Naruto: A Red Eye Hidden by Shadow

by Tatanka4Life

On the fateful night of the Uchiha Massacre, a girl of Uchiha and Nara blood is spared and left with no memories of her past. Now she must walk on the path left by her family to help her build a new future for herself. Her path will be hard, full of struggles and pain, but as long as she has her friends and family at her side she will keep forging ahead, even if it was a drag.

31. Chapter 30: Sensitive Matters

Chapter 30

Sensitive Matters: A Genin Seeking Help and Mirrored Taijutsu!

Nearly all was silent on the mist covered bridge. After the clashes of blades and wills where the clang of metal, the impact of jutsus and fierce explosions of chakra were joined by cries of vengeance, menacing laughter and rallying cries, all those gathered stood in shocked silence. Only the echo from the young kunoichi's agony filled cry penetrated the quiet.

Her cry of agony.

She couldn't hear the profound silence over the crackling lightning in her ear or the shrieking pain of tearing flesh. Oh Kami. Pain. Pain everywhere. It tore and screeched and cried and hurt. It hurt so much.

Her eyes burned with tears as the pain receptors in her arm sent panicked messages to her brain, relaying the searing, explosion of pain. She tried to shut it out. Tried to pretend it wasn't there, that it was just an illusion.

It couldn't be ignored.

Pain. Pain. Pain. Every heartbeat echoed by a thundering pulsation of pain. Every tear joined by a drop of crimson blood.

She was drowning, tugged deeper and deeper into this bottomless pit of agony.

Why wouldn't it stop hurting? Please, make it stop. Take it all away forever.

It didn't stop hurting. No, even as she jolted awake, gasping for air after drowning, her scars still burned with the same intensity as that day. Scorching pain, shredding flesh. Kami, she could still feel it. She could feel her arm being torn apart over and over again. She could hear the lightning in her ear, see the mist encompassing her.

Please, make it stop.

A sheen of sweat covered her skin, her breathing erratic and impossible to catch while her entire body trembled.

Another explosion of pain reverberated across her arm, tensing the muscles and stiffening her left arm into a forced state of paralysis.

She grit her teeth, silencing the cry of pain desperate to break free of her lips and lurching forward as if struck in her stomach.

This pain wasn't real anymore; she reminded herself of that fact over and over, but it didn't stop hurting. The scars burned fiercer, the flesh tearing open once more as she heard the heated cries of her past self.

"Haku lives for you, you heartless bastard!"

It wasn't real. It wasn't real. It wasn't real.

Arm still tense and stiff, she forced herself to lift her hand up in front of her, to prove the wounds weren't there. She could see it trembling through the fog of mist, covered in blood—her blood.

She started to hyperventilate.

It wasn't real. None of it was. This was a trick, an illusion cast by her own mind.

Yet it was real. Too real. This wasn't a trick or an illusion or even just a nightmare. That day was real. The pain was real. The scars were real.

And this time she was alone. No one could come and save her. No hand could reach out to her and pull her from this frightening memory into the warmth of an embrace. Her mother wasn't here. Only her peers were, and she refused to let them see her in this state.

Not real. Not real. Please, make it stop.

She squeezed her eyes shut to hide from the mist, hoping to shut it and the whispers of the agony filled child from her senses. Her heart thundered against her chest, her panic refusing to die.

This was her mind and her body. It would listen to her commands if she tried hard enough. Mind over matter.

Clenching her left hand into a fist, she whimpered as the action created a ripple effect of pain across her arm.

Her mind. Her body. This wasn't real anymore. This pain was in the past. It didn't exist in the present. She already experienced it and the wounds healed over. No blood. No pain. No mist.

She inhaled and exhaled as quietly as she could. Hide the pain. This was her struggle, not anyone else's. They would only see her as weak, and she wasn't weak. She was strong. Not the weak girl who watched her friends fight and die.

Another quake of searing pain, another silenced whimper.

How long she sat there, she couldn't say. Minutes? Hours? At times it felt like days.

There were times she tried to lie back down and ignore the pain, but her body would never make it all the way down. The pain, as if aware of her intentions, erupted every time to keep her trembling and stiff as a board.

Eventually she rested her forehead against her knees, left hand curling against the fabric of her blanket as her body trembled and shook, warm tears streaming down her cheeks in silent suffering.

One day she would be okay. Her mother believed that, so she held onto that hope as tightly as she gripped her blanket.

One day.

---

The accommodations given to the early participants at the tower were pretty much what Amari expected them to be: the bare minimum. Tiny cots were stationed across different rooms for the surviving teams; one of the larger rooms served to be the place of gathering for the few teams friendly with one another, while the other loner teams went to private rooms.

Besides the cots, the rooms weren't furnished or decorated. The walls were painted a dull color undeserving of a name, and the occasional window reminded those within of the forest teeming with danger beyond the safety of the walls.

Without a cafeteria of any kind, military ration bars were the food of choice. Bland and tasteless, the food was simply substance to eat when necessary, a way to resupply the body's energy and keep your hunger sated for a long while.

Amari tasted worse. The orphanage hadn't been a five-star restaurant by any stretch of the imagination. When your choice was to either eat or starve, a person learned to be less picky with their food.

Nobody was to be pampered here. This wasn't a luxury resort vacation; this was the Chūnin Exams, a chance to earn a promotion by proving you could be a smart and strong leader.

A chance to honor your Village.

The Rookie Ten proved once again why they shouldn't have been underestimated because of their rookie status. Team Seven, Team Eight and Team Ten all passed through the second phase to reach the tower; Team Eight in particular finished the second quickest of all this year's participants, falling shortly behind the Sand trio.

Amari wasn't surprised. Hinata's team was in their element for this particular survival exercise. All three not only had the experience of Land of Fire terrain, but their specialties were perfect for tracking other shinobi. It would have been more of a shock if they hadn't passed.

Still, Amari was happy for their good fortune, and severely disappointed the Sand trio successfully made it through. She hoped they wouldn't get through the round, or at the least would end up barely making it through. Both of her hopes went unfulfilled. Not a single scratch marked them, and they were still here to be pitted against the surviving teams.

What a drag.

So far only three other teams passed, not including Team Guy. Kabuto's team, another Leaf trio she knew nothing of and, unfortunately, the Sound shinobi. The latter team only showed up earlier this morning; they looked about as well as she, Sakura and Lee left them. Their most intelligent decision was keeping their distance, but the crazy eyed glare Zaku shot her didn't go unnoticed, neither did his still broken arms.

The Leaf team she did not know fared a bit better. One of their teammates looked pretty roughed up, yet all three still appeared ready to fight, and a bit mean looking if she was honest. They were probably taking this super seriously…not that she or anyone else wasn't. After the incident with Orochimaru, she found it hard not to take a single moment out here seriously.

At the start of the second phase, twenty-eight teams and eighty-six shinobi entered the Forest of Death. Now there were only eight teams left and twenty-six shinobi—the drop of participants was staggering. Far more than half either went home empty handed or weren't going home at all.

It wasn't unexpected. The test was meant to eliminate half of the participants, after all. And with individuals disobeying the rules to open their scrolls, less than half the teams could ultimately pass the exam. In the end, this test weeded out the lucky, the foolish and the weak—as was likely the intention.

Yet…something still felt incredibly off about the purpose of the test, specifically the balance of power portion of it. Out of all the ninja to go into the Exams, the Rookie Ten—three of the eight teams—passed. Team Guy, Kabuto's team and the mean looking Leaf shinobi made six of eight.

The balance of power was clearly in Konoha's favor here. In a simplified Shikamaru example, "It's like filling a bag with eight colored marbles. If six of the eight colors are red, one is blue and one is purple, the probability you pull out one that is red is clearly higher. Either the intention they have to regulate the balance of power doesn't work as intended, or this entire test is built to work in favor for whoever is hosting it."

Amari concurred with her cousin's conclusion and his final words.

"Politics are such a drag."

Amari turned onto her left side in her cot and stared into the blank darkness of the wall. The nightmare wasn't torturing her anymore. Her scars remained warm without pain, thankfully, but replacing the nightmare were jitters.

Prior to passing the exam, Amari had been too tired to think about everything that occurred in the forest. The exhaustion slowing her thought processes vanished after the night they made it to the tower. In the wake of the nightmare, however, her mind accelerated to full speed to catch up on lost time.

Orochimaru's intentions, the crows, her Ultimate Defense—or imperfect defense, really—plus Sasuke's mark and the seal on Naruto were the more important matters she couldn't stop thinking about.

Ice cream was also still on her mind, but no luck finding an ice cream shop yet.

Troublesome mind. First the nightmare and now this? Couldn't it hit the brakes and let her sleep in peace?

Apparently not.

As if to prove a point, her mind jumped to another train of thought.

Her team told her about their conversation with Mimi regarding her father and the terrible reign of the Fourth Mizukage. Learning of her father's origin didn't change her opinion whatsoever on her fellow kunoichi. Mimi was still Mimi, a friend and comrade she aspired to befriend and rival with.

The Fourth Mizukage bits intrigued her. First off, she knew next to nothing of the Fourth Mizukage, other than he presided over Blood Mist and in all likelihood created the test or approved it. That one fact didn't give her a high opinion of him. A Village leader was meant to guide the next generation and nurture their growth, not have them slaughter one another.

The Blood Mist Exam in all likelihood psychologically damaged the shinobi who took part, but one question lingered in her mind: How were the natives of the Village affected? How did the bloodshed and brutality affect the civilian population? It couldn't do anything good, especially if the Fourth Mizukage was a tyrannical leader.

