The Newest Challenger

by Kenchi618

No way home? Maybe so. But one Uzumaki Naruto doesn't believe that. This world is strange, filled with interesting people and things, but no matter where you are one thing never changes; with a strong will anything is possible. A few clones never hurt either.

33. The Devil You Know

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Street Fighter. Damn you Capcom! Do you have any idea how much raw time off of my life I've wasted between playing Street Fighter, Devil May Cry, Resident Evil, Mega Man games of multiple titles, the Onimusha series (I'm almost done, don't worry), hell you even got me with the first Viewtiful Joe you bastards.

Chapter 33: The Devil You Know

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Running from Chun-Li aside, Naruto had other reasons to go into the building set aside for the fighters to wait for their matches. He exchanged nods with E. Honda who was busy preparing himself and got shoulder bumped by Zangief walking past him to go and fight his own match.

Let that one slide… you already beat him once and clearly he was still sore from it.

Either way, the reason he went inside was to find someone that had already fought. Fought and lost. In the place set aside as a medic bay, Naruto found Guile sitting on a bed watching the tournament play out on a TV screen. His eyes were swollen and his face was bandaged in many places, especially over his nose.

Somehow his hair managed to stay in place perfectly though. What the hell? You could drop a boulder on top of it and it'd probably snap right back to the same position. It looked so cool too. Maybe if he asked Guile he'd show him how to-.

No, not the time. Maybe later.

Guile noticed Naruto when he came walking toward him and spared him a look before turning his attention back to the TV, "Kid." He greeted sharply, "You need something?"

"No." Naruto said, taking a seat on another bed right next to Guile's, "You're not that beaten up. Why don't you come outside and watch the matches with me, Ryu, Chun-Li, Ken, and Cammy?" He flinched when he saw Guile's eyes harden at the mention of Cammy, "She's not bad Guile, but we're your friends. Come on man, it's just a tournament." A tournament that was a trap, but that wasn't the trap portion of it.

"I didn't come here for any other reason than to break some Shadaloo necks, and I got bounced out before I even started!" Guile punched the wall next to his bed and broke it, "What kind of man am I?"

"Enough!" Naruto finally said, almost snarling at Guile's attitude, "This isn't you! You were one of the coolest guys I've ever met in my life! You flew all the way around the world to the absolute middle of nowhere to help your friend take down a whole empire when we first met! You were all about family and friends! What happened to that guy? Does that son of a bitch still breathe?"

Guile's hand lashed out and grabbed Naruto by the collar, pulling them close together, "I made a promise! I gave my word to so many people that I wouldn't let any harm come to Charlie and I couldn't back that up! Do you know how seriously I take that?" He gave Naruto a strong shake, "Do you?"

And Naruto didn't respond, because he finally realized it. He understood what Guile's deal was. It was similar to the way that Naruto felt about returning Sasuke to Konoha all those years ago. He felt so strongly about it back then that he was fully willing to destroy himself to get it done. The only thing that kept him from obsessing over it the same way that Guile was now with his own situation was due to the fact that Naruto had an even bigger situation to deal with after failing to keep his own promise.

He had something new and more important to take his mind off of it. Namely figuring out where he was and what happened to him. Guile had no such thing, and he had to deal with something worse, such as dealing with his friend's death. And once again, Batsu's own words from the recent past came to mind over Naruto's own seeming obsession with keeping every single promise he made, even if things outside of his control kept him from doing so.

What would he have ended up like if he hadn't been forced out of keeping his promise to Konoha's Sakura? If he indeed found a way back and saw her again, would he still be willing to drag Sasuke back now, now when he seemed to be… almost happy? What if Sasuke had gotten to Orochimaru and been used as his new body? What if their battle had resulted in Sasuke's actual death? It was certainly intense enough.

Any number of things could have resulted in the avenue of that guarantee to be closed off forever, and would have resulted in the death of his closest comrade at the time. Even if it was out of his control, something like that probably would have torn his life apart and for more than one reason.

"I'm sorry." Naruto said, not taking the slightest bit of offense to Guile's hold on him, "I understand where you're coming from, and I know that I have no idea how you feel. How you've felt." He slowly reached his hands up and removed Guile's grip carefully, "I can't tell you what you need to do when I don't know what I'd do in your shoes."

Naruto didn't know that Guile had made a promise, had given his word. He had figured that it had all just been an unfortunate circumstance.

If he had made a promise to keep someone safe, and then had to watch and be carried away as that person sacrificed themselves to save him instead, there's a very good chance he'd have been worse off than Guile was. Imagining his best friend in the position of Charlie made him feel rage in his heart, and that was just hypothetical thinking.

Getting up and leaving the room, Naruto stopped at the door and spared Guile one last glance before leaving, "I'm not going to tell you to get over it anymore. I can't do that when I've never had to deal with what you have. Just know that we're only telling you this stuff because we care about you. That's all I'm gonna say."

The hard eyes of Guile followed Naruto until he disappeared from the room, at which point he turned his attention back to the screen where Ken was currently in battle with Zangief, "Your foolish attacks are too weak to hurt me!" He heard Zangief shout despite the distance from the active camera. There wasn't a mike around to pick up the on-field banter either so it was extra impressive.

