Hi everyone! Sorry for the long wait between chapters, but I'm afraid that's probably going to be standard for a while. As I've mentioned in other chapters, I had written a good portion of this story before I began publishing it here. At this point I have officially run out of preconceived material, so everything you see here is made to order. The tournament scenes also are a little more difficult to write because of the nature of writing a fight that doesn't come off like a laundry list of punches being thrown. Without any further ado, please enjoy this next installment of ToTM. Also, I really appreciate the time you have take to throw feedback my way. I've received reviews and PMs from several of you, and I absolutely love hearing from you guys. It brightens my day and ultimately leads to better writing on my end. So, keep it coming.

The crowd was still in an uproar from Beki's match. Inside the tunnel, Daiske was deafened by the noise. His brain was going wild trying to hone in on a single voice, to understand something within the noise. Through all the conversations and all the different voices, one word seemed to keep breaking through: Monster.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen!" Shu's voice broke through the thunder of the crowd. "Our next match will begin in five minutes!"

Daiske wrapped and unwrapped his kusarigama chain in his left hand. The ball bearing at the one end barely resembled a ball anymore. It was so dented and scratched it looked like a raisin now. The sickle end he took better care of. The blade was so clean when it caught the light it was blinding. Daiske had sharpened the blade this morning so aside from the few nicks that came with age, it was in pristine condition.

He knew he should be focusing on his own match but Daiske couldn't help but dwell on Beki's. She had come so far in the year she had spent in Konoha that he had to assume she had been training the whole time. Beki had never been dead weight on the team, however now her performance made him feel self-conscious.

No, Daiske. Don't do this to yourself, he thought. You know you're good. Good enough to beat Borei.

His shaky self-confidence wasn't helped by how aggressively Beki had antagonized Borei. Growing up, Borei had always been that kid everyone avoided, even the teachers. In spite of his silence, there was a disquiet around him. It made people uneasy being in his presence. That is, if they noticed him. He had possessed innate gifts in stealth long before he became a shinobi and although he had never been popular, Borei was undoubtedly gifted.

Daiske had always been the middle of everything. Middle of his class, middle child, middle achiever. Not great and not terrible at anything. Normally this wasn't an issue, he could hide between the much more distinguished shinobi on his team. Here in the chunin exams, however, his mediocrity would be put on display.

"Would the competitors for the second match please enter the ring?" Yoko's voice was piercing as it echoed through the tunnel.

"So who do we have here?" Shu could be heard shuffling papers. "This kid doesn't have a last name. It's just Borei. Sixteen years old, stealth specialist from Getsugakure."

"How mysterious," Yoko purred. "And he'll be up against Sasaki Daiske, a sixteen-year-old ninjutsu specialist from Getsugakure."

Daiske stepped out into the light and stood there a moment while his eyes adjusted. As soon as he could see his heart dropped into his stomach. There were so many people and their eyes were all on him as he walked into the arena. Borei was already there, as if he had always been in that one spot waiting for this moment. His aloof confidence was as unnerving as ever. They stood staring at each other, or at least Daiske was staring at Borei. Bo just looked right through him as if he wasn't there.

"We will now begin our match countdown," Shu called out. "Ten…Nine…"

…

Come on Daiske, Beki thought, clenching her fists. You can do this.

"…seven…six…"

…

"Are you sure you're well enough to be here?" Hinata put a steadying hand on Ren's back. Ren shrugged her off and put her full weight on her crutch.

"Beki kicked Yuu's ass yesterday and I wasn't here to see it," Ren growled. "Nothing could keep me away from watching Daiske and Beki wipe the floor with the rest of Team Hunter."

"…five…four…"

Hinata had no idea what Yo had told the staff at the hospital to get Ren to the finals because Hinata didn't think she was fit to be there. Her left arm was in a full cast, the right arm was casted from the elbow down, and the right leg was in a brace from the knee down. Ren was supporting all of her weight on her good left leg and the crutch under her right arm. It looked like if a strong enough breeze came by she would crumble. Hinata hovered closely to her in order to catch her if she stumbled. She wasn't one of the Konoha shinobi, but Ren was Beki's friend, and as Beki's other best friend, it was Hinata's job to take care of Ren for Beki.

"Lee," Ren barked at him, to which he jumped to attention.

"Yes!"

"Did you smuggle in that megaphone?" Ren held out her good arm so her weight was supported on the crutch jammed in her armpit. Lee reached under his seat and held out the megaphone to her.