Fear might keep them in line, but it did not blind them to what went on around them. Amari could not draw an accurate conclusion without firsthand evidence—evidence she was in no rush to have. But she found it hard to believe the civilian population, or children yet to enter the Academy, were not somehow affected by what they witnessed.

Look at her and Haku. Kasai killed Ryu and destroyed her original eye. Haku killed his father after the bastard murdered his mother and tried to kill him too. These impactful, brutal and bloody events changed them significantly. Their worlds were torn apart, and in the end they were set on the paths towards their inevitable clash.

What if Blood Mist was a constant state of death and betrayal? What if battles happened in the streets and everyone from elderly folk to children witnessed death on a near daily basis? How would that affect them?

Amari stared at the wall next to her, troubled and full of sudden heartbreak. No one would be spared from the cruelty…but would they eventually just become immune to it? As if it is normal when it absolutely isn't?

The thought hurt her heart. Her left hand curled around the edge of her pillow and squeezed it, desperately wanting to hug the pillow or person to stop these aches. But the thought fired her up too. It made her want to fight. To destroy whoever could impose such violence over people. To eradicate the enablers and those who profited from such a disgusting abuse of power.

Did any of the natives of Mist feel this same fire? This same desire to end the Fourth Mizukage's reign so they could bring new life to their home? Was that the reason Zabuza tried to assassinate the Mizukage?

I wonder if their attempt to create emotionless and powerful shinobi accidently created the Demon of the Hidden Mist. Had the constant brutality affected Zabuza so much as a child he just snapped?

They never really talked about why he tried to assassinate the Mizukage; the talking point hadn't really come up as they tried to kill each other. Amari simply assumed his assassination attempt was fueled by a desire to become the new Mizukage and rule over Kirigakure himself. But could his goal have once been to end the Fourth Mizukage to turn the Mist towards a different direction? One with less bloodshed?

She sighed, unsure of her own thoughts. In my heart I want to believe he once fought to stop a tyrannical leader. He still had good in him, it's the only reason we did not end our battle by killing one another. But…I don't know the truth, and maybe I don't want to.

The truth was probably harsher and less fairytale like. Zabuza was the Demon of the Hidden Mist. He wasn't the Friendly Spirit of Hidden Unicorn Village. And good intentions did not make evil deeds lesser. Great or small, evil was evil.

There's only one thing I am sure of: the Haku and Zabuza we parted ways with were not evil, not anymore in Zabuza's case and not ever in Haku's.

She hoped Zabuza's new path would be without carnage. One closer to the ideal she wanted to envision his younger self as: an ambitious freedom fighter who wanted to keep his people from turning into what he was twisted into.

Deep down Amari truly did hope Zabuza and Haku could be given a second chance to go back home without being hunted or killed. While others may not believe they deserved that chance, Amari did.

Hope you guys are okay and getting stronger. She smiled to herself, twisting a lock of blue hair around her finger. Wouldn't want to kick your butt too badly, old man.

The Land of Waves mission changed Amari in many ways. It left physical scars on her. It made her realize the flaws of her goals and how much of a hypocrite she was.

She clung so tightly to her goals, yet never questioned where it would lead her. She didn't even care to think about a future because she never adjusted her goal from dying alongside Kasai to living with her new family.

At the same time she talked such a big game about being a shinobi to the kids around her. She acted like the pain she experienced made her a shinobi the moment she earned her headband, yet she had so much more to learn, so much more room to grow to one day consider herself one.

The piece of her heart and soul she sacrificed on that bridge would always be there. The pain she experienced in fighting Haku and from the Lightning Blade would stick with her forever, and she feared the nightmares would to. But she wouldn't take any of it back. What she lost and what scars were given to her were worth all the good that came from it.

Through their mission to the Land of Waves she met good people in Tazuna's family. She found a kindred spirit in Haku, saved him from sacrificing his life and befriended him. Zabuza even earned a place in her heart, though she'd never tell the old man. Jerk would tease her about being so emotional. She got to ice skate, remembered her cousin's voice, found her nindo and tackled Zabuza into the water.

Much like the scars permanently marring her arm and heart, these moments and the people she met were forever engraved into her memories.

Such a crazy mission, and somehow we topped it in crazy thanks to Orochi-jackass and the fancy Sound gadget bastard club.

Amari sighed softly, turning again to lay flat on her back with her right hand resting on her stomach. Not that she had much choice where it laid. The medics put her in a stupid cloth sling to keep her from moving it too much. Apparently they didn't trust her to not use it.

A wise decision on their part, intelligent jerks.

I'm sure the old man would get a laugh at our expense. First we get an A-rank mission on accident, which led us to fight him and Haku. Then during this exam we face an S-rank criminal who placed a dangerous Seal on Sasuke, disrupted Naruto's chakra and severely injured me. And then he sends his goons after us.

Amari frowned. Lucky sevens my butt.

Their luck wasn't all bad, she supposed. Sasuke did keep his mark in check and Mimi was able to heal most of her injuries. Overall, those two pieces of positivity did keep her a little bit hopeful.

The fact Sasuke fought with all his willpower to keep the mark in check left Amari extremely happy. Even when it started to spread across his body and his chakra—tainted by the vile mark—swirled around him violently, he never stopped fighting to control it.

On separate occasions she asked Sasuke, Sakura, Shikamaru and Mimi about the moment. They couldn't hide from it while the mark still existed. She needed to gather every scrap of information she could from credible sources to learn more about the mark so she could help, either directly or indirectly.

As Ibiki said, good information was imperative to a shinobi's mission.

As for her injuries, she was recovering well, by her standards at least. She was pretty sure the medics felt differently. Of course they were right, but overall she didn't feel too bad. After the chakra exhaustion and severe pain she experienced, aches in her thigh and shoulder and numbness in her fingertips didn't much bother her.

The medics here did provide medical attention, but as Mimi said she needed more than a simple healing. Given the choice to either forfeit now and get healed or continue the exams with her arm and leg as they were, Amari chose to stay in. She wasn't about to give up after coming this far. She would pass this next part and then deal with her injuries.

Shikamaru was quietly agitated about her decision. Others couldn't see it. To them he appeared as the same lazy Shikamaru, but she could tell exactly how troublesome he thought she was being.

"You're angry with me," she stated over a game of makeshift shogi. They used ninja tools and other miscellaneous objects as pieces since they lacked a real shogi board. It took a while to get used to, but they eventually found their rhythm.

"Not angry, just worried."

"I'll be okay, Shika."

"We could have lost you, 'Risu. Had Orochimaru's whim shifted at a single moment—"

"I'm still alive, Shika. That's what counts, right?"

Shikamaru exhaled a deep, heavy sigh. "Yeah. It does count, big time. But…Listen, I know you're not going to quit, no matter what I say. I won't push that. Just…please, try not to push yourself any further. This promotion isn't worth a permanent handicap."

"I'll be okay, Shika. I'm more durable than I look."

"Heh, suppose I can't argue with that. Still losing at shogi, though. Checkmate."

"Wha— damn it! I demand a rematch!"

Their next shogi match lasted a few hours. It was during this match Shikamaru brought up the revelation of her Uchiha heritage.

"An Uchiha, huh?" was how he prompted the subject.

They both spoke quietly of it since her Uchiha background still needed to be kept secret. Kind of wish Ino didn't go and blurt it out in front of Hinata's team, though. Troublesome girl. It didn't change anything about how her Leaf peers looked at her, or at least she didn't notice any changes. Amari just didn't mean for it to come out so soon. In the heat of the fight with the Sound shinobi she didn't even think about it. She just reacted.

Shikamaru didn't seem to be bothered by her hiding it. If anything, he was impressed she kept her Sharingan secret as long as she did through their years in the Academy all the way to now.

"It was good practice for keeping secrets," Shikamaru pointed out thoughtfully.

Another thing he understood was the need for secrecy faster than anyone else did.

"Sorry about Ino telling Hinata's team without thinking. She's such a gossip hound."

"It's no big deal, Shika."

"No, it is, otherwise you wouldn't have had to hide it from us. The Sharingan has to be a coveted prize, even more so now that the Uchiha Clan is gone. I always wondered why so many Jōnin acted as your trainers and guardians. My dad, your mom, Kakashi-sensei, Asuma-sensei, even Lord Third. They weren't just trying to make you feel at home, they were protecting you from domestic threats and preparing you to defend yourself because you had the Sharingan."

He hit the nail right on the head. The only piece of information he missed was her Byakugan.

"…Yeah. They were," she admitted quietly, eye falling with her mood. She had been so weak back then. So helpless and useless and…she hated her past self. She hated her weakness so much, because that weakness cost her Ryu.

"No one else here saw the extent of my malnourished state like you did, Shika. I was just skin and bone, no matter what I tried to argue. I cried a lot. Every night because my bed felt empty. Every morning when I woke up to the world without them in it. I was…I was pathetic. Just your voice was enough to scare me into falling down. I needed them to protect me and help me get stronger, desperately. More than our friends will ever realize."

Because they didn't see her at her worst. They only saw the girl who climbed to the top of the class, not the girl who shed enough tears to overflow a river because she missed her friends. Not the frail girl a light breeze could knock over. Not the shell-shocked girl whose entire world collapsed around her in a cold, lonely forest.

Not the weak girl whose own decision caused the death of her friend.

"They only ever saw Amaririsu Yūhi; quiet, reserved, shy but determined to be stronger. They never saw Amaririsu; meek, pathetic, fearful without a shred of confidence in herself or her own abilities."

"You weren't pathetic."