Despite the battle on the screen involving his brother-in-law, he couldn't find himself very absorbed in what was going on. He was more occupied by the conversation he had just had.

"I don't know how kid." He said to no one in particular before getting sick of just sitting there. He needed to take a walk and get some fresh air, "Maybe when I come up with the answer I can get everything back to normal? I expected to get some closure here, but I lost so quickly…"

His mindset was holding him back in more ways than one. And he didn't know what to do about it. How could he even think of taking revenge to satiate his anger when the anger itself didn't even allow him to fight at his best the way that he needed to?

XxX

(On the Battlefield)

"Ken seems to be handling the mammoth Russian wrestler despite his strength and durability! This is incredible! What a match!"

"I am not letting you grab me!" Ken shouted, slipping underneath Zangief's grasp through his legs, "Let's g-!" His shout and his attempted counterattack wound up being cut off by a spinning dropkick from Zangief that floored him.

Zangief instantly followed up by jumping in the air and landing on Ken in a full body splash, "Your muscles are too puny to contend with me!" Zangief said as he picked Ken up, arms wrapped around him as he squeezed a bearhug tightly, "Surrender or I'll crush you!"

"Not a chance… comrade." Ken strained to say, legs kicking aimlessly as he was robbed of air and his ribs were steadily being crushed, 'Come on, break free! There's always a way out!' He cocked his head back and smashed his forehead against Zangief's face two times, only getting a smirk out of the colossal Russian as he squeezed tighter.

Ken's mouth was twisted open as his body continued to lose air, and Zangief buried his head into the man's chest in order to crush him even worse. Ken's head lowered as his face turned blue and he latched his teeth around Zangief's ear, biting like a Rottweiler.

Zangief started screaming out in pain, eventually letting Ken go. The rush of air into his lungs forced Ken to let out a gasp and let go of his dogged method of escape. Zangief stumbled around holding onto his bloody, mangled appendage, cursing Ken before turning back toward him with murder in his eyes, "You!"

He charged Ken down and prepared to grab onto him one last time to put the blonde martial artist down for good, until he got a very unwelcome gift, "Hadoken (Surge Fist)!" A surprise ki blast from Ken hit him right in the torso and burned his chest hair clean off, "This is gonna hurt!"

Ken started unleashing a vicious barrage of spinning hurricane kicks so intense that fire trailed from his legs due to his ki usage. The kicks rattled off of Zangief's frame, pushing the large man back across the courtyard with ease before he was sent directly up into the air. Ken landed in a small spin and started to time the flaming Zangief's descent, "One more for good measure! Guren Senpukyaku (Crimson Lotus Whirlwind Kick)!"

The final kick sent Zangief and the fire that consumed him flying into the steps where he smashed a hole into them with his body. Buckets of water from the temple attendants were hurled onto the man and the flames were put out in a hurry as the crowd tried to move away from the blaze as quickly as they could.

"I don't know how to make any victory any more complete than setting your opponent on fire! It's over, and the winner that advances to the quarterfinals is Ken Masters!"

As the people started to chant 'Masters' for the victor, Ken smugly raised one hand above his head to soak in the cheers and walked past Zangief up the stairs as he was being treated on the spot. While he walked away he heard the semi-lucid and badly burned Zangief mumble about how fireballs sucked.

Walking up to the waiting area he passed Ryu and raised a hand, getting a high five from his best friend as if they were tagging out, "You'd better not lose after I went through all of that trouble to make sure we'd meet in the next round bud." Ken said.

"I don't intend to lose. Not to E. Honda and not to you." Ryu replied turning around and actually having a rather challenging smirk on his face, "But you do remember which one of us won the last time we fought don't you?"

"Bah, that was a different day." Ken dismissed Ryu's point, throwing both of his hands up behind his head lazily, "Just make sure you don't have Sagat on the brain or that sumo'll smush you like a grape."

"You don't have to worry about me." Smirk now gone, Ryu pulled his red headband tight around his forehead and continued down onto the battlefield to meet his first challenge of the day.

Stepping into the courtyard, the entire crowd began to come alive and applaud raucously, many of them bowing in a fanning motion to Ryu as people began banging on the stands as if they were drum kits in a rhythmic manner.

"Alright everyone, make some noise! Our last of the four legendary invites of the tournament is certainly not the least! Here to defend his title as the best fighter in the world, as the champion of the World Warrior Tournament, let me introduce the man that won the first event four years ago! Ryu!"

The fanfare was much appreciated, but it wasn't necessary. The humble warrior simply nodded and momentarily raised a hand to acknowledge the crowd and show respect for their high opinion of him.

"Well ain't we popular?" E. Honda said with a chuckle as he entered next, throwing salt all about in his path as he walked closer to Ryu to speak to his fellow countryman, "These people love you brother. You sure you don't own a summer home here or something?"

Not getting the joke, Ryu just tilted his head in confusion, "…I don't have a home anywhere. I wander the world and train. I have no need for a home." The deadpan look on E. Honda's face tipped him off as to the intent since he had seen the same look on Ken, Chun-Li, and Naruto's faces several times in the last four hours alone, "Oh, you were kidding. Sorry."

