The clicking of senbon was like the clock of Judgement Day. A swirling tornado flew around Aki and Kage, reaching to the ceiling. A silent tear left Aki's eyes.

"And now…" She placed a fist in front of her.

"Huh? Aki, what is this?" Aki choked on her tears.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE I DID THIS!!"

"What IS it?!"

"I created this jutsu…a forbidden one ONLY to be used in dire situations…" A wry smile crept along her bleeding lips.

"I never thought it would come to this." She whispered to herself, letting the tears flow down.

"What…does this jutsu mean?" Kage was shaking in fear.

"It means, "Suicide Chance Needles"." Aki held her fist up, "We have to play a round of Jankken."

" "Jankken"?" Kage echoed the term.

"Rock, Paper, Scissors." Kage scoffed lightly.

"Don't laugh. This jutsu determines who's won…" Kage gulped, "and who's dead."

Kage slowly shook her head.

"If we do not activate it, the tornado will stay forever…until we starve. No one can break its bonds since I've sealed it with my blood." Her thumb was still bleeding.

"What…what if there's a draw?!" she said it with false hope.

"The needle bed gets thicker and faster."

"What if we constantly get draws?"

"It has a "3 strike policy"."

Kage didn't want to hear this.

"It with swallow both of us after three draws."

Aki cried as though she knew this was her end. And Kage's.

"Just do it!"

"No. I can't."

"DAMMIT!! DON'T MAKE THIS HARD FOR ME!! PLEASE!!!"

Kage said nothing as she contemplated the hand that was stretched out in front of her.

"I BEG YOU!! PLEASE!!" Aki's eyes were tightly shut, tears struggling to get out.

Kage inhaled deeply, screwed her eyes shut, and stuck out her fist.

"On three…"

Kage nodded, her breath short and fast.

"Rock…" They bobbed fists once.

"Paper…" A second time.

"Scissors…" The last time.

"And…."

"SHOOT!"

…………

"Kakashi, what do you see?" Gai looked at the tornado with fear cloaking his eyes.

Kakashi's headband was lifted up. His right eye closed as he glared into the tornado.

"It's so hard to make out what's going on. There's so much chakra embedded in the needles!" He focused harder.

"I can see…two bodies of chakra…Oh my God…" He opened his other eyes, recognizing the truth.

"What is it, sensei?!" Sakura gripped her hands.

"This jutsu…is unheard of…"

"What's wrong?!" Gai didn't like the tone of voice from Kakashi. Funeral voice.

"They are deciding fates…in a round of Jankken." Everybody on the balcony above stopped short.

"SAY WHAT?!" Naruto leapt off the railing.

"That can't be!" Sakura tried to shut her ears from the reality.

"It is…HUH?!" He swiftly turned his head back to the tornado.

"What?! WHAT?!"

A slow quaking came from the ring below. A sudden roar came from the tornado, and thousands of needles swam around in the cyclone.

"Uh- oh…"

…………

Aki and Kage looked at their hands. They had both drawn scissors.

"Oh, not again!" Kage moaned.

Aki was on the verge of hyperventilating.

"We have to."

She looked up, seeing the needles going a 60mph and getting closer together.

"Rock,"

"Paper,"

"Scissors,"

"and…SHOOT!"

…………

"What's going on?!"

"The needle bed got thicker and faster. I don't like where this is going…"

"CAN'T WE STOP IT?!"

Kakashi reluctantly shook his head.

"No."

Another rumble was heard.

…………

"NOT 2 ROCKS!?!?"

Aki wanted no more of it.

"One last time. Please…"

"Rock, paper, scissors and SHOOT!"

…………

"Oh no."

"What is it now?"

"I think I know how this jutsu works…"

"Hmm?"

"Three strikes and…" His eyes exploded in realization.

…………

"PAPERS?!"

"This is it, then…"

Kage swallowed.

"A-Aki?" She tried to keep her cool.

"Yeah?" A tear slid over her mustered smile.

"I- I just wanted to…"

"What?" Aki sniffed.

Kage suddenly grabbed Aki in a tight embrace, tears falling into her hair.

"I will always forgive you." Aki's eyes glistened with her tears.

She held Kage so tightly she could have cracked her ribs.

"It's gonna be okay." Kage patted Aki on the back.

Aki slowly nodded.

"Ready?" If she reconsidered it, she wouldn't have the will to continue.

Kage nodded. The needle bed was spinning so fast it could have drilled through the floor.

"ROCK!" shouted Aki.

"PAPER!" shouted Kage.

"SCISSORS!"

"AND…!" both screamed and closed their eyes.