"Shika, don't—"

"You weren't pathetic, 'Risu," Shikamaru interrupted her argument. She looked up from their game and met his stern eyes. "It's true the others never saw you when you entered the Village. I'm sure there are a lot of things I don't even know when it comes to what went down back then, things you keep secret because you have to or because it hurts too much.

"What I do know for a fact is you went through one of the most traumatic moments of your life that day. You lost the people you loved, people you considered family. Sure you may have cried a lot. Maybe you weren't as strong as you are now. But that doesn't make you pathetic."

"I…"

Amari squeezed her eye shut as she struggled to find an argument. He was right to say he didn't know the full truth—the guilt of which gnawed at her gut. He didn't know she held on too tightly to Ryu and Kasai or how that single decision cost her both of them. He didn't know the sleepless nights or tear stained pillows or how her heart still yearned so badly to have Ryu back.

But what she lost she could never get back. She couldn't have Ryu back. She couldn't have Kasai back. She couldn't go back to a time where she didn't carry a burden of pain and guilt on her heart every day. She could only ever move forward, carrying the burden and hoping to have the strength to finish what Kasai started.

Then why couldn't she argue against his point? Was it because she was too afraid to tell him the full truth, or was she hoping he could somehow paint her past self to be stronger than she was?

"You got dealt a bad hand that would have crushed others," Shikamaru said, gentle and full of wisdom. "There aren't many people, especially kids, who could have endured what you did and turned it around for the better. But you did. You fought every day to be better, to be stronger. Sure you tripped and stumbled sometimes." Shikamaru smirked. "You even let out a startled 'eep' and fell over when we first met."

Amari giggled, breathy and full of too many emotions for her to list. "But you got back up and tried again. Despite everything you lost, despite how much you were hurting inside, you kept fighting." He shook his head. "That's not pathetic. That's strength."

"…Thank you, Shika."

It was because of people like him and her mom she kept fighting. They gave her a reason to fight, a reason to live and become someone stronger. They were her pillars of support, the hands always reaching out to her when she felt lost or started to drown in her despair.

In that moment, Amari nearly told him the truth of her Byakugan, about everything, but the sound of someone entering the room kept her from speaking. One day her peers would find out the truth. Whether it was everything about her past or just the fact she wielded the Byakugan, they would learn of her secrets.

But that moment had yet to come.

When morning comes it'll be the official end of the exam, Amari thought, rolling her head to the side to stare out the nearby window. The bright moon lit up the night sky, shining down through the window and onto the floor. Shadows of tree leaves danced on the floor as wind caught the branches. I wonder what is in store for us. They wouldn't keep us here for no reason…hopefully. Then again, I think the proctor might find that funny.

"Psst, Amari."

Amari nearly shot up in her bed. Her head snapped back center to see Kakashi standing on the ceiling, upside down with Make-Out Paradise in hand. He lifted his free index finger to his lips in the silent gesture of silence.

"Sensei? Aren't we supposed to wait until tomorrow to see our squad leaders?" she whispered.

"That is the rule, but Iruka passed on your urgent message." He was just as quiet as she was to avoid waking the rest of the Rookie Ten and Team Guy, all of whom were sleeping. Their only saving grace from the two Inuzuka's was Kiba and Naruto's loud, chainsaw snoring.

When she told Iruka the important bits of their encounters in the forest, her sensei did not take her lightly, promising to inform the Hokage and Kakashi immediately. By Kakashi's appearance this late at night—or early in the morning—it was obvious he meant business.

"Meet me outside this room in one minute exactly." He then disappeared quieter than his whisper.

Amari sat up, put her black ninja sandals on and pulled her still tied headband over her head to rest around her neck all the while counting the minute. Nearing the end of the minute, she stood and walked silently to the door. With Naruto and Kiba snoring louder than waterfalls and everyone else having their pillows over their heads, sneaking through the room took little effort.

She peeked out the door in search of a guard but found her sensei's back turned to her. Silently she opened the door wide enough for her slim body to slip through then shut it just as quietly.

"One minute exactly, always punctual," Kakashi said.

"I hate being late. Haven't rubbed your late habits off on me yet, Sensei," she quipped in a whisper.

He chuckled then crouched down. "Hop on. It'll be quicker this way." She obeyed and wrapped her left arm around his chest and adjusted her legs to fit in his gloved hands. Kakashi wasted no time in Body Flickering through the halls. By the time Amari got her bearings, he was already setting her down in a room containing the Hokage, Anko, Ibiki and Shikaku.

Lord Third and Ibiki stood on opposite sides of a couch where Anko and Shikaku sat. The kunoichi leaned forward on her knees, tense and on edge while her uncle looked alert but wasn't letting it ruin his relaxation.

Whoa…Apparently her warning was taken with the grave seriousness it deserved. She was just a Genin, yet these were some of the elite higher-ups of her Village—one being the very leader of the Leaf.

Gulping down her nerves, her right hand twitched in desire to grip her left arm, but she kept it within the sling. It took her a moment to register her surroundings, the eyes boring down on her, and then she remembered her manners. Amari bowed to the Hokage. "Lord Third."

"Greetings, Amari. I apologize for waking you, but I could not ignore the matter which Iruka came to me with."

Amari came up from her bow. "It's okay. I…" Her eye drifted away towards her left arm. The scars were still warm. "…I couldn't sleep anyways. Too much on my mind."

"This boy has sacrificed everything for you! Everything! His life, his dreams, they belong to you! Would it kill you to let him know he matters?!"

She mentally shook off the memory, snapping herself back to attention. "Where should I start Lord Hokage? He…he said and did a lot to us, and I'm not sure what you already know."

The Hokage's eyes moved to her left hand first, noticing the light tremble she felt coming back. Not now. Just go away. Then his eyes drifted to her right arm, frowning at the injury, almost shamefully as if he was the one to cause it. He, however, wasn't the one to speak first.

"Your doubts were misplaced, Anko," Shikaku said pointedly at Anko.

"She hasn't given us anything helpful yet," Anko replied.

"Relax, Anko," Kakashi interceded, the calm voice of reason. It didn't seem like the first time he had to do this tonight. "Amari wouldn't have asked Iruka to speak to the Hokage or myself if she hadn't gathered pertinent information."

He rested his hand on Amari's left shoulder. Comforting, gentle, as if he meant to not only calm her nerves about talking, but also ease the light tremble in her hand.

It worked, mostly.

"Start from the beginning, Amari. We don't want to miss a single detail."

He gave her the floor to speak. His voice soothed her nerves, but she waited for the Hokage to nod his head before speaking. "Orochimaru attacked my team in disguise as a female Grass Ninja, the one who snuck up behind you, Miss Anko," Amari started. "She—or he, I suppose is correct, hid his presence at that moment, but when he attacked us in the forest I knew instantly he wasn't a real Genin. The chakra I could sense irradiating off him was off the charts. We tried to flee after his initial ambush—a large Wind Jutsu—but Naruto was separated from us, and he quickly located me, Sasuke and Sakura.

"When we tried to run, he hit us with a level of killing intent I never thought possible. Do you all know of Zabuza Momochi?" Nods from everyone. "During our mission to the Land of Waves, I fought against him on my own. I know it sounds stupid, and it was, I fully admit to that. But during our fight I experienced his Demon Chakra firsthand. I was frightened into paralysis. Only by luck alone did I stop him from killing me."

"Hehehe…hehehehe...Hahahaha!" His menacing laugh might have sent chills down her spine if his chakra and presence hadn't already. Violent reds and purples lashed together to create a demonic face—the face of her death. "You overconfident brat. I'll never be beaten by a little squirt like you!" He took a single step forward. The wave of killing intent that collided against Amari paralyzed her and sent her heartrate skyrocketing. "You think your anger and that demonic chakra is impressive? I'll show you what it means to be a real demon!"

Amari lifted her shaky left hand up to her neck. "I can still feel the point of his blade on my neck. One millisecond later and I would have died. His Demon Chakra, it is the most potent and frightening concoction of killing intent I've ever witnessed…until Orochimaru. Zabuza's killing intent paralyzed me, but Orochimaru's showed us our own deaths."

"Don't worry, child. I'll make it quick, but I don't have to tell you that, do I? You've seen it with your own eyes."

Kami, she could still feel it—the pure evil. The bloodlust. How could someone like that even exist?

Feeling incredibly shaky, she continued. "Do you…do you have any idea what it's like to experience your own death, but still live? To see yourself die but still feel yourself breathing?"

It was horrible. Frightening. She just wanted to curl up in a ball and hug a pillow or another person as tightly as possible until this feeling passed.

"You overcame it?" Shikaku asked, trying to move the conversation forward for her sake.

Amari nodded. "I did, but it wasn't because I'm some brave warrior. I was afraid. I- I was so scared." She still was. Stay focused. Come on, be strong, she coached herself. "But…I riled myself up inside. Rallied myself around my greatest fear."

"Oh?"

"I couldn't let Sasuke and Sakura die there. I refused to let them die. I refused to let myself die when people still needed me. I refused to die when I still hadn't completed my goal. And, from within me, I felt this burning fire explode." She glanced back to Kakashi. "The same fire that I used to fight Zabuza."

Kakashi's eyebrow rose a little, enough to show his genuine surprise. "You tapped into your fierce inner warrior again."

"Yes. And through it, my chakra cloak came to life again. I overpowered the fear and was able to grab Sakura and Sasuke to escape as he tried to make the visions a reality. But Naruto was still missing, and I knew there was little chance we could outrun our enemy forever. I was proven right moments later when he appeared again with a giant summoning snake.