"Good idea, Ren! Say something inspirational for Daiske!"

…

"DAISKE!"

The familiar voice tore through the crowd almost to the point of rivaling the announcers. Daiske's head jerked up in the direction of the call. I must be imagining it, he thought. Ren is still in the hospital.

"DAISKE, LISTEN UP! MAKE BO CRY. I WANT TO SEE HIM CRY GIRLY LITTLE TEARS AND BEG FOR MERCY! TAKE HIS STUPID BEANIE AND SHOVE IT DOWN HIS UGLY STUPID THROAT!"

During the rant, Daiske caught sight of an angry child on a crutch with a megaphone struggling against a Kumogakure shinobi. He smiled and felt his eyes well up. Of course Ren would be here to support him. If she could drag herself out of the hospital in three casts, he could fulfil her request.

…TWO! ONE! BEGIN!"

Wordlessly, Bo stepped backward and instantly began to fade out of focus. Daiske dropped some of the length of his chain and began to spin it, letting the momentum build until Bo came back into a focus a few feet away with his knife drawn. Daiske launched the ball end of his kusarigama at him to catch his ankles but Bo disappeared again. Instantly Daiske was pulling the chain back toward him. When Bo reappeared he was nowhere near where he had started.

"How is he doing that?" Yoko asked in disbelief. "I've seen camouflage jutsu used before, but this is on another level. It's almost like…he stops existing or something."

"Psh. That's as crazy as saying he can disappear into a pocket dimension temporarily to let attacks phase through him and then passes back into our reality when it's convenient," Shu chuckled.

"Who would want a power like that?" Yoko asked. "That sounds like cheating."

"Even if a technique like that did exist, it would take a metric ton of chakra," Shu said.

"What, like how the Uzumaki clan are rumored to possess huge chakra reserves? Like that?" Yoko asked.

"We all know the Uzumakis were wiped out. There isn't a single Uzumaki left," Shu said. "It doesn't look like our friend Sasaki is doing so well."

Shit, Daiske thought. I can't control Borei's movement. I have to do something about his stealth before he can get in close enough to shank me. He could sense something moving at him fast so Daiske leapt in the direction Bo had originally been in. From their fight in the caves, Daiske had noticed Borei liked to move in a circle around his opponent, so it was a safe bet that his previous location was unoccupied.

"I hate to say this but this match is kind of boring," Yoko grumbled.

"Not every match can be a rare kekke genkai user and a theatrical shinobi," Shu said. "A lot of shinobi combat in the field comes down to endurance and skill. Who can outlast who, or who can get the fatal blow first."

"I guess," Yoko sighed. "Is it so much for a girl to ask for? Explosions and costumes?"

"Yoko, a shinobi is supposed to be stealthy," Shu argued. "In essence, if a ninja is detected on a job they've failed."

Daiske perked up. That was it. He needed to take away Borei's stealth. He began forming hand signs and sent an unavoidable wave of mud across the ring. It wiped a good portion of his chakra but once he could see Bo he could just mess him up with the kusarigama.

When the mud coated Borei all over he stopped dead. The brown murk covered him from head to foot in one solid coat so he looked like a giant chocolate version of himself. Borei raised his hands and looked at them, turning them over and then picking at his clothes to survey the damage. Daiske began to spin his chain and position himself for his next attack.

"I forfeit."

Borei's voice was strong and firm but he said it as casually as though turning down a refill from a waitress.

"Wait, what?" Daiske stopped swinging the kusarigama. "Why?!"

Borei looked at Daiske and gestured to himself in one sweeping motion then began to walk off the stage.

"YOU QUIT BECAUSE YOU CAN'T SNEAK UP ON ME?!" Daiske threw his chains to the ground. "NO! YOU GET BACK HERE AND FIGHT!"

"I'm a stealth specialist," Borei said as he walked back into his tunnel. "No stealth, no fight."

I won, Daiske thought. I should be happy but I still feel like he insulted me. The crowd wasn't cheering. They were all mumbling to each other trying to figure out what happened.

"Well that was…weird," Shu said.

"See? I told you. Boring match," Yoko sighed. "Sasaki Daiske of Getsugakure is the winner by default."

"ATTA BOY DAISKE!" Ren's megaphone had been taken away but she had rolled up a notebook to nearly the same effect. "HE LOOKED SO STUPID! I TOOK LIKE EIGHTY PICTURES! I'M GONNA MAIL THEM TO YOUR MOM!"