Ever the good-natured sport, E. Honda just laughed and gave Ryu a pat on the shoulder, "Don't worry about it. After this fight is over with, I'll have these people chanting my name as if I were the hometown hero."

Knowing a challenge when he heard one, even if he wasn't much for jokes, Ryu's face turned into one of an accepting challenger, "Of course. But first you must defeat my Shoryuuken to have a chance." He jumped back slightly and started shuffling his legs out to illustrate that he was ready, "Let's begin." Both men bowed to each other and the crowd roared.

E. Honda set himself in the ceremonial stance of the sumo and clapped his hands together before squatting down and placing his fists onto the ground, eyes locked right on target dead ahead. All on Ryu.

"Champion Ryu vs. E. Honda: fight!"

Ryu set himself in his special fighting stance and neither man moved, both of them seemingly trying to check the other over and wait for the first move, 'I don't believe I've ever fought a sumo before.' He wondered to himself what exactly a sumo would do in a street fight that would hurt him.

He didn't have to wait for long to find out, because E. Honda figured that if Ryu wasn't going to come to him he was going to go to him. Pushing himself forward off of his fists he pulled up bricks with the strength of his push and rocketed forward like a missile, "Sumo Gyorai (Sumo Headbutt)!"

A wide eyed Ryu had to jump to the side to avoid taking 300 plus pounds of sumo straight to the ribs as that was where E. Honda had been aiming. The large sumo showed incredible agility for his size, rolling on the ground out of his attack and taking his stance back again, glaring Ryu down once more.

That was a dangerous technique. Ryu had to admit that he had not been expecting that in the least. A small smile came to his face at the thought. He was really going to enjoy fighting this man.

XxX

On the beautifully tiled roof of the garden house, Sasuke had to hide the twitch of his eye when he felt someone land up there and sit next to him, "Who's winning Sasuke-teme?" Damn you Naruto. He thought that he'd be left alone if he went out of his way to stay away from people.

In all honesty Naruto had been busy looking for Dhalsim after visiting Guile in the medic bay. Since he had a free moment after advancing in the tournament and he had already seen everyone in his half of the tournament advance there was no reason not to search for him, especially since he needed something from him. But the problem in that lay that no one knew where Dhalsim even was.

It was maddening to think about. Seriously, how could anyone miss a guy that looked like Dhalsim? What kind of a sick joke was that? Thus when he noticed Sasuke's position he decided to stop off and see him instead.

"It just started." Sasuke told him, keeping his red eyes on the battlefield in case he missed something useful, "Now could you quiet down? I may have to fight the winner of this match down the line and I'd like to get their patterns and habits down so that I don't get surprised." He noticed that Naruto had gone silent and spared a momentary glance to the side to pick up Naruto glowering at him, "What's your problem?"

"You memorized everyone's attack pattern?" Is that what he had been doing up there the entire time? It figured, "Alright… how many moves did you copy? Probably like a thousand of them right?"

Sasuke scoffed and flipped his bangs out of his face, "It doesn't work like that idiot. I can't just copy everyone's special moves and do them on the spot. No one uses hand-seals but you, and if they use ki I can't do those techniques. The best taijutsu takes actual training and practice to learn how to use. I can't just do Chun-Li's kicks, I'm not conditioned to fight like that."

That wasn't to say that it was like that for everything, or that he couldn't take someone else's move and flip it into a little something original though. But hopefully Naruto would either overlook or forget that fact.

"If you stole my jutsu that I spent years coming up with…"

"Don't flatter yourself. I wouldn't be caught dead using your jutsu. I can do the same thing with actual fire you blockhead." With that thought Sasuke blinked and turned Naruto's way only to see the formerly accusative blond looking away from him. As a matter of fact, Naruto's spitfire move looked just like one of Sasuke's fire attacks without the fire, replacing it with pure chakra, "Wait a minute, you stole my jutsu? You motherf-."

"I didn't steal your jutsu." Naruto defended in an affronted manner, "I just used the idea of the shape manipulation of it for inspiration. I still had to break it down from scratch and make it work all on my own. Do you know how long it took me to find the right combination of original hand-seals for my own jutsu that actually worked?" He still had three completely full composition notebooks full of bunk combinations at home.

Still, Sasuke was now pouting in his own way, which meant he was going silent and ignoring Naruto's existence again.

Wow, how long had it been since they'd done that?

"So how does it feel when the shoe's basically on the other foot for once?"

"Shut up and spend another few years trying to come up with a jutsu you loser."

"…I hate you."

"I hate you more dobe."

Yep, just like the old days.

XxX

E. Honda watched Ryu place his hands together in position to fire a Hadoken and his eyes shifted. He dodged the attack by ducking behind a statue, and while Ryu waited for him to come out, the sound of hands pounding away on rock filled his ears. Moments later the large statue that E. Honda had hidden behind fell over in his direction like a tree.