"After defending ourselves, we tried to use fake versions of our scrolls to barter safe passage. As far as I can tell, he fell for the fake part, but not the safe passage part."

Anko furrowed her brow. "You sure he didn't just let you keep them?"

A fair question.

"Can anyone be sure when it comes to Orochimaru?" she asked in return. "He could have taken the real ones from me. He had the perfect opportunity to, but he didn't. He also later destroyed my fakes, possibly under the assumption they were the real ones. I don't know. Maybe he didn't care to take them. Maybe I somehow fooled him." Amari shook her head. "Doesn't really change anything.

"At the end of the day he knew I was onto him. Not his identity, granted, but he called out my knowledge in battle. Told me I was sharper than my team members because I realized his intentions had nothing to do with what he called an 'inconsequential test.' So if he was aware I could see through his deception, then I can only ask if he was too distracted to notice mine, or didn't care to take them from me."

Shikaku hummed. "Either is a possibility, but 'Risu's right. Regardless of if she tricked him or not changes nothing else. Orochimaru wasn't there to take their scrolls or involve himself in the test beyond attacking her team. Thinking any longer on that detail serves no purpose."

"Agreed," Ibiki said.

"Please continue, Amari," Lord Third ordered.

"Naruto tried fighting him, tried getting me and Sasuke back into the fight because Sasuke had given up. I acted like I did to further my ruse. But Orochimaru captured him and summoned chakra to his hand for some kind of attack. He then slammed it into his stomach and left behind this seal on top of the one already there."

Amari brought her hand to her chin in thought, missing the widening eyes of all the adults. She still couldn't figure out why he used it on Naruto. He seemed so obsessed with her and Sasuke because they were Uchiha's, treating Sakura and Naruto as background noise. So why disrupt his chakra? What purpose did it serve his goal?

"It's tampered with his chakra in a really strange way," she said out loud.

Looking back up, she noticed Kakashi standing behind the couch, as well as the concerned and downright fearful looks on their faces.

"Are you certain he tampered with the seal?" The Hokage's voice was steady yet grave.

Amari gave a nod. "Yes. I don't know enough about fūinjutsu to give you precise details. But to my untrained eye there seems to be an odd number on top of an even one and…" she trailed off, eye darting away in uncertainty of how to mention what she saw with her Byakugan.

"What else, Amari? You don't need to fear anyone here regarding any secrets of our team," Kakashi soothed, taking note of her sudden discomfort.

After releasing a breath, she continued. "I know he holds the Nine-Tailed Fox within him. Mizuki was quite proud of himself for telling Naruto that. But even before that I noticed a second chakra in him. His normal chakra is blue, warm, bright and cheerful just like him. The other chakra is red. Angry, violent, evil. No matter what we did, it was always there. Now, though, after Orochimaru's attack it's become…imbalanced."

The adults didn't appear any less concerned. If anything, the word imbalanced set them further on edge.

"The best way I can think to describe it is seeing the chakra network as interconnected gardening hoses." That earned her momentary amused looks from Anko and Shikaku. "There are kinks within his chakra network now, disrupting the usual flow of chakra through his body at different points. Naruto has terrible chakra control normally, but with this it's even worse. From what I can see, he's been cut off from the Nine-Tailed Fox chakra."

Shikaku scratched at his goatee thoughtfully. "That doesn't bode well for Naruto."

"I was the one to fight him next. He was…fascinated by me. My Sharingan, my abilities, everything. He could hardly contain his own excitement as he theorized why Itachi left me alive. I gave it my all, even accessed my chakra cloak again to blast him with my strongest jutsu, but he shrugged it off. That's when he did this," she motioned to her bandaged arm, "to me. Stabbed my shoulder, twisted it around while smiling and talking about the fragility of my mortal body."

The Hokage so far kept his features fairly neutral, but her final words definitely struck a chord in him, as if he heard those words before. Then it was replaced by a look of guilt as his eyes once again were drawn to her right arm.

"He decided to not give me his 'gift' because he knew I would reject it. Instead he planned to take my eye and leave me alive. Or I assume leave me alive. He considered letting Itachi use me for whatever he wants, thinking it is a plan to use me to kill Leaf Village shinobi or to aid Sasuke's eyes 'maturity' as he called it." Amari shrugged. "I don't know what he meant."

As long as she had her way, she wouldn't ever have to find out either.

"And how did he fail to take your eye?" Ibiki wasn't asking, he was demanding an answer. He knew she couldn't have miraculously defeated Orochimaru to keep her eye. Somehow she escaped with her right eye still in her eye socket.

Amari braced herself for their disbelief, because the truth sounded far stranger than fiction. "This is going to sound like a lie, but it's the truth: the Crows of the Leaf intervened and attacked him."

Shikaku's eyebrows fell. She expected him to scold her for lying, but his next words startled her.

"How do you know about them, 'Risu?"

How do you know about them? It was the question at the tip of her tongue. She expected doubt. Disbelief. His response, and the responses of the Hokage, Ibiki and Kakashi, didn't fall into that category. Recognition flashed in their eyes at the name, but not because it was a legend. They somehow knew the Crows more personally than that. She could tell. No matter what they might say, they knew.

But how? I didn't even know their name until Mimi mentioned it. I didn't even know they existed.

Before she could answer, Anko turned to her uncle with disbelief on her face. "Come on, Shikaku, don't tell me you're superstitious enough to believe they're real."

That was the response she expected.

"They're real. Very real." Shikaku's voice was devoid of emotion, eyes hardened as he stared right at her. "So I ask again: 'Risu, how do you know the Crows of the Leaf by name?"

"Lord Hokage—"

"They are real, Anko," Lord Third interrupted. The Hokage, Kakashi and Ibiki each wore the same serious features as her uncle. It unnerved Amari immensely, to the point she felt herself shrinking inwardly. "The Crows of the Leaf have been a part of Konoha since its founding. They're loyalty to the Leaf is unquestionable, and from the shadows of myth and legend they have guarded our borders."

So…why did she feel like she was in big trouble for mentioning their name? If the Crows were loyal to the Leaf and still protected their borders, why were they staring at her like she called the Hokage an old, decrepit fool?

"Itachi! Show yourself!"

The light bulb flickered on and the shadows dispersed. "…Itachi Uchiha was the last user of the Crows, wasn't he?" It had to be the reason. Nothing else she could think of made sense, not when she learned the name secondhand.

"Yes," Kakashi answered.

That's why they were touchy about this. Just like Orochimaru, they believed Itachi might have been there to protect her. No. It wasn't the protecting her part, hopefully. It was the possible infiltration of two of the Leaf's S-ranked rogue shinobi at the same time setting them on edge.

Amari shook her head. "He wasn't there."

"How can you be sure?" Ibiki prodded.

"It doesn't add up."

"The crows protecting you just as you nearly lost your eye is an amazing coincidence, Shortcake. And you have no idea who they are or where they came from before this, right?" Amari could hear the accusation in her voice. "You really sure Itachi wasn't there? You don't need to cover for him if he did intervene," Anko said.

Amari bristled, incensed immediately by the accusation.

"Anko," Shikaku warned.

"I'm not going to go easy on her just 'cause you have a soft spot for her, Shikaku," Anko said. "This is about the security of the Village." Her eyes flicked back over to Amari. "Itachi obviously spared her that night. How can any of us know she never had contact with him in those years she was gone?"

"Because she only just relearned who he was before the Exams," Shikaku retorted. "Don't let the personal nature of Orochimaru's involvement impair your judgement."

Anko growled. "I could say the same to you regarding Shortcake here."

Amari had enough. Enough of the nickname, of the accusations and the questioning of her loyalty. "…Let me get this straight." Her quiet voice no longer was meek. It was sharpened. "You think I would lie to my sensei, my uncle and my Hokage, all to protect the man who murdered my family."

Her nails dug into her palms as she grit her teeth. "This Village is my home. When I had nothing, when I was nothing, Lord Third gave me a chance. He let me keep possession of dōjutsu he could have easily sealed away or taken from me. I owe him and the woman who gave me a home, family and love more than I can ever repay given a hundred lives." She growled under her breath and shot a glare at the older kunoichi. "You can question my information all you want, but don't you dare question my loyalty!"

She was furious. On the verge of exploding, but she had to remain calm. Sasuke and Naruto needed help she couldn't provide. They needed the help of shinobi with more experience and skills than she possessed—shinobi like her sensei.

"Kakashi-sensei," she turned all of her attention to him, "is there anything I can do to help them? I don't care if it's an A-rank mission where I have to travel to the other end of the continent. Just point me in the right direction and I'll go right now."

She was desperate, she knew it. But she would do anything for her teammates. Even if it meant jumping in front of another Lightning Blade, she'd do it without complaint.

"As fun as that might be, it won't be necessary. The mark on Sasuke, does it look like the tomoe of the Sharingan? And is it at the base of his neck?" Amari nodded, eyebrows rising in surprise by how easily he described it. "Hmm, I see. And has Sasuke kept it controlled?"

"When he woke up the day after the fight, Sakura said he was covered in black marks and had his chakra swirling around him. I've talked to her, Mimi, Shikamaru and Sasuke individually about it. All of them confirm he didn't give in to it. He fought to rein it in and hasn't had an incident since, but he said the mark feels…alive." Amari noticed Anko bring her hand to the back of her neck, her eyes becoming distant as she stared at the floor. "It's like whispers only he can hear, promising him power beyond his current strength, power it claims he can control."

"He can't," Anko said.

"He knows that."

Anko chuckled bitterly. "Yeah, for now. Without help, the Curse Mark will deteriorate his strength of will until he willingly gives into it."

