"Before the third exam?" Neji repeated and furrowed his brows.
"Yes." Hayate coughed and nodded. "What I mean is a preliminary for the third exam with the participation in the main event on the line."
"Preliminaries?" Sakura blinked.
"What do you mean 'preliminary?!'" Shikamaru raised his voice and spoke over the muttering around him.
"Sensei, I don't understand the point of a preliminary." Sakura raised her hand slightly. "Aren't we doing the third exam with the remaining candidates now?"
"Were they not informed before about the preliminaries?" Hasu asked quietly.
"They were probably told there would be matches, but only assumed that they were for the real Third exam." Kiri shrugged. "Honestly, the proctors probably kept it ambiguous to make them anxious."
"Maybe." Natsumi murmured, keeping her eyes primarily on Orochimaru, who glanced up at her every once in a while. Just what are you planning to do?
"This time around, perhaps because the first and second exams were too easy, there are just too many candidates left, you see. In accordance with the Chunin Exam traditions, a preliminary will be held in order to reduce the number advancing to the final stage."
"No way!" Sakura's eyes widened.
"As Lord Hokage said before, many will be in attendance for the Third Exam, so our time will be limited and it won't do to have too many long or pointless matches. Therefore, those of you not in top physical condition—" Hayate broke out coughing loudly for an extended period of time.
"Is he even healthy himself?" Ino raised a brow and watched him hacking into his hand.
"This proctor doesn't seem to look very well, either." Hinata held her hand up and frowned faintly.
"Pardon me." Hayate lowered his hand and looked down at the book in his hand. "Those of you who wish to drop out, please speak up now. Otherwise, the matches will begin immediately"
"Immediately?!" Kiba narrowed his eyes and growled.
"That short break was really all we get?" Ino sighed and slouched. "But we just made it through the second exam."
"What a drag." Shikamaru sighed and tilted his head back.
"Can't we at least eat first?" Choji groaned.
Naruto balled his hand into a fist, trembling slightly as "Okay! I'm going to do my best, no matter what! I can't lose in front of my own sister. I have to pay back Kabuto for all his help, too, so I can't fail now."
"I forgot to mention this, but from this point forward, you will be fighting individually. If you aren't comfortable with that or confident in your ability to win, please raise your hands to drop out."
"Who would actually quit after coming this far?" Sasuke gritted his teeth and clamped his hand over his shoulder.
"Sasuke, are you alright?" Sakura leaned forward to whisper.
"The waves of pain are coming on stronger and more frequently than before."
"Hm?" Naruto turned to look at him over his shoulder and frowned, and Sakura furrowed her brows.
"Sasuke... I knew it." She leaned closer and narrowed her voice. "Sasuke, please forfeit the preliminaries."
"What?" Naruto blinked and held up his hand to whisper back. "What are you talking about?"
Sasuke's eyes widened and
"Face it, Sasuke, you weren't yourself that time, and you haven't been well ever since our encounter with that Orochimaru guy. That mark has been causing you a lot of pain, and you're not in any condition to fight."
"Mark?" Naruto whispered and looked to Sasuke, who clenched his jaw and averted his eyes.
"Sasuke, at this rate, you may lose control again." Her lip quivered and she clasped her hands together, shaking at the memories that flooded her. Her eyes watered and she swallowed and wiped her eyes. "Please... I know that you're not the type to give up, but you have to. Just this once, please. I'm... scared. With what happened before..."
"Sakura..." Naruto's expression softened and Sasuke clenched his fist.
"Just as I expected." Hiruzen mumbled, and Anko put her hand on her hip beside him.
"What should we do, Lord Hokage?" Ibiki looked at the elder from the corner of his eye.
"He should be removed from the exams and isolated with ANBU guards like that girl." Anko's eyes narrowed. "I recommend that he retire immediately."
"He's not the type to just obey an order like that." Kakashi smiled slightly and leaned forward as he interjected. "After all, he is an Uchiha."
"Why are you talking nonsense, idiot?" Anko hissed. "I'll make him stop, even by force if needed." She lowered her voice. "The Curse Mark responds even when one is just building up Chakra. What do you know?!"