Ryu jumped and rolled to the side to avoid the move only to find E. Honda charging right at him until he got back up from the ground. E. Honda stopped himself short and quickly started throwing one both arms in a furious series of palm strikes, faster than the eye could rightly keep up with and count, "Hyaku no te Binta (Hundred Hand Slap)!"

Much to the approving cheers of the crowd at the fast paced action, Ryu was able to force his head and upper body to move out of the way of the attacks just as quickly as his large enemy was throwing them. All of a sudden the strikes stopped and Ryu was hit when E. Honda spun around backside and struck out in a single palm thrust that hit him right in the chest.

Letting out a cry of pain, Ryu leaned up while holding the area where he was struck. There was a large red handprint on his muscular chest underneath his gi as if he had been sunburned in that one spot alone. There wasn't any time to fret over that, as E. Honda lifted one large leg in the air in a combat-adjusted sumo stomp that he rolled out of the way of.

It was a good thing too, because the brick underneath his leg shattered into dust. That just as easily could have been him. To show this fact off, a slightly chuckling E. Honda held up one hand with the index finger and thumb held slightly apart as if to indicate that it was that close to being finished.

Ryu nodded and harshly patted himself on the cheeks before setting himself to fight once more, "Again." He said, ready to continue. And E. Honda did not disappoint. Rocketing himself at Ryu with another sumo headbutt, he was smart enough to stop and roll out of it knowing that Ryu had already seen it and would dodge with less room for error this time. After rolling out of his attack, E. Honda quickly started shooting angled open-handed slaps at Ryu, trying to hit him flush in the face with one.

The wandering warrior used his arms to parry each attempt from E. Honda to clean his skull out with his open hands before quickly dropping down to sweep his legs out from beneath him. The large sumo found himself off of his feet all of a sudden when Ryu suddenly popped back up from his spin and slammed a downward elbow into his torso, dropping him hard to the ground flat on his back.

With such a crushing strike E. Honda still got back up from the ground, but he had one arm pasted to his side, cringing at a thick purple bruise on the right side of his bare chest. His ribs. He wanted to believe that they were just bruised, but in his head he knew better. If that were really the case it wouldn't feel like he was being stabbed every time he tried to move his right arm away from holding his chest.

He looked down at the ground with a grim smile on his face. If he was going to go out he was going to go out on his shield. Even in defeat he could make his fighting art look strong. One more attack. He set himself down in a sumo starting stance one more time, using one fist planted on the ground instead of two.

"This train's about to run you down brother." E. Honda said, readying himself for launch, "You might want to get yourself off of the tracks because this one's a shinkansen. Kyuukyoku no Satsujin Zutsuki (Ultimate Killer Headbutt)!" This time he threw himself forward with the force of a cannonball, digging foot deep trench into the ground as he jumped ahead.

Ryu was prepared for the motion this time, and realized that E. Honda wanted one honorable clash to save face as a fighter. With the injury that Ryu had inflicted on him he'd have been at a severe disadvantage and his performance would have suffered for it. He was willing to grant him what he wanted.

Because he knew what to do to stop it.

'Find your spot and don't miss.' Ryu said to himself with a breath right before E. Honda came flying at him. His timing needed to be absolutely flawless or his show of sportsmanship would be his downfall in the very first round. Tightening his fists he amazingly landed a showstopping uppercut underneath E. Honda's chin that stopped his finishing attempt. But that wasn't all, lifting his head up with his fist, Ryu switched it up and delivered a powerful leaping uppercut, arm charged with blue ki and being boosted beneath his feet by the same, "Shin Shoryuuken (True Rising Dragon Fist)!"

One hit to disorient and the other one to finish. It was a simple enough principle for combination techniques, the basis of many of them, but putting such a thing into practice while countering a dangerous attack where one mistake could mean the end was something else altogether.

This was the champion, and he didn't make mistakes.

The rising fist of Ryu planted under E. Honda's chin carried them both over fifteen feet into the air before Ryu's jump topped out and his opponent drifted off of his knuckles and floated slightly before both of them came back down to earth… one more gracefully than the other to say the least.

With a pair of thumps, E. Honda hit the ground and came to a stop unconscious on the brick.

"You've just experienced the Shin Shoryuuken." Ryu said as he shook out the fist he had used for the finishing blow of his powerful technique, "When you wake up I want to know if you've ever felt any greater force." This time victory was his.

"Advancing to the next round to meet Ken Masters next, it's the defending champion: Ryu!"

Sparing a moment to bow to E. Honda's unconscious body as the medical staff of the temple rushed to him to make sure that he was alright, Ryu made to return back to the waiting area and reflect on his performance and what he could do better next time, "One step closer…" He said to himself quietly, "One step closer to proving to myself that I'm a true fighter."

Something that he needed to prove to himself after the way that the first tournament ended.

XxX

"So that's Ryu." Sasuke said, still placed up on the roof with Naruto and now Cammy who had eventually gone looking for her friend and had found him. All three of them had watched the conclusion of the battle together, "Doesn't he have similar techniques to that Sakura girl?"

From his cross-legged seat next to Cammy who was swinging her legs over the edge of the roof, Naruto nodded, "Yeah, he's the person that she admires most. She's based her fighting style off of his, but she does a lot of the techniques differently since he won't train her himself. So what do you think?"