Ren, please stop, Daiske thought as he smiled and waved to the confused crowd.

…

"After that…brief matchup, we're pleased to announce a much anticipated faceoff between two members of the same clan," Shu announced. "I should let Yoko take over. She's practically shaking with excitement."

"This match is going to be between Tsukimori Haruka and her younger cousin Shinichi Tsukimori," Yoko explained. "He's just a year behind her age wise."

"Well that doesn't seem fair," Shu said. "Won't it kind of be bullying?"

"No," Yoko chuckled. "Shinichi is the heir apparent of the Tsukimori clan. Not to mention although he's only 15, the kid clocks in at almost double Haruka's weight and is over two meters tall."

"So not a baby cousin," Shu replied. "Well, I'm interested to see what Shinichi will bring to the table here. He demonstrated masterful skill in his match against the Iwagakure representative yesterday."

"The question is; can it hold up against the legendary power of the Drowned Maiden?" Yoko asked.

"Well everyone, I'm sure you feel rather strongly one way or the other," Shu said. "Betting is still open until the match officially begins in fifteen minutes. Take the time to let your opinions be known-"

"And to stock up on more of that delicious takoyaki," Yoko chimed in.

Beki wrung her hands in the dugout. Daiske was done fighting for the day so they let him change and join the fans out in the stands. She could barely make him out standing with Ren and the Konoha shinobi out in the crowd. It was crappy how he had won his match but that didn't change the fact that it was a victory. Beki secretly wished that Shinichi would have a freak change of heart or befall some sort of strange accident before their match. It would be one thing to fight her cousin in an alley somewhere, to battle out their differences man to man. Here in this arena, however, their differences were put on display. They were representing more than just themselves so there was no way it would end well. Their pride wouldn't allow either of them to back down for any less than total domination.

Self-consciously, she checked over her outfit to make sure that she hadn't forgotten anything. After the match the day before, Beki had cleaned all of Yuu's blood off so she looked presentable for today's match. Whatever material the shirt was made of was incredibly easy to clean. She had taken a hot damp rag to it and the blood had just wiped off. Beki looked out at the crowd, at their excitement to watch two members of the same family bleed each other. Shinichi was in the dugout directly across from her. Even at this distance she could see the rage radiating off of him. Beki began strapping on her gauntlets. No matter how this match turned out, it was going to leave stains she was sure she could never completely erase.

…

"How is she?" Hinata asked in a whisper.

Neji activated his Byakugan and surveyed Beki in the dugout on the other side of the arena. "Her heart rate is elevated. She's fidgeting."

"Poor girl must be a nervous wreck," Hinata started to fidget herself. Neji watched them. Beki had picked up Hinata's habit of fidgeting with her hands. "I remember how I felt when I had to face you in the elimination round, Neji. I was just as much of a mess as she is."

Neji sighed. "That was different. We were different."

"It's kind of the same," Hinata said. "It was our two ways of thought facing off just as much as it was our bodies."

"I know I won that day, but in the end you were right," Neji said. "It just took another fight to beat it into me."

"I wish Naruto were here," Hinata sighed. "He would know what to say to help her feel better."

Neji put a hand on Hinata's shoulder. "I think you do just fine."

"Hey!" Ren swatted at Neji with her crutch. "I'm talking to you."

Neji narrowed his eyes at her. The already boisterous girl lost had lost all of her filter since she had left the hospital. It was the complete opposite of how one would expect someone with three casts to behave. "What is it, Ren?"

"You need to be ready at the end of this," She waggled the crutch at him. "Whether this match goes good or bad for her, Beki's going to be all bent out of shape emotionally. Your shoulder needs to be available to cry on. She likes having her hair petted while she cuddles. Don't try to tickle her or anything stupid like that until she's done crying. It makes her lash out and get all slappy." Ren leered at him. "Why aren't you taking notes? This is good shit!"

"I appreciate your efforts, Ren, but I'm quite capable of handling my friendship with Beki on my own," Neji folded his arms.

"I can't freaking believe you," Ren scoffed. "You are obviously smitten and you just act like its nothing. You are never going to meet a girl like her again, and I tell you what if you wuss out and let someone with more balls swoop in and steal her you will regret it for the rest of your life-"

One of the spectators who had been craning his neck to see the arena began to lose his patience. "Lady, can you take a seat already?"

Ren slowly turned on him and gave him a petrifying look. "Do you know how I ended up in three casts, buddy? I lunged on another shinobi and ripped a hunk of their neck out with my teeth," Ren smiled. "Do you want to see what I can do with my one good leg?"