"Calm yourself, Anko." Hiruzen cleared his throat quietly. "We can't have the Genin hearing you."
Ankofrowned deeply and glared at Kakashi. "It's a dangerous, forbidden technique that eats into the body of the one who has it, and becomes active when one attempts to use their Chakra. Not only that, but the pain it produces is..."
She covered her own mark and looked over toward the dark-haired boy. "It's a wonder how that boy can even endure it. Considering the survival rate, he should be dead already." She turned to look back at the old man. "Lord Hokage, what will be your decision?"
"You're in no condition to fight properly, Sasuke." Sakura held her hands together and tried to keep his gaze as he averted his eyes. "So, please—"
"Shut up, will you?" He shot a glare her way and her hands trembled.
"I understand! The last thing you want to do is quit, but your condition—"
"I said be quiet." He hissed. "Who are you to talk about if I'm fit to fight or not?"
Her eyes widened slightly and she glanced downward as her eyes stung. "But you've been enduring so much pain this whole time, right?" She looked up at him and squeezed her hands together tightly. "I'm your teammate... I was the one watching over you when you were unconscious, and taking care of you, not knowing what was wrong, or if you would live or die. If anyone knows how your condition is, it's me."
"Please be quiet." Sasuke narrowed his eyes and mumbled as a few sets of eyes of the Genin around them fell on them.
"No matter what you say, Sasuke, if you really won't drop out on your own, I'll have no choice but to tell Kakashi-sensei and the proctor about that mark." She lowered her voice and wiped her eye. "If I do that..."
Naruto's eyes widened and the group of candidates at the raised hand in the lineup.
"Well..." Hiruzen turned his attention to the Genin.
"Oh." Hinata's eyes widened as she gasped quietly under her breath, and Kiba turned to look at her.
"What?"
Kabuto smiled as he held his arm above his head and cleared his throat. "If I may be excused... I'm quitting."
"K-Kabuto?" Naruto stared at him, then he swallowed and his stomach sunk.
"Okay, okay." Hayate looked down at the names on the roster in front of him, then coughed under his breath. "Kabuto Yakushi of Konoha, yes? Very well, step back."
"Alright." He turned and started toward the back of the room, and Naruto held up a hand.
"K-Kabuto-san! Why're you quitting?! Tell me why, ya know!"
Kabuto looked at him over his shoulder and Gaara narrowed his eyes at the blond.
"That guy..."
"I'm sorry, Naruto." Kabuto rubbed his head. "It's just that my body is physically very worn out, and my Chakra levels are quite low. Actually, even before the first exam when I wrangled with the guys from the Sound Village, I've had no hearing at all in my left ear. If I were to fight right now with my life being on the line, then I would lose. If I quit now, I'll just try again next year when I have a better chance and have improved myself."
Naruto pressed his lips together and looked down, and Sasuke kept his eyes on the older boy, furrowing his brows.
"I've seen that face a few times." Hiruzen held his pipe out of his mouth and exhaled slowly. "If I remember right, he dropped out of the main battle before, as well. What in the world is he thinking?"
"Anko." Ibiki turned to her.
"Oh, yeah." Anko looked down at the clipboard she held and flipped through the pages until she stopped. "Kabuto Yakushi. According to this, he has failed six times straight."
"And his background?" Hiruzen looked at her from her corner of his eye.
"From his time at the Academy, he was a student who never really stood out and his scores were average. He passed the Graduation Exam on his third try. As for the missions he's carried out, two C-ranks and fourteen D-ranks. It's not a battle record to really be impressed about. However..." She looked back at the Hokage.
"However?"
"It's about before the Academy. Do you remember the story about the one boy brought back from the Kikyo Pass battle?"
"I remember. As I recall, I heard an enemy boy who survived on the battlefield was taken back by a Jonin from the Medical Team. So, he's that boy?"
"Don't take any unnecessary actions." Yoroi narrowed his eyes at his teammate from behind his dark glasses. "Have you forgotten our orders?"