Sasuke didn't answer at first, just standing up with a bit of a smirk on his face, "Oh, I was just thinking about possibly beating the hell out of him should he advance in his next match." After all, he was in Sasuke's particular bracket of matches, "Nothing big."

Never one to let obvious things slide when faced with them, Cammy turned inquisitively to the dark and confident teen, "But you yourself still have to win your first fight and another one before you even get to start thinking about that."

"Exactly." Was the simple answer from Sasuke who said nothing more to elaborate.

That lack of elaboration got the twin braided former assassin to raise an eyebrow at his lack of elucidation, "'Exactly' what?"

"All I have to do is win twice. You say it as if I could possibly lose."

Cammy just stared up at the standing Sasuke who was looking down at her with an unblinking gaze, even though it clearly wasn't a stareoff due to Cammy blinking at appropriate intervals.

With a shake of his head, Naruto just sighed, getting Cammy to turn away before that dragged on for too much longer. With the two of them it could have potentially lasted all day, "Cam, meet Sasuke-teme. Sasuke-teme, meet Cammy." He said as if they had never been formally introduced before, "He's just like that all the time."

"You mean like how you're always abundantly confident that you can do anything that you endeavor to attempt?"

"Well yeah it's kind of similar, but at least I'm charming about it."

"Charm is all a matter of perspective Naruto."

"You don't think I'm charming?"

"I didn't say that."

"…Wait, you think he's charming? Damn it not you too."

"Definitely not. I almost tried to kill him when I heard he had hurt you before, remember?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and dropped down from the roof, landing on the ground and brushing his clothes off. He wasn't about to get stuck listening to those two debate each other. He had his own things to do, such as kick his opponent's ass.

"Hey mon!"

Oh, Kami no. Damn it he set himself up for running into that one.

The ever-grinning Dee Jay came walking out of the garden building that Sasuke had just jumped off of and gave him a few pats on the shoulder, "What's with that look mon? You're not excited about our fight? I can't wait to see what you've got!"

Sasuke caught his hand in his grasp and tightened it to an uncomfortable level as he glared at Dee Jay, shifting his black eyes to his red Sharingan ones for added intimidation effect, "Then maybe you should get down there and leave me alone."

Dee Jay just stared at Sasuke, grin never dropping as Sasuke let his hand go. Dee Jay pointed at Sasuke with the index fingers on both hands as if he had imaginary pistols and he was shooting them at the irritable Uchiha, "Right, right! Gotta get the crowd all pumped up and ready to go right? Yeah, I catch your drift, good idea mon! I like you!"

As the musical kickboxer whistled a jaunty tune and basically danced away and down the stairs, Sasuke let out a groan that he had been holding in as he smoothed his hair up off of his forehead. Oh, he might have just found the next most annoying person on the planet to him.

Maybe even more annoying than…

Suddenly turning his head toward the roof where Naruto was still sitting with Cammy, deeply engrossed on a conversation about personal charm and the merits of each person's traits with Cammy actually listening to him and adding her own input. Dumbass.

Sasuke idly wondered if he'd have rather grown up with someone like Dee Jay constantly assuming they were on good terms or someone like Naruto who was constantly a thorn in his side.

Talk about picking your poison. Jeez.

In the end, of the two evils Sasuke selected to go towards the one that he could actually beat the living daylights out of then and there and headed down the stairs to enter the arena. He had no one's attention, just the way he liked it, and it was due to Dee Jay apparently giving an impromptu musical performance for the crowd that had them fired up just like he said he was going to do.

Maracas shaking to his own beat, Dee Jay's body danced while lyrics to one of his songs came from his mouth, at least until he turned around and saw Sasuke standing there stoically, seemingly waiting for the noise to stop so that they could fight.

Dee Jay tossed his maracas aside and thumbed at his nose before the Caribbean superstar put his hands up in his Americanized stance. Realizing that ha-ha time was over, Sasuke slowly removed his hands from the sleeves of his long Chinese-styled shirt and stepped into a Crane-style Kung Fu stance, "Are the show tunes over? Can we finally skip the song and dance and get to the fighting?"

"The seventh match is Dee Jay vs. Sasuke: fight!"

"Come on now, don't be that way!" Dee Jay said, still grinning even though the fight had officially begun, "It's alright if you've got no rhythm. I'll make sure I teach you a little something before this match is over!"

Sasuke watched as the first thing to move happened to be Dee Jay's feet. The man's legs began to shift as if he were taking choreographed dance steps in his mere. What a unique way to move. Had it not been for the Sharingan, Sasuke wouldn't have noticed that he was beginning to move his way.

Faking a step forward, Dee Jay then hopped in Sasuke's direction and switched feet for a strong forward kick that Sasuke dodged and immediately retaliated to with a strong punch to the head. Sasuke's fist made contact with nothing but the braids going down the back of Dee Jay's mohawk as he made it out of the way of the punch, letting out an audible 'whoo' at dodging the hit.