That sounded like it was coming from a place of personal experience. Curious, Amari activated her Byakugan beneath her bandana and searched Anko's shoulders.

Then she saw it. Three tomoes marked her skin underneath her hand. Despite the darkness lurking in it, it remained contained, unable to pump its vile chakra into her system.

Hope blossomed in Amari's heart. "But you're still in control, so that means there's a way to help him," she said.

Anko tensed then sent a scathing glare at her.

"'Risu," Shikaku scolded through a sigh. "Deactivate your eye. You know better than to invade personal matters like that."

Amari flinched and obeyed his command, shrinking a little. "Sorry, Uncle Shikaku."

"You're not wrong, however," he continued. "There is a way to help Sasuke and keep the mark in check. And we should endeavor to do so as soon as possible." Shikaku shook his head and scratched his goatee. "Orochimaru has plans for Sasuke, possibly you as well. He intended to plant his Curse Mark on one of you, but through your battle he must have realized you were too strong willed to give in to the power. So he turned to Sasuke instead, yet he likely didn't expect Sasuke to fight it. But as Anko said, the longer the mark goes unchecked, the more it will deteriorate his willpower."

"I'm sure he'll be fine for one more day," Kakashi said airily.

Ibiki narrowed his eyes at the Copy Ninja. "What are you playing at, Kakashi?"

"I'm not playing at anything." Kakashi's voice became serious. "I'm well aware of how dangerous our enemy is and the mark. Don't misunderstand my words for standing idly by when my students are in danger. I won't."

Her sensei was so awesome.

"But if I perform the jutsu on Sasuke now, he won't be able to attend tomorrow's event. Sasuke has already proven he can control it at this point. Tomorrow it will be handled, that I promise."

"I'll allow it," the Hokage stated. Ibiki and Anko clearly wanted to argue, but the finality of the Hokage's statement kept them from doing so. "For the time being, Amari, I would like you to stay quiet about Sasuke's Curse Mark and the Seal on Naruto's stomach. Fear not, they will be taken care of." He gave her a comforting smile as he crossed the floor towards her. Gently he pulled her into a hug. "I know these last few days have been a very trying experience for you, but I promise you are safe now. And I am proud of each of you for the courage you displayed in protecting one another from an enemy beyond your skill."

Amari squeezed her eyes shut and rested her forehead against the Hokage's chest. He smelled like the pipe he smoked, but she didn't mind it. Not too much, anyways. She was far happier by the warmth washing over her here in the embrace. "That's what it means to be a Leaf shinobi. Protecting your comrades no matter what," she whispered.

"Indeed." The Hokage released her and smiled down at her. "You should go get some rest. Tomorrow is a big day for you and your team, after all."

"Thank you, Lord Hokage." Amari bowed.

Kakashi sauntered back around the couch and crouched down in front of Amari. She hopped on his back and wrapped her left arm around his neck again.

"Good luck tomorrow, little shadow," Shikaku said.

---

Kakashi and Amari disappeared via the Body Flicker Technique, leaving the gathered shinobi to their own thoughts. When Shikaku learned Orochimaru placed Seals on Naruto and Sasuke, he assumed at least one was a Curse Mark, but he hadn't anticipated the Five Pronged Seal on Naruto. As his niece explained in simplistic terms, the Five Pronged Seals entire purpose was to disrupt a shinobi's chakra. It was a very high leveled jutsu, one few shinobi could perform, and even fewer who knew how to remove it.

Fortunately for Naruto, there were two Leaf shinobi who could, so he wasn't too worried about the removal itself. He was far more troubled by the simple fact Orochimaru tampered with the Seal keeping the Nine-Tails within Naruto, as he was by the Sannin's attack on Team Seven as a whole.

Orochimaru did not play meager games. On one hand, attacking Team Seven could be all a smokescreen to hide his true intentions. But there was more to it than a simple diversion tactic there, otherwise he wouldn't have placed the Curse Mark on Sasuke or used the Five Pronged Seal on Naruto. He had a plan for the Uchiha boy, maybe even Amari too. So what was Naruto's role in it all? Why bother cutting him off from the Nine-Tails Chakra?

Shikaku hummed and hunched forward, bringing his hand to his chin as he tried to sift through the thick fog of information. 'Risu mentioned he theorized Itachi wanted to use her to mature Sasuke's Sharingan. Another hum, deeper and far more troubled. I can't deny I once considered the same thing. The Uchiha Clan became crazed for the full evolution of the Sharingan, willing to strike down the people they loved just to gain it.

Should that be Itachi's plan, how did that aid Orochimaru? It would gain Sasuke a new, great power, but how did Orochimaru benefit from Sasuke gaining new power? He must want Sasuke to join him. It would explain the Curse Mark placement, and if Sasuke gains even more power through Itachi's plan, all the better for Orochimaru.

Two powerful former Leaf shinobi toying with his niece to further their own ends, he didn't like it. There was far more beneath the surface that he had yet to see. Too much for him to unpack in a few hours. He needed more time to look at this from all angles to piece together the intentions of their enemies.

Shikaku sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. What a drag.

"Ibiki, I can hear the gears grinding in your head from here. What's on your mind?" Shikaku stated without having to look back at the man. He could feel his eyes boring into the side of his head.

"Orochimaru's belief Itachi has left her alive to kill Leaf shinobi," he stated firmly.

Yeah, he figured as much. The genjutsu on her mind made the concern valid in a way. If Itachi could place her memories under lock and key from those looking in and Amari herself, what other power might he exert over her? But Inoichi already reassured him Itachi couldn't turn her traitor. The genjutsu kept her past guarded and nothing more.

"Inoichi assured she's not under Itachi's influence. Besides, 'Risu would never betray Konoha. Orochimaru could see that in their short encounter."

"What makes you so certain?"

"Hm." Shikaku sat back on the couch and looked up at the ceiling. "'Risu is…well," he chuckled, "she's just like her mother and father." In more ways than Amari realized. "Her heart does not belong to a single Clan; it belongs to her loved ones and this Village. Nothing Itachi can say or do will ever change that."

"I see," Ibiki grunted. He fell silent, a sign he was returning to his thoughts and wasn't prepared to speak of them just yet. Shikaku didn't mind. Ibiki was naturally a cautious man, even more so after being tortured years ago. As the Head of Torture and Interrogation, where information gathering was crucial, he wouldn't jump to any conclusions just yet.

As for the genjutsu itself, Shikaku had plenty of thoughts about it. The memory Amari had of Itachi crying the night of the massacre in particular stuck in his mind. He couldn't dismiss it outright as false, not when Inoichi claimed the genjutsu wasn't nefarious in creation. Tears did not excuse Itachi's actions, but it opened doors of thought for the elder Nara.

Shikaku didn't place much faith in 'what if' scenarios usually. That memory, though, it got him thinking about Itachi's reason for sparing her.

What if Itachi was trying to protect 'Risu?

Murdering his entire clan for the protection of Sasuke and Amari sounded ridiculous. Yet they were alive, and Amari's past was protected from outsiders. It was no secret to him the state of affairs between the Uchiha Clan and the Leaf around the time of the massacre. They were on the verge of a civil war.

Had Itachi not killed them all, Shikaku wondered if it would have ended in more bloodshed than the massacre itself.

Itachi killed everyone without hesitation, yet he left 'Risu and Sasuke alive. In Amari's words, it didn't add up. Not really. What stopped him from killing them but no one else? And why take Amari to an orphanage away from the Village?

Far too many questions clouded his mind, few with solid answers. It was easier to believe Itachi a coldblooded killer…Actually, it was too easy to believe. But a coldblooded killer wouldn't spare his brother, let alone another child without cause. He wouldn't keep the same child's past a mystery to her for no reason either.

Why, then, would he do that?

Protection was the only reason Shikaku could think of. Either protection, or to eventually use her to mature Sasuke's eyes.

But protection from what? He paused as a new thought came to mind. Or is it protection from someone else? Someone he did not want to learn of her survival or of Uchiha blood.

More question to ponder, just not right now. There was another matter to be discussed.

"The Crows of the Leaf never appear by coincidence. They were there for a reason." He turned in his seat to face the Hokage. "But I believe 'Risu. If Itachi was there, and used his crows to protect 'Risu, Orochimaru would have turned his attention to the greater threat."

"Yes, I agree." Lord Third nodded.

"Do you think they learned of Orochimaru's infiltration before us?" Anko asked. She lacked her usual exuberance, far more reserved than the usual Anko Mitarashi. He understood. Orochimaru's appearance was an incredibly serious matter to her given the history they shared.

"Unlikely. Had they known of his infiltration, they would have reported it to Lord Hokage immediately," Shikaku said.

"So what were they doing there?" Anko bit the nail of her thumb. "If they didn't anticipate Orochimaru's infiltration or plan, why would they be there at that exact moment? You said they never appear by coincidence, and as far as everyone else knows they're just a myth. What purpose did they have there?"

"Why are you asking a question you already know the answer to?" Anko turned to look at him, confused by his flat statement. "Their actions prove their purpose. They're watching 'Risu, protecting her."

"But…I don't get it. Why her? I get that she's of Uchiha blood, but—"

"There's your answer." Shikaku leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs as he stared at the floor. "And yet, it's even more complicated than that as well."

"You're hiding something, Shikaku," Ibiki noted. No anger, just a simple observation.

Shikaku nodded. Yeah, he was. But then, so was the Hokage. "Few know the truth about the Crows of the Leaf. They prefer to act from the shadows as myth and legend, gathering intelligence all across the Land of Fire to protect our Village from foreign and domestic threats," he explained. "While a vast number of them act autonomously, there are those who act strictly as summoning creatures. Every shinobi to summon them has been of Uchiha blood, but it isn't as simple as signing a contract. Only those considered worthy and pure of heart are chosen by the Crows to be granted their guidance, power and wisdom."