"I'll leave that to you guys. I think there are other things that require my attention." Kabuto smirked at him over his shoulder. "You in particular, Yoroi. You should have no problems with your ability. This is where you can show off your strength if you're one who is irritated that I'm ahead of you."
"Hmph. No need to rub it in our faces that you're his favorite." Yoroi frowned. "Don't act so high and mighty, kid."
"Loud and clear, Yoroi sir." Kabuto smirked wider, then waved at Team Seven before walking away. "Naruto... Sasuke... I wanted to play with you two a little longer but if I go any further... the old me might get stirred up. I am just a spy, after all, and I can't have myself getting exposed." He closed his eyes briefly. "Also, if you are going to watch, Lord Orochimaru, then my services as an information collector are no longer required. I'll have my fun another time."
"What a p—" Kiri mumbled and narrowed her eyes once Kabuto had gone, then she chuckled sheepishly as Hasu looked at her. "Backing out like this at this stage... I was able to succeed when I was much younger. If he's so unconfident in his strength, he should just quit being a Shinobi."
I don't think that's it at all. Natsumi's eyes stayed on Orochimaru, who had been watching Kabuto intently. Doesn't anyone else realize that they're obviously working together? How is it that the Hokage doesn't even seem to tell when he's right behind him?
Hayate coughed loudly and all eyes returned to him. "Now then, if there are any others who want to quit, this is your last chance to speak up."
Sakura stared at Sasuke and clutched her hands together. "I have to tell the proctors about Sasuke's mark." She started to raise her hand and Sasuke quickly grabbed her wrist and furrowed his brows.
"Don't you dare say a thing about this mark."
Sakura gulped and bit her lip, staring downward and then meeting his eyes. "Why're you trying to act so tough? I'm just trying to look out for you... I don't want to see you suffer anymore."
"This has nothing to do with you." He hissed. "It's none of your business, so just keep your mouth shut."
Her eyes widened and a tear rolled down her cheek as she gently tugged her hand away. An ache formed in her chest and she was quiet.
"I said it once before, didn't it? I'm an avenger. I don't need anyone to worry about me, and this isn't just a mere test for me. Becoming a Chunin isn't what's important. 'Am I strong enough?' All I want is the answer to that. All that matters is the opportunity to fight against strong opponents. You'll regret it if you try to get in my way."
"Sasuke..." Sakura trembled at his icy tone and Naruto clenched his fists, angrily whispering.
"Sasuke, what are you saying?! Are you an idiot, trying to act so tough? And don't treat Sakura like that, either! She's only worried about you, ya know!"
"Naruto, this isn't your business, either." Sasuke glared at him, then closed his eyes to reopen them with a smirk. "You're someone that I want to fight, too."
"What?!" Naruto's eyes widened slightly and he blinked. "You want to fight me?" He blinked again and then frowned. "And whaddya mean it's not my business, ya know? We're a team, right?!"
"Don't get in my way. Either of you." Sasuke glowered and looked between them, and Naruto and Sakura shared a quiet expression.
"What Orochimaru said to you is still weighing on my mind. I will allow Sasuke to continue and see how things go."
"What?!" Anko turned to the Hokage. "B-But—!"
"If the Curse Mark activates and the boy starts to lose control even a bit, we will of course intervene."
"Right." Ibiki nodded shortly.
"But—!" Anko opened her mouth, only to shut it again, and then sighed. "...I understand."
Kakashi narrowed his eyes at his students as they quietly bickered and he let out a breath. "It seems as though they're still having trouble getting along."
Hayate coughed loudly and clasped his hands behind his back. "Alright then, we will now begin the preliminaries." He looked over the remaining Genin. "The matches will be one-on-one, just like real Ninja duels. There are exactly twenty people now, so we will conduct ten battles. The winners of these battles will advance to the Final Stage. As for rules of conduct for the matches, there are none. You are to fight until your opponent admits defeat, collapses, or dies. I should warn you... if you don't want to die, and you are losing your match, please admit defeat right away. However, in the event that I determine that a match is over... as I... don't want to needlessly increase the body count... I will intervene and stop the match if necessary or a participant fails to stop after I have called the match over. As of right now, what holds the key to your futures is..."