Dee Jay tried a sliding tackle with his legs at Sasuke's feet, but Sasuke used a front handspring to flip over the kick and Dee Jay altogether. The little over-under exchange ended with Dee Jay back up onto his feet and rapidly lashing out with many furious slashing jumping spin kicks with yellow ki wisps flying off of his legs, "Jackknife Maximum!"

'These movements are strange.' Sasuke thought as he dodged the kicks and kept himself moving out of the way of Dee Jay's furious attack. It was so flaky. It would stop and start in a way that made absolutely no sense for fighting. He'd throw punches, step out of the way as if Sasuke was about to counter even if he didn't and then he'd throw a large lunging kick before suddenly breaking into a flurry of quicker, less damaging kicks, 'What is it?'

"Come on mon, you can't keep up?" Dee Jay said, trying to coax Sasuke into action, but trying to goad him into something wasn't exactly a formula for success. Sasuke had been goaded into attacking in bad situations and had it beaten out of him enough times when he was younger by Gen to have gotten over such a thing ten times over by now.

Sasuke's head swayed out of the way of one of Dee Jay's punches only for the man to clasp his punching hand down on his shoulder. Planting himself up over Sasuke, Dee Jay flipped over, balancing himself on the young man before using his feet to push off of Sasuke's posterior while falling to throw Sasuke head over heels in reverse.

His body flipped through the air and he grit his teeth as he braced for the landing. What was with Dee Jay? Either way, by now Sasuke had seen more than enough than he wanted to from this opponent. He didn't want to say that he had been taking Dee Jay lightly, but he definitely hadn't been taking him seriously as a threat.

Underestimation? Yes perhaps, but that wasn't important now. It was time to analyze just what the hell was going on. Dee Jay wasn't looking into his eyes, but he didn't even know anything about the Sharingan, so how would he know how to anticipate the hypnosis? Unless that was merely how he treated all of his opponents, but that was highly unconventional.

Then again Dee Jay didn't exactly scream conventionality.

"Katon: Housenka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Jutsu)!" Sasuke's hand-seals were quick and he finished them before he even ended his flip from Dee Jay's throw. The miniature fireballs were flying through the air from his mouth before his feet touched the ground.

"Whoo! Hot!" Dee Jay shouted as he streaked his way through the open paths that the multiple fireballs had open between them, "That's not bad! I'm starting to like you even more, but you're still lacking rhythm!"

Rhythm? He'd give him a rhythm when he was bouncing his head off of the pavement.

Sasuke wasn't just sitting idly as his fireballs flew at Dee Jay. He rolled through them using them as a screen. Dee Jay's impressive feat of simply weaving and wafting through them only placed him closer to Sasuke's two rolls and wound up with him getting stricken directly in the chest with a momentum-added thrust that he hadn't anticipated when Sasuke suddenly wound up back on his feet in a grounded state, "Jyasen (Serpent Puncture)!"

The sudden surprise strike allowed Sasuke to almost uncoil and strike Dee Jay directly in the chest with a strike that used his fingers instead of his fist. Dee Jay let out a sharp grunt and was knocked back to the ground as Sasuke's stance shifted. Instead of the Crane-style he had been using it was now Snake-style Kung Fu. Another of the styles that he gleamed from his seemingly endless beatdowns from Gen.

"I don't know what your nuances are for how you're managing to do so well, but I'm through trying to figure it out." Sasuke said with an impatient look on his face, "It's time I keep you guessing instead of the other way around. Do you have any idea how many different forms of Kung Fu I've picked up over the last few years?" Dee Jay started getting up and got back into his same strange kickboxing stance, "I've been all over China… and I've seen pretty much every style there is."

Dee Jay touched at his chest where Sasuke had stricken him, and there was a mark that was on his left pectoral but seemed to be slightly off, "It looks like you missed." Dee Jay said, still grinning.

And much to his surprise Sasuke got as close to a grin as anyone would ever see from him, which was just a smug smirk, "I did miss… on purpose. Believe me, you don't want me to do that the right way. Let's just say I don't think your heart could take it." For once Dee Jay's grin dropped, because he knew full well what Sasuke was implying.

If Sasuke had chosen to do so he could have killed Dee Jay with his last move. The use of the Sharingan allowed him to alter his aim enough that he didn't do so. And that thought took Dee Jay's frown and turned it right back upside down, "You missed me on purpose mon? I was right after all! You are one of the good ones aren't you?"

A well-timed facepalm would have made Sasuke feel so much relief at that moment, but he knew something that would make him feel even better. Winning.

But that would have to wait since Dee Jay was back on the attack again. He danced and shook a pair of maracas that he grabbed from his pants, seemingly shaking uncontrollably before throwing them up into the air, "I'm feelin' the beat now! Are you ready! Max Out!" From both arms, Dee Jay threw uppercuts, one after another rapidly with yellow and orange shockwaves flying from them, spinning at random intervals.

Sasuke saw this all coming and had already clocked an avenue of approach through every single ki blade that was sent his way, 'I can see it now!' He thought to himself.

Dee Jay's fighting motions weren't all improvised, never looping or repeating. This was how Sasuke assumed he was fooling him at first and he was originally wrong. They did repeat. They repeated a lot. In fact, Dee Jay only really ever used three patterns of movement. It wasn't this that kept throwing Sasuke off even with his Sharingan. It was the rhythm that Dee Jay attacked and moved in, something just as important as the moves themselves. He seemed to create new timing ratios on the fly. Incredible.