"So they've chosen her?" Anko asked.

"Yes. But as I said, it's even more complicated than them choosing her. 'Risu has been destined to inherit their power since the day the Uchiha were massacred." Shikaku shut his eyes and exhaled a deep sigh. Before today, the Crows of the Leaf were a part of his past he forgot. It hadn't seemed important after the day of the massacre, but now…

This was no coincidence. The Crows had chosen Amari, but they hadn't chosen her during this test or last week, last month or even this year. They chose her before the massacre.

Before her family was torn apart.

"For now let the exams continue. We'll keep our eyes on Orochimaru's movements," the Hokage said.

Well, I guess I've got no choice but to get to work.

What a pain.

---

The Next Morning

---

The eight teams to pass the second exam stood in single file lines in the center of a room with extremely high ceilings and a wide floor plan. The main attraction of the room was a large statue of two forearms coming out of the wall with the hands coming together in a handseal.

In front of the statue stood the Hokage, posture straight and arms behind his back with Ibiki and Iruka flanking his right side and Anko flanking his left. Behind them were the Jōnin Sensei's to each squad in order of the Sound shinobi sensei, the Sand shinobi sensei, Kurenai, Guy, Kakashi, Asuma and two Leaf sensei's Amari did not know.

Personally she stood second in her line behind Naruto, followed by Sasuke and then Sakura. Her right arm still remained in its sling—doctor's orders. It was a bit frustrating, especially since everything about this room spelt an incoming fight. There's even viewing areas, she thought, glancing up at the balconies on either side of the room overlooking the ground floor.

Iruka had told them they passed the second phase, which could only mean they were jumping right into the third. It'd be a total drag, but she would make it work. She hadn't nearly lost her eye and life in their second phase to throw in the towel in the third.

Shikamaru's team stood on the far left edge, followed by Hinata's team, Team Seven, Team Guy, Kabuto's team, the Sand Trio, the Sound shinobis and finally the Leaf team she did not know. By the look of the shinobi here, every team except the Sand and Team Eight ran into trouble. Cuts in varying stages of healing marked them, some wore bandages on their limbs, and three shinobi wore slings.

Amari, unfortunately, counted herself among all three categories. A fresh bandaged wrapped around her right thigh underneath her shorts all the way down to her knee, and the visible damage on her body consisted of cuts, her torn apart tank top and the sling. Any enemy would see her state and think her an easy target, but she'd show them. She'd show them all why underestimating a wounded enemy was a terrible mistake, just like she did the Sound shinobi.

Besides her, Zaku—who couldn't stop glaring her way—still had his arms cradled in a single large cloth sling.

Serves you right, Amari thought bitterly.

Perhaps his arms were still broken. Perhaps they were in a repaired state like hers. Either way, she wouldn't underestimate him if they fought again. No. She would take him down without help this time, and she would do it as quickly as she could to prove how inferior he was.

The final shinobi with damage like theirs was a Leaf shinobi from the team she didn't know. Bandages surrounded his right leg and left arm—the latter of which was held up by a sling as well.

To be fair, their collective injuries placed them at a severe disadvantage against the other teams. They'd be slower, and their opponents would know exactly where to target them because of the bandages and slings. It was one of the reasons the doctors order frustrated her. After her uncle wished her good luck last night, she figured they would end up in some kind of combat scenario. With this stupid sling and the bandages on her thigh, she was begging for someone to take a shot at her weak points.

Sure the injuries were still there without them, but at least her injuries wouldn't have a giant flashing arrow pointing at them for everyone to see. Now she would not only have to work around an injury, but an injury her opponents would be aware of. It was all so troublesome. A few weeks of preparation would have given her time to get this settled. But of course that wasn't an option.

On a mission you couldn't go home and get healed. A shinobi had to remain on a mission until they fulfilled their duty or had no choice but to retreat. Maybe that was part of this test, or maybe they didn't expect a passing team to have her level of injuries. Could be a simple oversight.

"First of all, congratulations on finishing the second exam," Anko started.

Her voice drew Amari out of her musings and to the task at hand. Though, looking at the proctor reminded her of the mark she saw on her shoulder last night. She must have run into Orochimaru in her shinobi career, but why place it on her? It was a question she thought a lot about but couldn't come up with an answer to. The way she was so hesitant to believe me…I thought she doubted me because I was a kid, but it must be because of her history with Orochimaru.

Amari couldn't blame her for the attitude in that case. Orochimaru clearly left his mark on her—no pun intended—just as he did on her team. Evil like his couldn't be forgotten, and with that mark on her shoulder, Anko had to live with whatever her history with him was every day.

But Amari didn't pity her. No, pity was an insult to the woman who overcame his taint. It took her a few hours after returning to bed to sift through her feelings on Anko, but she found a word to describe them: respect. Respect for not giving in to the power Sasuke described. Respect for not allowing Orochimaru's influence shake her from her path as a Leaf shinobi.

Behind the proctor, Amari could see Guy speaking to Kakashi, quite proud of whatever he was talking about. Kakashi, however, continued to stare at the gathered group with a steady eye. Eventually he looked over at Guy as if he just noticed him standing there and tilted his head to the side in confusion.

Guy, who had been smirking, grabbed his head in horror as his jaw fell off its hinges. Amari stifled a giggle. Must have hit him with the "did you say something" he used when I fought Team Guy. Smooth, Sensei. But don't think I've forgiven you for losing the lead.

Both Asuma and Kurenai spared their fellow Jōnin small smirks, amused by their consistent challenges in everything from conversation to fighting.

Then red eyes fell onto her, the smirk being replaced by concern as Kurenai took in the state of her daughter. Amari gave her a closed eyed smile in return, hoping to ease her nerves. Kurenai smiled back, though the concern remained prevalent in her eyes. It only grew when she zoned in on Akamaru, who trembled in fear from inside the neckline of Kiba's sweater.

Amari knew why, as did the rest of the Rookie Ten and Team Guy. During her games of shogi with Shikamaru, the teams gathered together to discuss two very important matters. First and foremost: why Akamaru refused to stop trembling. Akamaru, they learned, could sense the strength of an enemy, and after being in the vicinity of Gaara, he started to tremble.

"Stay the hell away from him," Kiba warned. "He's a coldhearted killer. Didn't even flinch when he killed three Rain shinobi."

"It would be best if we all avoided him," Shino concurred.

Amari didn't need any other warnings.

The second discussion revolved around the abilities they learned in their fight with the Sound shinobi. On the chance any one of them ended up fighting the team at some point, she and Shikamaru wanted everyone prepared for their gadgets.

"It's amazing that all of us rookies made it," Sakura whispered.

"Yeah. Out of twenty-eight teams, only eight passed, and three of those eight are rookie teams," Amari agreed.

"Check it out. Even Old Man Hokage is here too." Naruto turned his head back to whisper to them.

"Looks like we're in for some sort of surprise, and not the good kind," Sasuke said.

They each nodded in quiet agreement.

"All right, now pay attention! Lord Hokage is about to explain the third exam to you. So you better listen carefully!" Anko told them. She turned to the Hokage and lowered her voice to a respectful tone. "Lord Hokage, they're all yours."

The Hokage took one step forward, his pipe between his lips and hands still behind his back. He took the pipe from his mouth and exhaled smoke before speaking. "First, before I tell you what the third exam entails, I want to explain something about the test itself. Listen closely now, it is something you all need to understand. I am going to tell you the true purpose of these exams."

The true purpose? Amari and Shikamaru shared their suspicions about this test with one another, but she hadn't expected to get a real answer.

The obvious points—advancing the abilities of shinobi and fostering friendship—were only part of a whole. These exams served as the representation of battle between allied nations. If anyone was to look at the history of shinobi, they would see that every shinobi nation had at one point or another been at war with another—some even had long and bloodier histories, like the Mist and Stone.

In order to stop the nations from destroying their entire military strength for no reason, they picked out champions to fight for their nations at a specific place.

Like this specific place.

This practice led to the Chūnin Exams being created. They weren't sending the shinobi who succeeded to war, but the shinobi who were fighting were meant to carry the pride of their nations on their backs. By fighting one another in front of leaders and people of providence, they were essentially showing their Villages strength to bring more jobs to their nation.

In short: politics. Lots and lots of politics, and a small hope the fighting could breed friendship between the nations. It wasn't impossible. The strange connection she felt with Mimi started from a fight, so perhaps there was a little logic to the theory. But she still didn't like the whole politics part of this.

Before the Hokage could explain the specifics of the third exam, another ninja appeared in front of him, kneeling on one knee with his head bowed.

He wore the standard Konoha shinobi attire with his forehead protector styled as a full bandana. His brown hair was shoulder length, and by the sound of his coughing he seemed to have a bad cold.

His name was Hayate Gekkō, their new proctor. When he turned around to face them, Amari noticed a dark coloring under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept for days. "Nice to meet you all. There is something that I would like—" He broke out into a few coughs he covered behind his hand. When he finished, he continued where he left off. "To do before the third exam."

With that rough cough, I wouldn't be surprised if he really hadn't slept in days.

"Uhh, we have to have a preliminary exam before we can move onto the real one," he said simply.

"Ah man, what a pain!" Shikamaru groaned.

"Why can't we just move onto the real one? What's the point of having a preliminary when there aren't that many candidates left anyways?" Amari questioned.