Hayate turned to Anko and nodded, and she nodded back at him, then turned to touch the microphone and press the button.
"Open it."
A section of the wood paneling of the back wall lifted to reveal a large screen. Hayate turned and put his hands in his pockets.
"The matches will be randomly drawn and the names of the opponents will be displayed here on the electric signboard. Let's get right to it and announce the first match."
Naruto gulped and looked toward Natsumi, who smiled and gave him a thumbs-up, then turned his eyes to the screen. It illuminated and began to go through the roster quickly before it froze and two names were displayed.
Akado Yoroi VS Uchiha Sasuke
"Hmph." Sasuke's lips curved in a smirk and his brows furrowed. "To think it'd be so soon..." He winced and grabbed at his mark again, and Sakura clasped her hands tightly and looked down.
"Sasuke..."
"I couldn't ask for a better outcome." Yoroi chuckled and glanced toward the boy.
Gaara, Neji, and Lee all cast their eyes on him and Hayate coughed.
"Now then, if the two whose names are on the screen will step forward." He waited as they approached, then he held up his hands. "For our first preliminary match, Yoroi Akado and Sasuke Uchiha have been selected. There are no objections, right?"
"None."
"No."
Kakashi looked at Sasuke in silence, then back to his other students. "So, Sasuke's been chosen right off-the-bat?"
"All we can do now is watch..." Sakura pressed her lips together and her forehead creased. "Sasuke... I hope you're right and that nothing bad happens."
"Uchiha..." Kiri mumbled and stood straighter, then crossed her arms and furrowed her brows. "Let's see if he's anything like you were..."
"Why is Lord Hokage letting him fight?" Natsumi murmured. "He's the one who told us that molding Chakra with it could cause problems. So why...?"
Why would the Hokage be so reckless?
"Sasuke, if you really want to fight me, don't lose!" Naruto balled his fists and narrowed his eyes at Yoroi. "You can beat that weird-glasses-guy no problem!"
"Sasuke's acting strange, isn't he?" Ino blinked and looked from the Uchiha boy to Sakura, and her eyes widened slightly. "Sakura looks too concerned just for a normal match. Then, does that mean..." She turned to Sasuke. "Something isn't right, is it?"
"Is it the influence of the Curse Mark?" Dosu thought. "Interesting..."
"Sasuke, do your best!" Lee furrowed his thick brows and held up his fist. "I eagerly await the opportunity to be your opponent."
"I guess I'll wait and see if you are truly a worthy opponent." Neji smirked.
Gaara watched Sasuke intently and silence filled the area.
"The pain won't go away." Sasuke clenched his jaw.
"It seems the Cursed Seal is causing him pain." Yoroi chuckled. "Is something wrong, Uchiha boy?"
Sasuke glared at the man and growled in his throat. "Does he know something?"
"Right, so, let's begin the first battle now." Hayate coughed and eyed the opponents." Those who are not fighting, please move to the upper areas.
The candidates looked around the group, then separated into two factions; the Konoha Genin and their Jonin teachers moving toward the right platform, while the Sound and Sand Genin and Jonin teachers moved toward the left. Sakura and Naruto remained near Sasuke as Kakashi approached, and Naruto broke out into a grin and raised his hand in a large gesture.
"Hey! Kakashi-sensei!"
Kakashi stopped behind Sasuke and looked at him from the corner of his eye. "Sasuke..."
"What?" Sasuke furrowed his brows and looked from the corner of his own eye.
"Do not use the Sharingan."
Sasuke's eyes widened, then smirked. "So, you know already?"
"If that Curse Mark on your neck activates and you lose control, your life could be endangered."
"I understand." Sasuke narrowed his gaze.
"If that happens, the match will be interrupted immediately, and I will be the one to stop it. So, good luck." He continued to walk toward Naruto and Sakura, and Sasuke balled his hands.