But now that he knew his trick…

"Hah!" Sasuke said, delivering a high kick that sent Dee Jay hovering into the air before he vanished in a whirlwind of leaves. The next thing Dee Jay knew, Sasuke was at his back, floating through the air at the same trajectory as him. Sasuke grabbed onto the back of Dee Jay's pants and spun him around in a circle before drifting above him where he began to devastate him with punches and kicks until they started falling.

Three more heavy combined strikes led into an ax kick to the body that slammed Dee Jay into the brick forcefully, smashing him between the ground and his leg. His entire frame rattled and recoiled from the finished combination as Sasuke flipped away from him and turned his back, "Shishi Rendan (Lion's Barrage)." He said simply as he shoved his hands into his pockets and started to walk away, "Yeah, I am one of the good ones. In fact, I'm the best there is."

Yeah, he wished Dee Jay was awake to hear that. And for some reason he was still grinning even though he had just been beaten into unconsciousness. Oh well, at least he didn't have to deal with him now.

"The winner and advancing to the next round: Sasuke Uchiha!"

XxX

Upon getting back to the top of the stairs and walking through the garden to the competitor's building, Sasuke left Naruto hanging as he seemed to be wordlessly requesting a high five. He inwardly smirked at the downcast look that flickered across his face for a split second after he walked past him, "You looked to be having a bit of trouble there." Naruto commented.

"I didn't get hit as much as you did, so what's your point?" Sasuke asked, stopping and turning with a raised eyebrow only for the two of them to be jerked apart by their collars with Chun-Li inserting herself between them, "Can I help you?"

"You can help me by saving the fighting for the ring." Chun-Li replied, massaging her forehead with an exasperated expression on her face, "What's the deal with you two anyway? You both act like there's some old world blood curse clan feud going on between you." Both Sasuke and looked at each other and then back to her with expressions saying that they didn't know, "I didn't even know you two knew each other until a few months ago."

Seeing as how this conversation wasn't going to lead to anything productive, Sasuke just continued to walk away and ignored Chun-Li's cries to stop. He had one more match to watch before the next round where he'd start forming his strategies to beat everyone left in the competition, including her and Naruto. He really didn't want to talk with them while he was doing such a thing.

An exasperated groan came from the young female Interpol officer who turned to the last remaining Konoha-borne ninja, "I've known that kid for two years and I can't figure him out. He's more than just some jerk of a punk, otherwise grouchy old Gen would have kicked him out on the spot." Or killed him by now. Either or.

"I don't know." Naruto said, walking with his law enforcement friend while they headed back to the edge of the bowl ledge of the courtyard to see if the next fights had gotten underway yet, "He's been that way since he was a kid. It started back around the time-." Naruto then quickly shut his mouth before he spoke on one of Sasuke's family secrets. It wasn't his place to talk about anything like that.

After all, how would he feel if someone had come along and blurted out how he had the Kyuubi in him back before he felt comfortable with telling people about it? It wasn't right.

But the inspector in Chun-Li noticed this and turned to fix him with an interrogative look, "Around what time? Come on Naruto, cough it up. I'm going to find out anyway so you might as well tell me." No she wouldn't. Only two people in the world (this world) knew, and if Sasuke wanted it that way Naruto planned on keeping it as such, "Do I have to blackmail you?"

"You don't have a damn thing on me." Naruto said with quite a bit of certainty, "Nobody does."

"Oh I don't? Because Aohura City P.D. sure does. You really think I can't get their cooperation on investigating you? I'm sure you were a pain in their collective asses the entire time you've lived there." And she knew that because she had 'looked in' on him while she had been in Japan. It was harder than she thought. There weren't even any records of him until just over four years ago.

And from Naruto's side, damn it she had a point. He never did anything really illegal outside of a bunch of moving violations, but they stopped calling those in years ago because he was always on foot. Still, he was suspected for a lot of stuff that they couldn't prove.

"If you're not afraid of that then maybe embarrassment is your weakness. I can call Sakura, and Cammy lives with you so I'm sure she's seen some things."

Uh-oh, not good. And from the satisfied look on Chun-Li's face she figured she had a decent amount of leverage here. But no. Despite this he would not flip on a friend. Even a friend as crappy as Sasuke was. And then he got a distraction that he never saw coming. Not then at least.

"Oh my goodness! What a close to round one! Dhalsim defeats T. Hawk and in surprisingly dominant fashion! I don't think he ever even got close!"

What? The next fight actually happened? When? It couldn't have possibly started and ended that fast. Naruto and Chun-Li actually saw T. Hawk leave the competitor's building during Sasuke's fight to prepare to go down, but no one ever saw Dhalsim, and they were close to the stairs until they started walking around getting farther away from the field of competition.

Rushing to the bowl edge of the high-tiered garden, both looked over past the stands containing the crowd and saw Dhalsim levitating in his meditating position over the body of the hulking Native American T. Hawk who was conscious and looking rather sore at his defeat.

