And I am back! After a week of torture -.- Sorry for the wait, but Kakashi was as elusive as ever. Hope you enjoy the fight! ~KB

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto and I don't own the other reference ;)

Ch 20: The Final Test

Manami kept a wary hand on the hilt of the katana as she analyzed her new opponent. Kakashi appeared very relaxed for someone who was about to fight.

"So," Manami began, "what's the test this time?"

"Simple," he replied, "all you have to do is get one of these." In his hand, Kakashi held up two silver bells hung by a red string.

"That's it?" Manami asked, furrowing her eyebrows, "all I have to do is get one of those two bells from you?"

"Yep," Kakashi replied, curving his eye up in a smile. Lowering the bells, Kakashi tied them to one of his front belt loops so they hung in view under the flak jacket.

At least he didn't hide them from me, Manami thought. She stood there, hesitant to bring out the katana so early in the fight.

"Well?" Kakashi asked, almost tauntingly.

Manami clenched her fists in aggravation. She knew it was going to be difficult getting the bells, no question about it. There was just something about Kakashi that screamed power and ability despite his calm demeanor.

"As I said before," she finally replied, "I'm not really prone to attacking without just cause."

"Hmm, think of it this way then," Kakashi began, "if you don't attack me, you won't get the bells. But when you attack me, make sure you come at me with the intent to kill."

Manami's eyes widened at his words. He wants me- to try and kill him?! To say she was stunned was an understatement.

Manami closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She gripped the katana tightly and unsheathed it. I don't want to do this, she thought, but I have no choice.

Her eyes shot open and Manami lunged at Kakashi. Her goal was clear: retrieve a bell with as little interaction as possible. Course, that was easier said than done.

Manami swung the katana towards Kakashi, embedding the blade into his side. With a puff of smoke, Kakashi disappeared to reveal the blade lodged in a log instead. Go figure, she thought. The move really didn't surprise her, not with everything she'd gone through already that day.

"I didn't think you'd fall for such an easy trick," remarked a voice from behind her. The hairs on Manami's neck bristled; this guy was beginning to get on her nerves.

"I didn't," she replied. Manami planted her leading foot firmly in the ground and used her previous stance to launch into another attack. She lunged forward again towards the white haired ninja, trying something a little different this time.

When she was close to Kakashi, Manami dove towards the ground rather than straight up attacking, dodge rolling past him. She sprang up behind Kakashi and swiped the katana at him.

*Clang!*

The katana blade caught against a simple kunai Kakashi held. He still appeared composed, as if the strength it took to fend off the blade was nothing.

"Is that all you got?" Kakashi taunted. "I told you to come at me with everything you've got."

Reaching behind him, Manami prepared for another weapon attack but instead Kakashi pulled out a little orange covered book. Flipping to a dog-eared page, Kakashi began to read as if nothing important was going on, even as he held the kunai firm against the katana.

Manami furrowed her brows in a deep frown and glared at Kakashi. A book- he's reading a book in the middle of our fight?! she thought angrily. The gall of this man!

"Fine then," she snapped. Manami released the katana with one hand, keeping the blades locked with the other.

"Try this," she smirked at him. Manami pulled on some wire that was wrapped around her hand, it was so thin it was practically invisible. When she yanked the wire, it caused a flurry of shuriken to fly towards them. Manami dropped towards the ground and swipe-kicked Kakashi's feet from under him while he was distracted.

*Poof!*

As Kakashi's back hit the ground, his body turned into a chuck of wood. Not again! Manami thought dejectedly.

"Hey!" came a voice from behind her. Again.

Manami whipped around and glared daggers at the ninja. If only looks could kill.

"Not too bad," Kakashi continued, "except for the fact that I saw you plant the shuriken before you attacked, try to be a little more discreet next time. Nice touch with the wire though. Keep it up and you just might get the bells."

At this point Manami couldn't tell if Kakashi was encouraging her or taunting her.

Before she could respond, Kakashi sank into the ground below him. Manami froze in place, with Kakashi out of her sight there was no telling what he could do. He could pop out of the ground and attack her like one of the Neoshadows or try to grab her ankle and pull her underground with him. He could even be digging a hole to trap her in, sneak attack from behind, or he could do nothing at all!

Manami's head was spinning from all the possibilities, Stop, she told herself, you're making things too complicated; you can't outsmart him- just go with your gut.

Manami sheathed the katana and knelt down to the ground. Removing a glove from one hand, Manami placed the flat of her palm against the dirt. Don't think, just feel.

Manami's brow furrowed in frustration, I can't feel him, she thought. It was a technique she learned in another world. There was a little blind girl she saw that could move around like everyone else and even do earthbending, all by feeling the vibrations of the earth on her bare feet.