The man got up and left the arena without another word. "Aw," Ren sighed as she took his seat. "What a sweetheart, he didn't have to leave his popcorn."

…

"Where have you been?" Gaara didn't pull his gaze from the tunnel across the arena where he saw Beki hovering in wait. "The match is about to begin."

Kankuro put a hand on the back of Gaara's chair and leaned around it so he blocked Gaara from the rest of the room. "Just grabbing some refreshments," He handed Gaara a bottle of water. After Gaara accepted it, he saw one too many receipts in his brother's hand. The Kazekage gave his brother an exasperated look, which for him amounted to narrowed eyes.

"You placed a bet?"

Kankuro held up a finger for silence. "I know you can't so I figured I'd throw some good vibes her way."

Gaara shook his head slightly in disdain and went back to watching the arena. "How were her odds?"

"Well, she isn't very popular," Kankuro said under his breath. "If she can pull this off I can build myself a puppet out of solid gold."

"As an homage to our father?" Gaara asked, a slight edge to his voice.

Kankuro shook his head. "No, Gaara, I was just using a metaphor to explain that I would win a lot of money off this bet. It would be stupid and wasteful to make a puppet out of gold."

"The match will begin shortly," Shu's voice came in through the speakers in the ceiling. "Would the competitors please enter the arena."

The Kazekage watched as Beki made her way into the ring. When he had seen her fight against the other Getsu kunoichi the day before, Gaara had been fairly impressed with Beki's abilities. That day she had been competent and confident; the whole audience seemed captivated by her. From experience he could tell that part of the awe they held for her was because they feared her Drowned Maiden form.

Today, however, her attitude was different. Beki stared her cousin down with her body locked and ready for combat. Gaara could sense that she was ill at ease and he found himself concerned for her safety. He had considered the well-being of his family and comrades in battle before, but in this situation he was powerless to protect her. His gaze fell on the form of Shinichi, his back to the VIP box, a halberd slung over his shoulder with the amount of effort a typical person would use to carry a backpack. Before he even knew Beki, Gaara had felt no threat from her. After seeing her Drowned Maiden form, he still did not consider Beki a threat. Something was off about her cousin, however. There was an arrogance to him that implied a lack of respect for his opponent, which in this case meant someone important to Gaara.

As the announcers began the countdown to the match, the Kazekage was less concerned about keeping up appearances as he was with what he could possibly do if Beki was seriously injured in the match to come.

…

"…Seven…" Shu's voice rang out almost happily through the arena. The announcer system is a sin, Beki thought. Here she was ready to face her fate and these two airheads were excited about it. This is why my dad is grouchy all the time, Beki thought. She imagined it felt the same way listening to diplomats joke about serious current events.

"…Five!"

Beki took the few precious seconds she had left to survey Shinichi. He had brought his halberd to this fight, probably with the intention of keeping her at a distance. She had spent plenty of time training against Seiichiro and she was certain her dad was a better weapons user than Shinichi. A kanabo was a blunt weapon, which allowed for a little room for error. Being grazed by a hunk of wood hurt, but it was a closed wound. Shinichi's halberd was just barely more blade than hilt, long enough and heavy enough to take out both a horse and a rider. If Beki was grazed by that gleaming edge more than once this would prove to be an easy win for Shinichi.

"…Three!"

Shinichi's eyes were burning coals piercing right through the façade Beki had put up for the crowd. As much as she pretended, Shinichi had known Beki their whole lives, and he knew better than anyone she wasn't Seiichiro or Yukihana. She was just Haruka and to him, she was just property. The way he looked at her made her feel like a disobedient dog he planned on reigning back in. That made her simultaneously furious and terrified. It wasn't that she thought he could beat her, she was more afraid of what would happen if he did beat her.

Beki would have to leave Konoha and lose all her friends, including her teammates. Shinichi would lock her up in the Tsukimori mansion with all the relatives who hated her with the pretense of her being a dignified wife. She would have to spend the rest of her life being treated like less than a person. She watched his cold gaze and imagined getting looked at like that every day for the rest of her life and a chill of fear went down her spine.

No, Beki thought. That isn't going to happen. I'm going to kick his ass, because I am the daughter of the two strongest shinobi of the last generation. My father wouldn't let anyone do this to him, nor would my mother. I'm going to win this match if it kills me, she thought.

"READY! BEGIN!"