"Interrupted?!" He touched the mark and glared downward. "It seems that this Curse Mark responds to my Chakra. If I carelessly build up Chakra, it seems to activate and bring out the rest of my Chakra without any control." He looked up at the silent Oto Genin before him. "In other words, for this match, I will hardly be able to use my regular Jutsu, let alone the Sharingan."
Orochimaru crossed his arms and looked down at Sasuke and Yoroi, who stood in preparation, and his lips curved in a smirk. "Things are about to get rather interesting. Sasuke... you may be brimming with the talent of the Uchiha clan, but Yoroi's ability is the worst thing for you to face." He chuckled under his breath and his eyes rose to lock with the pair of violet eyes across the room. "Staring daggers at me like that... anyone else would surely shudder in fear at such a look. That girl truly despises my presence so much."
Natsumi's stomach turned and she gritted her teeth.
You know that I know who you really are. You know that I'm onto you, so what are you waiting for? What are you trying to do?
"Poor girl. She looks as if she's about to burst from her pent-up anger and frustration" He flicked his tongue to lick his lips. "That darkness in her eyes is something else. It's a shame that Oto snatched her up first." His eyes darted to the boy beside her. "Though he serves no purpose, his presence here intrigues me." His expression darkened. "And, if she tries to interfere, he will make an excellent target. She is too easy to read."
Natsumi's eyes widened, then she shuddered and gripped the rail more tightly.
Threatening Hasu? She swallowed and glared back at him. Fine. I'll just have to be on guard as much as I can. If he tries to make a move, I have to get Hasu out of here right away and then keep Naruto safe, too. Even if I can alert anyone to his presence or overpower him, I can at least get those two to safety.
"Natsumi!"
Hasu touched her shoulder and she broke eye contact with Orochimaru and blinked.
"W-What? What is it?"
He pointed to her hands, which were half-shifted into smoke with faint tendrils floating from them. Her eyes widened and she quickly drew her hands back. For a brief moment, the railing remained in an intangible form and then returned to its original state.
How did I...? I didn't even try to do that or even realize it was happening.
"Are you all right?" Hasu frowned slightly and met her eyes. "Should we have stayed back at the estate so that you could have continued to rest?"
Natsumi let out the breath she had been holding and slowly shook her head. She flexed her fingers, checking that they were solid once more, and then ran them through her hair. "I-I guess I'm just pretty anxious for the fights. More than I realized I would be."
"That is understandable. It is only natural to worry for your brother, in such a fight where there are no restrictions. However, I think that, even with those rules, most would not attempt to take it that far. You needn't worry."
"Natsuuuuuumiiii!" Naruto called out to her, waving and grinning as he ran over to her. He stopped in front of her and crossed his arms behind his head. "I finally get to hang out with you for a while! Isn't this great?"
Natsumi let out a breath and smiled back. "Yeah, it's nice." She looked at Sakura, whose eyes were clouded over and her eyes remained cast down as she joined them.
She looks completely crushed. What were they talking about?
Naruto followed Natsumi's gaze to Sakura, and his expression fell slightly and he muttered under his breath.
"That jerk... Sakura was only trying to help..."
Sakura looked up at him and forced a faint smile. "Naruto, it's okay, you don't have to worry about it. I'm not upset." Her smile faltered and Natsumi frowned slightly.
Liar.
"Hey, Sakura, don't worry, ya know. I have something that will cheer you up." Naruto dug into his back pouch and stuck his tongue out as he felt around. His eyes widened after a moment and he produced a small candy. "Aha!" He held it out to her, then smiled sheepishly. "W-Well... it's kind of been in my pouch this whole time and I'd forgotten about it, so it's kind of squished... but it might still taste good."
Sakura blinked and looked down at the candy and bit her lip. "Naruto's... really that worried about me being so upset, isn't he?"
Naruto lowered his arm slightly and rubbed his head. "Although... it's probably not really as good anymore, so if you don't want it, s'fine..."