The shift of a pebble was all Manami needed. As soon as she felt the change in the earth, Manami jumped high in the air and saw Kakashi emerge from the spot she was just at. Landing a few yards away, Manami wasted no time in whipping out the katana again.

Kakashi had his feet planted firmly against the ground, forming several different hand symbols so quickly, Manami couldn't keep up.

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!" Kakashi held his fingers to his masked lips and blew through them, sending a large ball of fire hurling towards Manami.

Without much time to respond Manami pointed the katana at the fireball, "Blizzara!" she shouted. A ball of misty-ice shot from the tip of the blade towards the fire and Manami weakly ran in the opposite direction.

Upon impact there was large explosion, knocking both Kakashi and Manami off their feet and filling the arena with steam. Manami looked around from where she lay but was blinded by the mist; magic really sapped her strength so she tried not to use it too often. She would be vulnerable for a bit as her body recovered from the strain.

Placing her palm on the ground, Manami waited patiently to see if she could feel Kakashi coming. Her only hope was that the blast knocked him far enough away to where he would have a hard time trying to find her in the mist.

As luck would have it, Manami could feel Kakashi walking around, his movements quiet and calculated. He knew where she was, Manami could feel it. He was planning his next attack.

The steam was slowly beginning to settle; rays of light began to peak through. Manami didn't have much time.

Suddenly, Kakashi's movements stopped. Though she couldn't see him yet, Manami could sense him a few yards in front of her. By now her energy had returned and Manami could move like she did before, but remained lying on the ground. It was a long shot but there was one last thing she could try to do to get the bells.

A light chirp caught Manami's attention. Another chirp came and Manami gripped the hilt of the katana, something was wrong. The chirping continued, becoming more and more frequent. A flash of light caught her eye, Manami looked up to see a faint glow through the lingering mist. It now sounded as if there where thousands of birds chirping and it came from the glow.

Manami hastily stood up and pointed the katana at Kakashi. As the last of the mist faded, Manami saw Kakashi holding his wrist as a ball of white energy crackled in his hand. White shocks of lightening would shoot out at times, leaving a burnt and broken patch on the ground.

Manami had to act while Kakashi was "charging" his attack. She gripped the hilt firmly and shouted "Thundaga!"

Kakashi's head snapped towards her, but it was too late. A column of yellow lightening bolted down from the sky. When the lightening hit Kakashi, the combination of both lightening techniques caused another explosion. Manami ducked from the flying debris, but was caught off balance due to her weakened state. Not my original intention, but I guess it works, she thought.

As the dust settled, Manami got up and walked over to Kakashi. His body spazzed from the electric shock and before he could recover, Manami swiftly bent over and grabbed the bells.

"I win," she announced softly.

"Not quite," came a voice from behind her.

Manami whipped around and sure enough, there stood another Kakashi perfectly unharmed. Manami's head bounced from the Kakashi on the ground to the one standing unscathed. There's two of him?! It's just like that time in the forest, she thought.

Manami looked back at the Kakashi on the ground and once again it poofed out of sight. Glancing in her hand, the bells she retrieved from the Kakashi disappeared as well.

"When will you stop falling for the same trick?" Kakashi asked.

"Hey, at least you didn't turn into a log this time!" Manami grumpily countered.

"Haha, I suppose that's true. But you're still missing these," Kakashi said, holding up the two silver bells.

Manami was at a loss for words. After everything she had been through and she couldn't even retrieve a simple pair of bells. Her body was weak and suffering from the magic attacks, not to mention everything else she had been put through before. I can't take much more of this, she thought morbidly.

"Argh! I have had it!" Manami cried in frustration, "Would you please just give me the damn bells?!"

Kakashi tilted his head to the side and held his fingers over his chin, as if to imitate a thinking pose. "Well, I suppose so," he said, "after all, we have all the data we need."

Manami's jaw hit the ground. After everything that just transpired, he was just going to give her the bells?! To prove his point, Kakashi tossed the bells to Manami. She caught them with ease out of the air.

Eyeing the silver balls suspiciously, Manami shook the red string for fear of them disappearing again. A small chink came from the bells. They were real alright.

"Okay, uh-," Manami began, "Thank you, I guess."

Kakashi nodded in response, giving her another eye-smile. With that, Kakashi vanished in a puff of smoke leaving Manami alone in the arena.

FIN

As usual: What'd ya think?! I rely on you guys to keep me in line with the character and if the story is interesting enough. Hope you enjoyed that extra surprise I threw in there :) Until next time! ~KunoichiBlade