"You can't beat me!" Atsui yelled. He flew across the battlefield, hitting the wall of the arena.

Temari laughed, leaning on her fan.

Hinata's hands glowed with blue chakra. She took several swings at Shikamaru.

Shikamaru ducked and dodged, keeping away from Hinata.

"Whew!" Shikamaru panted. "You're stronger than I thought!" Hinata lunged again, striking Shikamaru in the chest.

Shikamaru gasped, falling onto his butt. She'd struck a chakra point.

"Eight trigrams!" Hinata took a stance in front of Shikamaru.

"Crap!" Shikamaru raised his hands.

"Look out, slacker!" Atsui performed hand signs. "Flame spear!"

A spear of flames shot out at Hinata.

"Sixty-four palms!"

Hinata unleashed a barrage of strikes, pummeling the flames. Her palms easily whittled the fire down to nothing.

Shikamaru took a hand sign.

"Shadow possession jutsu!"

A shadow reached across the battlefield, stopping under Temari.

"What?" Temari froze. Her fan fell to the ground.

"Great work, slacker!" Atsui started for Temari.

"No!" Hinata cut Atsui off, raising her hands.

Temari glared at Shikamaru.

"Sixty-four palms!" Hinata yelled. She barraged Atsui with strikes, pushing him backward.

"Oh no," Shikamaru grumbled.

Atsui fell to the ground.

"I've sealed all of your chakra points," Hinata said, panting.

"Wow," Atsui said. "You're strong."

"Get the other one!" Temari yelled. "Hurry!"

"Oh boy," Shikamaru sighed. He drew a kunai. Temari imitated Shikamaru's movements, drawing a kunai as well.

Hinata started for Shikamaru.

Shikamaru threw his kunai, Temari did the same.

"Look out, brat!" Temari yelled.

Hinata ducked under both Kunai. The kunai collided over her head. She started to run.

"Shikamaru!" Ino called from the stands. "Do something!"

"Geez," Shikamaru ran to the side, Temari did the same. She was getting further away from her fan.

X

Kakashi was taken off guard by the attack. He was walking in the street when the genjutsu activated.

The world around Kakashi twisted and changed into something else. He was bound by chains, coming from an empty void.

A tall figure approached, floating in the void.

"What?" Kakashi squinted his eye.

"We need to talk." It was Ibiki.

"What is this?" Kakashi demanded. He feigned a struggle. He could easily break the genjutsu, but he wanted to see Ibiki's intentions.

Ibiki got close, staring down Kakashi.

"An Interrogation," Ibiki said.

"What do you want to—"

The genjutsu broke.

Kakashi was in the middle of the street, surrounded by anbu. For a moment, one of their masks was off. Kakashi got a glimpse of white hair. The mask was quickly replaced.

Ibiki was lying on the ground.

"What do you think you're doing?" Guy had appeared beside Kakashi. "Who are you?"

Ibiki glared up at Kakashi and Guy.

"What's with all these anbu?" Guy asked, taking in the situation.

"Somethings up," Kakashi said. Guy narrowed his eyes.

For a few moments, no one moved.

Kakashi was focused on Ibiki. His bandana was off, revealing the many scars on his head.

"Ibiki," Kakashi spoke up. "What's going on?"

Ibiki met Kakashi's gaze.

A kunai went flying, right at Kakashi's head. Kakashi swatted it out of the air with his hand and spun to the side.

The anbu charged.

Guy leaped past Kakashi, kicking two anbu down.

"Fire style!" Another anbu jumped into the air, performing hand signs. "Phoenix flower jutsu!" Several large flares rained down on the street.

Guy grabbed Kakashi and jumped to the roof of a nearby shop. Three anbu chased them.

Several kunai flew, hitting the rooftop.

Kakashi kicked one of the anbu and dodged a kunai while Guy handled the other two.

"Why are you attacking us?" Guy yelled. He threw one of the anbu from the roof and caught another's wrist.

A giant stone beast formed in the air biting into the roof. The roof collapsed under Guy and Kakashi and they fell into the shop below.

"What's going on?" A shopkeeper shouted.

Kakashi pushed his way out of the rubble, grunting.

"It's an attack," He said. He couldn't spot the shopkeeper through the dust. None of the anbu followed them inside.

As the dust settled, orange sunlight seeped through the broken roof.

"You alive, Guy?" Kakashi asked, pulling his friend out from the rubble.

"Yes!" Guy perked up. "A simple roof couldn't kill someone like me that—" Guy knocked Kakashi aside.

Kakashi didn't see the attack coming. In the few moments, he regretted not revealing his sharingan.

An anbu rushed across the shop, from one of his sleeves a white spear.

Guy spun, grabbing the spear and kicking the anbu away.

The anbu flipped through the air, landing on the wall. In an instant he was gone.

"What the hell?' Guy stared at his hand.

Kakashi jumped out onto what was left of the roof. He'd activated his sharingan.

Ibiki and the anbu were gone. The street had gone silent.

Kakashi sighed. The sun was getting low in the sky.

Guy hopped up beside Kakashi.

"I need to speak with the hokage," Kakashi said.

X

Hinata chased after Shikamaru, still panting.

"Hey, Hinata!" Shikamaru called out. He released the jutsu, pausing against the wall.

Temari didn't stop, she ran along the wall, charging Shikamaru.

"Crap!" Shikamaru raised his hands.

Temari was fast. She kicked Shikamaru in the head, knocking him down. She and Hinata surrounded him.

"Give up, punk?" Temari asked.

Shikamaru rubbed his cheek, sitting up.

"Um…" He glanced past the two girls at Asuma.

"Yup, I lose."

"What a disappointment," Temari stormed off.

The sun was getting low. Several lamps were lit up throughout the stands.

Up in the stands, Shikaku was speaking

"Does that work for you, Raikage?" Shikaku asked. The other kage looked over to Raikage.

Raikage tapped his chin, then stood up.

"Alright!" He spoke up. "One more match, then we'll stop for the night!"

The crowd cheered.

"Gaara and Ino!" Raikage called. "Versus, Tenten and Zaku!"

The four contestants took their places. Ino gave Gaara a few awkward glances.

Zaku was grinning at Gaara. Tenten was murmuring something to herself.

"I'm gonna bring you down, Gaara!" Zaku called out.

"What about me?" Ino asked.

Gaara didn't say anything.

"Begin!" Raikage yelled.