"Well, you see, the first and second exams might have been too easy. The fact is we never expected so many of you to be here."

Amari sweat dropped. Too easy? Are we talking about the same exams?

"According to the rules of the Chūnin Exams, a preliminary round can be held at any stage in order to reduce the amount of candidates remaining," Hayate explained.

"Is that fair?" Sakura's confused voice called from behind.

"It's just at this stage we have to speed things up a bit. As Lord Hokage said, a lot of important guests will be watching. We can't afford to waste their time. They've come to see only the best. So, if there are any of you who are not in top physical condition, now is your chance to—"

Once again Hayate broke off into a coughing fit.

And he wants to talk about not being in good condition? He sounds like he's about to cough up a lung onto the floor.

"Sorry about that," he apologized when he finished coughing. "As I was saying, any of you that don't feel up to this, now is the time for you to bow out. The preliminaries will be starting immediately."

While the other rookies weren't at all happy about the immediate start of the preliminaries, Amari didn't mind. There was a possibility for her to be first and then get her arm and thigh taken care of afterwards.

"Oh yeah, uh, the winners will be determined by one on one combat. Sudden death. So like I said: if there is anyone who doesn't feel up to it, now is the time to raise your hand."

"Sasuke," she spoke in hushed tones, "I spoke to Kakashi-sensei last night about your mark. There is a way to stop it from spreading the chakra through your system, but he wanted to give you a chance to take part in this today. As soon as you finish your fight he's going to take care of it."

"I understand. Thank you."

She turned her head to look over left shoulder. "We're clan-siblings, right? What kind of sister would I be if I didn't take care of my brother? Pass the message to Sakura to stop her from worrying."

"Got it."

Amari moved her head back to its natural position. "Naruto, you ready?" she asked.

Naruto looked over his shoulder with a grin. "You bet, Amari. We're going to pass this exam for sure. Can't let my sister show me up all the time, right?" She smiled a fond smile at him then looked over her right shoulder to see if Sakura was okay. She gave an affirmative nod and a grateful smile.

When she looked back to the front, she noticed the eyes of the Hokage, Ibiki and Anko on her team, their gazes unreadable as they spoke in quiet voices.

"They know too, huh?" Sasuke asked.

"I don't know how, but yes. Kakashi-sensei described it perfectly before I had a chance to explain it. It's because of him believing in your ability to keep it controlled one more day that you're allowed to stay in."

Anko knew how dangerous it was personally. She all too likely wanted him to get it taken care of at the cost of forfeiting his place in the exam.

"Guess I owe him one."

Sounds of surprise escaped some of the Genin when both Kabuto and the Leaf ninja with his arm in a cast raised their hands. "What the?" Amari whispered. The wounded ninja she could understand, but Kabuto? He didn't have a scratch on him and his chakra level was good.

"Okay, you got me. I'm out," Kabuto said.

"Yeah, me too. My arm is useless and I'd rather not get killed."

Hayate brought up his clipboard, flipping one paper over to read the names. "Kabuto Yakushi of the Leaf and Hirohito of the Leaf, right? Okay, you can go on and step back."

Kabuto and Hirohito nodded. "All right," the former said.

"Good luck guys," Hirohito said to his team before turning to leave.

Kabuto turned to leave as well, only to stop when Naruto shouted to him. "Kabuto! Hold on a second, you can't leave. I don't get this, what's going on?" the blond quizzed.

The ash-grey haired ninja turned back to them with a solemn look on his face. For some reason it set off suspicion alarms in Amari's heart. Something about the look on his face…it didn't feel real.

"Oh, Naruto. I'm sorry, I can't hack it. Ever since orientation and the dust up with the Sound Village team, I've had no hearing at all in my left ear." Amari's ears picked up the sound of Aoko growling. She cast a look to the ninken and noticed Mimi's blue eyes staring suspiciously at the shinobi. "To have to put my life on the line. To fight again right away without a break? I can't do it."

If her suspicion alarms were tripped before, now her Nara intuition senses were tingling. Nothing about this felt right. Forced. Fake. And Aoko's growling…Kabuto had been an ally since the beginning of the exams. Why did she now suddenly feel as if she was being played? Why did the look in his eyes not match the words coming out of his mouth?

Kabuto smiled and waved at the group before walking away.

The smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Now then." Hayate coughed. "Is there anyone else who wants to quit?" His eyes glanced to Zaku and then her, but neither reacted. "All right then, we will now begin the preliminary round. This round will consist of one on one individual combat at full battle intensity. This is not an exercise. There are twenty-four of you remaining, so there will be twelve matches. The surviving candidates from these twelve matches will move on to the third exam. As for the rules, there are none. You will fight until one dies or concedes defeat, or is rendered physically incapable of continuing the contest.

"Naturally the candidate who is losing is encouraged to accept defeat promptly to avoid a fatal outcome. Furthermore, as proctor I am given a certain amount of leeway to judge the matches." He coughed rather loudly. "I might occasionally intervene if a match seems hopeless, to save as many lives as possible. Now it is time to reveal what fate has chosen for you."

Hayate turned to the side to look at Anko. She turned to the wall behind them, bringing her hand to the microphone on her headset. "Open the panel," she ordered.

A panel on the top right opened up, revealing a dark green screen behind it. "The names of each pair of opponents are chosen at complete random. Before each fight these names will appear on the display behind me. As there is nothing more to say, let's begin. In a moment the names of the first two opponents will appear."

Amari watched as the screen began jumbling through names too fast for her to read. It stopped with a beep, the chosen names being Sasuke Uchiha and Yoroi Akodō—a member of Kabuto's team. He wore a mask in front of most of his face and his eyes were covered by blacked out circular sunglasses. He carried himself with an air of arrogance Amari did not like.

"All right, those whose names have been drawn, come forward." Sasuke and Yoroi stepped forward. "Yoroi Akodō and Sasuke Uchiha, you have been chosen for the first match. Are there any objections?" Hayate asked.

"None here," Sasuke said.

"No."

Sasuke was a lot shorter than his older opponent but he didn't seem to be showing any sign of discomfort. Hopefully that meant the mark was under his control.

"Uh, all right then. Let's begin the first match." Hayate brought his hand to his mouth to cover a cough. "Everyone other than the two opposing candidates will now clear the area and move to the upper level."

Everyone save for Team Seven began moving to the upper level along with the Jōnin's, the Hokage, Iruka, Ibiki and Anko. As Amari watched them go, she noticed that the Sound, Sand, Kabuto's other teammate, and the two mean looking Leaf ninjas all headed up to the opposite side as the rookies and Team Guy.

It's like we're setting lines of war, Amari thought. All of us against them. Good and evil on separate sides. Yin and Yang.

"Hey Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto shouted in greeting.

"Naruto, you and Sakura should head up." The two shared confused looks but listened to his order. He stopped next to Sasuke and Amari. "Sasuke, avoid using your Sharingan and chakra. If that mark gets out of control, your life will be in danger." Kakashi spoke quietly, only for the two to hear.

"I'm aware of that."

"Just to let you know, if it gets to that point I'll have to step in and stop the match." Kakashi nodded his head for Amari to start walking with him. "Good luck," he added on in a cheery tone. They walked a few steps away out of ear shot of the two combatants before her sensei spoke again. "Amari, I won't say your condition is as bad as Sasuke's, but you're injuries aren't to be taken lightly, as I'm sure you're fully aware of."

"Yeah…I'm going to need surgery, aren't I?"

"Yes." Amari's mood fell faster than body temperature in a blizzard. "We've looked at the tests the doctors ran on you. Whether because he wants you out of Sasuke's way, or in a weakened state to test your abilities is hard to say, but the result is clear: without surgery your shoulder won't heal properly."

"I…I understand."

"Don't look so down. Without Mimi's immediate application of Medical Ninjutsu, it's possible surgery wouldn't have been enough to fix the damage."

Amari nodded. I'll need to thank her again for her help.

They reached the top of the stairs and made their way over to Naruto and Sakura. The boy of the duo sat on the ground, legs dangling between the vertical railings while Sakura stood next to him. Kakashi took his position next to Sakura, but Amari didn't join them immediately. She stopped at her mother's team, hugging her mother with one arm and receiving a warm embrace in return.

She needed the warmth and comfort this place always provided.

Afterwards she returned to her team, walking past Team Guy to Naruto's opposite side. Team Ten stood on the other side of her team. Everyone's attention, however, was drawn to the fighting arena, save for Shikamaru. He didn't much care for the preliminaries.

Good luck, Sasuke.

---

Sasuke wasted no time grabbing a kunai from his ninja tool box as soon as the proctor started the match. Shimmering blue surrounded Yoroi's hand—chakra. With his left he reached into his ninja pouch.

The chakra around his hand…The only time I've seen blue chakra around a hand like that is when Amari steals chakra. His hand gripped around the kunai tightly. Which means his attacks focus on taking my chakra. I can't allow him to do that.

One problem: he couldn't rely on Sharingan or ninjutsu because of this damn mark, leaving him with taijutsu. He had no choice but to fight in close quarters, which played right into this opponent's strategy.

I've got to think of something.

Yoroi tossed a set of shuriken at the Uchiha. In return, Sasuke tossed his kunai right at the first shuriken, bouncing it off all three weapons and knocking his kunai on course at his opponent. Yoroi dodged. Now on the back foot, Sasuke charged in, pulling out another kunai as he did and placing it between his lips.

It's all too likely he can steal chakra with both hands. I can't lose sight of either of his hands. As soon as he was within a few feet of his opponent, he grabbed the kunai out from his lips and slashed downwards at his off balanced opponent. Yoroi dodged again, this time back and away. Sasuke didn't give him any breathing room, closing in again and landing a solid kick to his opponent's sternum.

