"I'm glad I got that out of the way," Omoi said. He, Atsui, and Karui were standing outside of the bathroom. "I had to hold that for a while."

"Quit whining!" Karui snapped. "I can't believe both of you lost so easily."

"Sorry," Omoi said. "Samui would be really disappointed, huh."

"We did our best!" Atsui patted Omoi on the back.

Neji appeared from the bathroom, narrowing his eyes at the group.

"Scum," Neji muttered as he walked by.

"Excuse me?" Karui pushed past Omoi, following Neji.

"What do you want?" Neji turned to face Karui. "Cloud scum."

Karui drew her sword, lightning crackled along the blade.

"Say that again, you Hyuga brat," Karui warned.

"Karui!" Omoi tried to restrain Karui, but she pulled out of his grasp, glaring at Neji.

"You," Neji looked past Karui at Atsui. "Where did you get that byakugan?"

Atsui placed a hand on his eye patch.

"A long time ago," Atsui said. "The Raikage blessed me and another ninja with byakugan eyes." His eye fell to the floor, avoiding Neji's gaze.

"That blood is on your hands," Neji said. "That eye belongs to my father."

"It's his now!" Karui yelled.

"Shut your mouth," Neji snapped.

Karui lunged, raising her sword.

Neji spun, his hands glowing. He caught Karui's wrist and struck her several times in the stomach.

"Why you!" Karui twisted, kicking Neji in the side. He was knocked backward against the wall.

"Lightning style," Karui dropped her sword, performing fast hand signs. She paused, her chakra points had been interrupted.

A green blur shot between Neji and Karui. A foot shot up, hitting Karui in the chin.

Lee seemed to materialize in front of Karui, kicking her off her feet. He stood tall, snatching up Karui's sword.

Karui groaned on her back. Omoi and Atsui helped her up. She glared at Lee.

"Lee?" Neji straightened up against the wall. "What are you doing?" He smashed his fist against the wall. "I don't need your help!"

"Why are you fighting them?' Lee turned on Neji. "These are our opponents, not our enemies."

"What's the difference?' Neji shouted.

"Bowl cuts right," Karui said. She righted herself and walked up to Lee, holding out her hand. "Sword?"

Lee returned Karui's sword.

"I'll crush both of you in the name of the Cloud village," Karui said, sheathing her sword. "I'll do it in the arena." She nodded at Lee. "Alright, you two idiots." Karui grabbed Atsui and Omoi's arms. "Let's get back to the Raikage."

The three cloud ninja left down the hallway, leaving Lee and Neji in silence.

"Neji, I understand your frustration," Lee started.

"Shut up, Lee." Neji turned away from his teammate. "That idiot doesn't even know how to use that byakugan, I should rip it from his head."

Lee frowned at Neji.

"We can't lose again, Neji," Lee said. His face hardened. "I won't allow us to lose again."

"Then don't be weak," Neji said, turning away from Lee.

X

"Team 10 loses!" Anko yelled from a tree branch.

Neji Lee and Tenten were strewn about the ground. Anko hopped down from her branch, looking the time over.

"Wow, you guys are the worse," Anko laughed.

Tenten sat up, looking her teammates over.

Lee was the next to get up. Neji was staring off to the side, eyes blank.

"Did you guys get lost or something?" Anko asked, circling the group. "Where's your scroll?"

"We lost it," Lee said. "We lost our scroll."

"Wow," Anko said. "And I actually had my hopes up for you guys."

None of the kids responded.

"Listen," Anko knelt down, tapping her chin. "There's obviously a weak link between you three, until you snuff it out, you'll never succeed."

X

Tenten swung her sickle on a chain, swinging it across the battlefield. A wall of sand rose in front of Gaara, catching the sickle.

"Damn!" Tenten grabbed a scroll, and opened it. A volley of shuriken flew from the paper, flying at Gaara.

Gaara's sand was faster, swallowing the shuriken and forming a wave.

"Air Blast!" Zaku yelled. A strong wind hit Tenten, sending her flying off her feet.

"Why, you!" Tenten spun in the air, glaring at Ino's collapsed body. She opened another scroll, summoning a pair of giant shuriken. She had just enough time to use the two shuriken as shields before she was pelted by a volley of sand bullets.

Tenten hit the ground hard. The giant shuriken landed nearby, sinking into the ground. She groaned, pushing herself off the ground.

She couldn't lose this easily.

"Finish her off, Gaara!" Ino yelled from Zaku's body. "What are you doing?"

Gaara wasn't doing anything, just staring at Tenten. Tenten glared up at him. She coughed, reaching for one of her shuriken.

At that instant, a wave of sand washed over Tenten, pushing her up against the arena wall. The sand was as hard as concrete.

"Yeah!" Ino and Zaku cheered.

"Do you surrender?" Asuma called.

"I surrender!" Zaku said, raising his hand. He beamed at Tenten.

"Gaara and Ino win!" Asuma yelled. "The match is over!"

Tenten raised her head, her weary eyes found Lee and Neji watching. She lowered her head.

X

The Chunin exams were done for the night.

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke walked along the street together.

"I wonder who you'll fight tomorrow," Sakura said, looking at Sasuke.

"I just hope I can sleep!" Naruto stretched, popping his back.

"What happens after everyone fights," Sasuke said. "Do we start a round 2 or what?"

"Hey, guys!" Ino called out from up ahead. She, Shikamaru and Choji were standing with Asuma. "Wanna get some barbeque together?"

X

Hiruzen sat down on a pillow with a sigh. He was sitting on a balcony in the hokage building. Dim moonlight illuminated him.

"Lord hokage," It was Kakashi. He and Guy appeared behind Hiruzen.

"Kakashi," Hiruzen turned to face the two men. "What's wrong?"

"I believe the village is under attack," Kakashi said. "Danzo is staging a coup."

"What?" Hiruzen stood up.

"What's going on?" Raikage appeared, stepping onto the balcony. He took a sip from some sake.

"Lord Raikage," Kakashi nodded at the man.

"What makes you believe that?" Hiruzen asked. "Tell me everything."

"Let me ask you something first," Kakashi said. "Where is—"

The air between Kakashi and Hiruzen shifted. In an instant, a hole seemed to open from thin air and swallowed Kakashi and Guy whole.

The balcony was silent for a few moments.

"That was unnecessary," Hiruzen said.

The Raikage transformed into a small boy. The boy was wearing a white mask with a devilish face.

"I'm sorry," the boy said. "They were too suspicious."

"Well," Hiruzen stood up. "That was an impressive transformation jutsu, you managed to deceive the great Kakashi if only for a moment."

"He sensed me," The boy said. "At the last moment. If I'd acted a second later, he would've attacked me."

"He's a sharp man, that's to be expected." Hiruzen patted the boy on the head. "Where did you send them?"

"Far away."

X

Kakashi groaned, sitting up. He was lying in the snow.

Guy popped out of the snow nearby.

"Hey, who's over there!" A tall man was walking over to them.

Kakashi stared up at the dark sky.

"I should've known."