, the lights in the tunnel going out. Screaming was filling the tunnel and echoing out to us. I gasped, my face turning pale as another ninja ran towards us, away from the sand, before getting tripped and dragged back towards Gaara, him clawing the ground to stop himself from going back into the tunnel. The screams finally stopped, silence filling the area.

"Shit!" I harshly whispered, pulling Naruto and Shikamaru down a few steps, out of view of Gaara. I shoved them closer to the wall, slamming my back against it myself. "Grab onto me!" I said in a rush, making them look at me, fear clear in their faces.

"W-What?" Naruto asked, confused.

"Now!" I whispered again. Quickly, Naruto grabbed my left arm, and Shikamaru grabbed my right hand. "Shut up and don't say anything, and hold your breath, or keep it quiet!" I closed my eyes, concentrating. I felt the magic fill my body, and cover all three of us. I felt Naruto and Shikamaru move, but still hold onto me.

"Whoa.." Naruto whispered quietly. I cloaked us in our magic, making us almost completely invisible. Of course, if we moved too much, Gaara could still see us, but this would do for now.

"Shut up." I whispered through gritted teeth at Naruto, concentrating. Footsteps got closer to us, but the two didn't move. I squeezed my hands a little, hoping to not crush Shikamaru's, but trying to concentrate hard on keeping us transparent. Gaara got closer, before finally passing by us without so much as a glance, walking down the rest of the stairs. I felt the darkness start to fill me up, and I let out a labored breath, trying to keep quiet.

"He's gone." Naruto whispered, being the closest to see down the stairs. I stopped the magic covering us, and let out a groan, falling to the ground and sitting on a step. Shikamaru sat down next to me, Naruto standing and letting out a breath.

"How did you do that?" Shikamaru asked softly, looking at me. I panted for breath, trying to regain myself.

"Same power...as earlier..." I got out, my body shaking. I felt sweat bead down my forehead, already tired from using my magic.

"Are you okay?" Shikamaru asked. I nodded.

"I just...need a minute.." I replied warily, feeling drained. Shikamaru lifted up my hand that he was still evidently holding.

"Wait...Tess, what is this?" He asked, looking at the burns on my hand.

"That's what I asked!" Naruto said louder, looking at me. I ripped my hand from Shikamaru's, using it to push back some of my hair.

"Nothing!" I snapped, hiding it under my other arm. "Don't worry about it." I pushed myself to a stand, my arms protesting under my weight. I hated it when people asked me that question. I didn't want to tell anybody, and Kakashi was the only person that would know. Shikamaru sighed, changing the subject.

"If we'd have come up the stairs even a second earlier, that could've been us just now." I groaned, my body aching from using my magic earlier, and shook my head.

"I could've tried using my power to keep us safe, but...I couldn't guarantee it would stick."

"I have never in my life seen anyone kill like that, without even batting an eye." Shikamaru added, wiping his forehead with his arm. "Things don't look so good for Sasuke. At all."