Yoroi stumbled back a few steps. Again the Uchiha was on him like Naruto on ramen. He landed two hard punches to his stomach, then a third in an uppercut to his opponents jaw. Yoroi had no time to recover. Sasuke sped in and impaled his blade into his stomach.

"Hey, he got him!" Naruto cheered from above.

"Heh, not quite," Yoroi breathed out humorously.

Sasuke attempted to retract his arm and retreat, but his reflexes were too slow. Yoroi's hand gripped onto his forearm firmly and an instantly the blue hue formed around the point of draining.

"Sasuke, get out of there now! He's taking your chakra!" Amari warned.

I know! Sasuke grit his teeth in frustration. He fell right into this trap. His opponent let him land several blows, increasing his confidence in his speed and strength until he wouldn't be able to get out of range of a grab, even at the risk of injuries.

The perfect tactic for his specialty. Chakra left Sasuke's body in vast amounts; every second longer making the mark's itch turn into a burning sensation.

And with the burning the whispers returned.

Thinking quickly, Sasuke switched the hands holding his kunai, yanking it out fast and hard before impaling it into Yoroi's elbow. The man screamed, but his grip only loosened a fraction.

It was enough.

"Get off!" The Uchiha cocked back and punched his opponent square in the nose, sending him stumbling back, granting Sasuke the breathing room he needed to jump back and away.

He lifted his left hand up and looked down at it quickly. I can barely feel my chakra. But the other chakra was there. It begged to be used. To show the power he held by annihilating this measly worm in front of him. Sasuke squeezed his hand into a fist and growled. I don't need your power to win. I refuse to use it.

Again he chose to play by the Leaf and their little rules. Soon, though, he wouldn't be able to resist this power. Deep down he wanted this. He wanted to gain this power to destroy his brother. All he had to do was relinquish control.

Sasuke shook the voices off and focused on his opponent. Yoroi pulled the kunai from his elbow, but looked ready for more. He then let his gaze fall onto his team and the other Leaf shinobi. Amari looked on the verge of a panic attack. No doubt she could see his chakra with her Byakugan right now, and that look was enough to understand the situation he was in.

How close is the mark's chakra from taking over?

He really didn't want to know.

"Come on, Sasuke! Get it together! Use your head!" Naruto shouted, worry thick in his tone.

I'm trying, Loser. I'm trying, but…He noticed Lee standing right next to Amari, watching him carefully. Wait, that's it!

The blue hue returned to Yoroi's hand again. The time for thinking was over, but that was fine. He had a decent plan, one he was certain could end this match in the next minute. I don't have a lot of chakra left, but I'll make the best of it.

Determination set in his face as Yoroi charged him. Time to end this! Sasuke let his opponent close in and began dodging every single strike his opponent threw, never letting his hand get near enough to take the smallest bit of chakra he had left.

But why waste time dodging around? Let him take the last of his normal chakra and use the mark at his whim. It would destroy his enemy and show the gathered shinobi how inferior they were to him. Him, a pure Uchiha child—

Argh, shut the hell up!

The mark burned, but he refused to give in. In-between one of Yoroi's strike, Sasuke flooded his body with chakra and disappeared from sight "What?! Where'd he go?" Yoroi gasped.

"Down here, you moron!" Sasuke appeared below him, planting his right hand and foot on the ground to support his weight as he extended a hard kick right into Yoroi's jaw. Quickly he got onto all fours and pushed off the ground to chase his currently airborne opponent, reappearing in Dancing Leaf Shadow.

"Nice move! Now finish him off!" Amari ordered, the panic still prevalent in her voice.

Sasuke smirked. Oh, I plan to.

This was as far as Yoroi was going to go. He was too weak, too pathetic. And now it was time to unleash his true power!

The mark's chakra exploded. The burning surged from his shoulder, down his arm and across his face. Sasuke grunted. No, not now. He could feel it spreading, the evil taint flooding through his body while the mark turned the color of a burning fire as it climbed across his torso and face.

He couldn't find the strength to fight it this time. It was too strong. The power too intoxicating. Why should he restrain himself anyways? He was meant to be an avenger. He only needed to gather this power and use it to destroy Itachi. It could be controlled, by him. No one else.

The darkness surrounded him. The cold tendrils of power wrapped around his body as he could feel his control being tugged off finger by finger.

"Sasuke, don't give in!"

The scarred hand grabbed his wrist and burned away the shadows around him.

"Remember what I told you in the Forest of Death! Remember where real strength comes from!"

Real strength…it came from this warm light. This bright light that kept reaching out to him to remind him he wasn't alone. That he had a clan-sister to rely on, no matter how dark it got.

"That makes you family."

Sasuke shut his eyes in the present world, but inside his mind he opened them to look back to the light for strength. He gripped the scarred hand as tightly as he could and let it pull him back towards the light.

Just give in, the whispers demanded. Give in to his lust for power.

No!

He gripped the hand tighter.

He needed this power to win. He needed it to kill Itachi. What hope did he have without it?

Don't underestimate the Uchiha! Now for the last time:

Shut.

The dark tendrils screeched in agony and scurried into the remaining darkness as the light burned brighter.

The hell.

The burning of the mark receded back to the base of his neck.

Up!

Sasuke's eyes snapped open, colored cool onyx as he regained control of his mind and body. "All right, I admit I kind of borrowed this move to get you up here. And I know you must be filled with suspense after my little delay. I apologize for that. But don't worry," he placed his pointer and middle finger against Yoroi's spine, "the wait is over."

He placed his hand fully against his back and turned him ever so slightly, bringing his left leg up to kick Yoroi. His opponent blocked and jeered, "Ha! You're no match for me."

"Heh, you just made your last mistake."

Sasuke swung his left leg back down, using the momentum to spin his body three hundred and sixty degrees as gravity started to take hold. As he came back around he landed a solid fist right into the face of his enemy. Yoroi cried out in pain as their descent quickened, but that was a part of the plan: to make the landing as painful as possible to ensure Yoroi didn't get back up.

With his body turned all the way to face the ground, Sasuke streamlined himself to catch his opponent. "Come back here!" His fist landed hard in his stomach, bringing them even closer to the ground. "I'm not through with you yet!" He spun his body yet again, using the momentum to take his leg and land it square into Yoroi's stomach right as they hit the ground. "Lion's Barrage!"

His opponent coughed up blood as he cracked against the ground and the heel of his enemy buried itself in his gut. Then all the momentum of the fall rebounded. Sasuke shot backwards, sliding across the ground as his entire body was tangled in fatigue from the technique. He flipped over at the end and remained on his stomach.

That took a lot more than I thought it would.

Tiredly, Sasuke forced himself onto his hands and knees, beginning to breathe harder and harder as the seconds ticked by. "Well, this one's had it," the proctor said after checking on the unconscious Yoroi. Sasuke forced himself to look up at the two. "I'm declaring this match over. As the winner of this preliminary round, Sasuke Uchiha advances to the finals."

If he wasn't so tired he would have smirked victoriously. He couldn't find it in him, though.

"Way to go!" Naruto shouted.

"Great move, Sasuke!" Sakura cheered.

"Show off!" Amari teased.

All three comments forced a smirk onto his face as he fell back onto his butt. Yeah yeah, save it you guys. We'll celebrate when all of you win your matches. Body too tired to sit up, he felt himself beginning to fall backwards. Before he could, a knee rested against his back in support.

"Hmm, not bad." Sasuke looked behind him to see Kakashi reading one of his pervy books. "Funny, before the Lion's Barrage your technique was very reminiscent of Guy's taijutsu." His eye left the book for a moment. "You used your Sharingan to copy their taijutsu when you fought with Rock Lee the first day of the Exam."

"Nothing gets by you Kakashi-sensei, even when your nose deep in a book."

"Well, what kind of Sensei would I be if I didn't notice things my students do, hmm?"

"Next time you fight, try not to come out looking like you're the one who got his butt kicked, Sasuke!" Naruto taunted.

Sasuke glared up at him, his breathing still not in his control. "Oh give me a break, Loser…" His glare fell for an exhausted smirk. "Ah, forget it. Try not to look like this after your fight guys."

The trio nodded but still looked amused. He couldn't blame them. He probably looked in pretty pitiful state for the winner of a fight. Glancing over to Lee, he noticed a pensive look on his face. Rock Lee. If I hadn't seen your moves up close when we went head to head, this one would have turned out badly. He glanced to Amari. And I owe you even more for helping me control the mark.

Pain erupted across his body, caused by the use of Guy's style of taijutsu for the first time. Still, it's not going to be a technique I use all that often. The medics came out and took Yoroi away on a stretcher. Another approached him. "Sasuke Uchiha, maybe you should come along to the infirmary too and let us look at your injuries," they offered.

"I think you're a little out of your league with this one," Kakashi stated. "I'll look after him for now." His sensei crouched down next to him. "Okay, up you go. You're coming with me." He placed his hand on the Uchiha's shoulder. "While your ability to regain control of the mark is impressive, we've got to Seal it away fast. It'll continue to deteriorate your willpower if given more time," he told him quietly.

"Before the preliminaries are over? But I want to see who goes on to the finals," Sasuke argued.

"Forget it."

"Bu—"

"And don't even think about arguing. We leave it any longer and it may be too late. I've already cut you enough slack as it is. Come on, let's go." Reluctantly Sasuke got up and began following Kakashi out of the tower.

Do your best you three, Sasuke thought, and good luck.