"No, I'll take it!" Sakura quickly took the candy from him, unwrapping it and putting it into her mouth before he could say anything else. She made a face and then smiled at him as she chewed it quickly and then swallowed it. "T-Thanks, Naruto."
"S-Sakura..." He blinked and then broke into a grin again. "If you like that, then I'll have to show you all the other flavors, too, ya know! There's plum, and persimmon... oh, and the caramel apple is pretty good, too!"
"I-I'm sure..." Sakura kept her smile up though it faded when he turned back to his twin. "It's not really fair for Naruto to be trying to make me feel better when Sasuke said the same things to him..." She frowned and looked down at Sasuke. "What's gotten into you, Sasuke? Aren't we teammates? Why won't you let us help you?"
Kiri looked at Kakashi, who met her eyes, and she kept her arm by her side while she made a few signs, then tapped her neck. He nodded, and Kiri exhaled and put her hands on her hips.
"Hmph. So they already know, then? What the hell are you doing, old man?"
"Congratulations on completing the second stage of the exam." Hasu looked at the blond boy and Naruto crossed his arms and made a face.
"Oh. Thanks." He squinted at the older boy for several moments. "Why does he keep hanging around Natsumi so much, anyway? It's pretty suspicious if you ask me."
"She's with that guy again."
Kankuro kept his arms crossed as he looked across the room, and Temari raised her brow as she watched him, and then nudged his side with her elbow.
"If you're going to stare at a girl, at least make it less obvious."
He gritted his teeth and shot her a look. "Shaddup. I'm not staring at anyone."
"And I'm not blonde." Temari scoffed. "Honestly, I'm not sure why you're so interested in her. She's young, she's from the Leaf, and she's not even that cute." She put a hand on her hip. "Just because she kissed you doesn't mean anything."
"I said shut up." He muttered and his cheeks warmed. "It's not any of your business, so stop bringing it up in case anyone overhears."
"We're not here to fraternize." Temari leaned her back against the railing slightly and kept her eyes on her brother. "So, whatever you're thinking about, just forget about it."
"I know that." He grumbled and turned his eyes back to the girl. "I guess I'm just curious as to why she would do something like that in the first place."
Temari rolled her eyes. "Why not just ask her sometime? It's better than staring at her like some sort of creep."
"I thought you said to forget about it?"
Temari sighed and waved her hand. "Well, it seems obvious that you're really hung up about it, so you might as well just find out and get it over with so you can finally focus. We are here for a reason." She crossed her arms. "Though I'm still not even sure about it myself..."
"What're you two whispering about?" Baki asked from behind them, and the two siblings jumped slightly in surprise.
"E-Eh... that's..." Kankuro averted his eyes and scratched his cheek.
"Well..." Temari turned away, then glanced back at the girl from the corner of her eye.
"Hm?" Baki followed Temari's gaze and then furrowed his brows. "Isn't that the same girl who met with Lord Kazekage? What is she doing here?"
"Her brother is one of the candidates." Temari turned slightly to look toward the cluster of Leaf Genin on the opposite platform. "The obnoxious blond one."
"Huh." Baki crossed his arms and turned to Kankuro. "And? What's your interest in her?"
Kankuro coughed and there was an awkward silence.
"Is this about that kiss?"
Kankuro blushed and Temari blinked.
"H-How do you know about that?" Kankuro gulped and Baki sightly shortly.
"Those Leaf Shinobi were heavily monitored the entire time they were in Suna and it happened near an area with guards. Of course I know of it." Baki answered.
"R-Right." Kankuro rubbed the back of his head. "I had no idea that anyone else had seen."
"Do you have an interest in that girl?"
"Not really." Kankuro crossed his arms and averted his eyes.
"He's just curious as to why she did that in the first place." Temari shrugged. "It's not a big deal, so—"
"I see." Baki touched his chin for a moment in thought. "We might be able to use this."
"Huh?" Temari looked at him. "W-What do you mean?"
"U-Use?" Kankuro repeated.
"That's right." Baki stepped closer, looking at the girl, then down at Kankuro as he rested his hand on his shoulder and lowered his voice. "We don't know why, but she has shown some interest in you. If you have some interest in her as well, then we won't waste this opportunity."
"What are you implying?" Kankuro's frown deepened and he met the man's eyes.
"For the duration of our stay here in Konoha, whenever the opportunity arises, you're going to talk to her. You're going to be friendly and get to know her. Find ways to spend time with her. If she is as naive as she seemed in Suna, then it shouldn't take long for her to be able to trust you. When that happens, she's sure to reveal something useful."
The color drained from his face slightly and he clenched his fists, shrugging his shoulder to remove his teacher's hand. "You want me to use her?"
"Of course." Baki nodded and crossed his arms. "Our mission is too important to waste a chance like this."
"But..."
Baki raised a brow. "Do you object?"
"I..." Kankuro looked away, then let out a sigh and shook his head slowly. "...Fine."
"Good." Baki nodded. "Any information she reveals could benefit us, so pay close attention."
"Right..." He mumbled and turned to look back at the redhead, who was now laughing quietly with the blond boy beside her as they talked. "How did I get myself into this mess?"
"Now then... what will I do?" Sasuke smirked broadly.
Kurenai stood beside Shino as Kiba rested an arm on the railing and Hinata held it gently to look below. Akamaru whimpered from where he remained nestled in Kiba's jacket, and Kiba nodded and sighed.
"Yeah, I'm glad we didn't get picked first, either. Especially if that guy was our opponent."
Each of the remaining teams took their place and looked below. Naruto sat in a squat while Sakura stood with her hands clasped and her eyes watered.
"Don't act rashly, Sasuke." Kakashi stood with his hands in his pockets and looked below. "You don't fully understand the ramifications if you do."
Hayate held up his hands and nodded. "Now then, please begin."
"Let's go!" Yoroi grumbled and formed a hand sign. His Chakra channeled to his right hand, faintly visible around it as a soft blue aura. With his other hand, he reached into his back pouch and glanced at Hayate.
"About time." Sasuke bent and his hand hovered over the sheath on his thigh, then suddenly drew a Kunai as Yoroi threw several Chakra-enhanced Shuriken at him. With a shout, Sasuke knocked the Shuriken away and sent them flying back at his opponent. His eyes widened and the Mark throbbed, and he felt to the ground as pain flooded him. "Already?!"
Yoroi dodged the rebounded Shuriken and struck at Sasuke, who rolled slightly to avoid the direct hit, and the floor beneath him shattered. Sasuke gritted his teeth and dug his Kunai into the floor. He twisted his body to hook his feet around Yoroi's ankle. In a single, fluid motion, Sasuke brought him to the ground, pinning him with his feet around his neck as he held his arm in a prone position.
Naruto's eyes widened and he turned his full attention to the fight. "H-He did it!"
Yoroi chuckled and gripped Sasuke's shirt. His hand was cloaked in Chakra again, and Sasuke's eyes widened.
"My strength...?!" Sasuke gritted his teeth and a wave of fatigue dizzied him.
Orochimaru chuckled under his breath as Yoroi released Sasuke, who trembled slightly, and brought his fist hard on the boy's sternum. Sasuke cried out on impact and Yoroi stood and chuckled again. Sasuke tried to sit but shook and remained in place.
"My strength is suddenly gone!" Sasuke clutched at his chest.
"What's going on? He's not getting up?!" Sakura stared wide-eyed at Sasuke as Yoroi drew back his arm for a second attack. "Sasuke, watch out!"
Sasuke's eyes burst open and he forced himself upright quickly just as Yaroi gripped his head and pinned him to the ground. Chakra gathered around his hand again and Sasuke's body shook. His breathing gargled and his grip on the man's arm loosened until his arm fell and his eyes fluttered shut.
Eyes widened throughout the room and Naruto's mouth gaped.
"Sasuke...!"
"M-My... Chakra..." Sasuke's eyes cracked open and he struggled to lift his head.
"You only just noticed?' Yoroi laughed under his breath. "This is the end of the line for you, Sasuke Uchiha."