Wow. It really did end that fast.

"He won already?" Naruto said, a bit disbelieving at Dhalsim's apparent skill, "What did he even do? I wish we'd have seen it!"

If he hadn't heard from Cammy pre-amnesia that she had fought him and he'd survived it and managed to overcome her he'd never believe it. Doll Cammy was an absolute emotionless destroyer. If he was able to stand up to her and actually mess with her mind to give her free will without hurting her extensively or killing her in the process he was probably pretty strong.

Chun-Li on the other hand had seen the tail-end of a Dhalsim battle, during his qualification matches in Hong Kong, "I've seen him fight and I believe what the announcer said." There was probably a completely realistic chance that T. Hawk was defeated without ever even getting within punching distance of the man, "He's a weird man, but he's more than strong enough to be here."

Naruto frowned and looked down into the ring. Okay, well when Dhalsim came back up the stairs he'd meet him and then they'd have the conversation that he needed to have about his help with fixing his connection to the Kyuubi. Easy.

Turning around, Naruto started his way to the steps but was in for a bit of a surprise when the Indian Yoga master didn't take the stairs. Instead he just teleported and vanished from sight right in front of everyone's eyes.

Needless to say Naruto's jaw needed to be picked up off of the ground. That solved the mystery of how he got to the ring past a slew of highly trained fighters.

Chun-Li walked up to Naruto and gave him a pat on the shoulder as she walked past him and stood next to him looking down into the courtyard that served as their battlefield, "Yep. He can do that." She sure wouldn't want to fight him. An ability like that was annoying enough when Bison did it. There was an entirely different caveat of danger the way Dhalsim used his ability to short-range teleport, "So that makes two people in the tournament that can teleport."

"Who's the second one?"

"Sasuke. Didn't you see him do it?"

"That? That wasn't him teleporting. That was just short-range speed and leaves as cover. It's a ninja trick. A jutsu."

"Interesting." Narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously, Chun-Li figured that this was a trick. After all, they were about to be opponents after the very next match, "And if it's a ninja trick and you're a ninja why are you telling me about it? We fight next round."

"Because it's not that useful to me." Naruto said dismissively. He didn't use it and after he beat her she wasn't going to ever have a chance of winding up fighting Sasuke anyway, "So I don't care if you know about it or not."

Whatever. Since Naruto had effectively distracted her from asking questions about Sasuke that he was not going to answer so he'd be killed in his sleep, they both decided that it was time to oversee the next round that was starting soon. After going through one another they'd be fighting the winner of the very next match, and that very next match involved someone close to them regardless.

But it was really going to be one tall order ahead of one of the participants to win. The next match was going to be Cammy vs. Sagat. Strong as she was, she would have to dig down deep in order to find a way to win that one.

Naruto knew she was capable of it though. No one else had ever seen Cammy fight at her maximum potential other than him, and it was hard for a lot of them to believe. Everyone else had merely seen the watered down amnesia afflicted version. He'd seen the real deal that had almost killed him. He'd felt it and he'd seen her give the business to Bison as well, and no one knew but him.

Speaking of the angelic devil herself, she walked down the path leading to the courtyard only to stop once she saw Chun-Li and Naruto walking together, "Ah, are you two about to watch my next fight?" She asked with a small and pleasant smile on her face. She was still a bit shaken over how she had defeated Blanka, but Sagat wasn't a friend of hers so she didn't worry about what she might do to him at all.

Chun-Li walked forward first and gave Cammy a quick hug that she returned. After the events of the Shadaloo base she felt a bit protective over not just Cammy, but all of the kids younger than her that were there.

"Be careful alright." She said, making sure Cammy was focused up and ready to go, "You've got the most dangerous opponent in the tournament. You saw what he did against Guile. He made it look easy." Cammy nodded sharply, having taken the advice to heart after she had watched Sagat beat Guile earlier.

She took every fight seriously and never took anyone that raised their hand against her lightly, but her A-game was needed today and she knew it without a doubt.

A grand towering shadow covered them all as Sagat came from another area of the temple grounds. Standing in front of them he looked them all over and his eyes once again stopped on Cammy this time. The subtle difference in his expression made him look as if he had aged five years since the end of his first round fight.

Cammy didn't seem shaken by him though, she merely extended her red gauntleted hand his way, "Good luck."

Sagat just stared down at her and her gesture of good faith for several seconds before finally reaching forward to give it a loose shake. With that he turned and headed on his way to the courtyard.

As he left, Naruto threw an arm around her shoulder and walked with her, "Okay Cam, Sagat's a bruiser. I haven't seen him fight in person, but Sakura-chan has. I don't care how long this fight lasts, from what she told me you can't let him hit you at all. Just one hit'll hurt you enough to slow you down and then what'll you do?"

He had an uneasy feeling in his gut, but what could he do?

"Okay Naruto. I'll just have to make sure I break him up before he lands anything solid won't I? I don't plan on getting hit." She said as she went to walk away, only to find that Naruto was holding onto her hand. She turned to face him again only to see a worried look on his face, "What's the matter?"

Naruto had heard some things… about Sagat, and that was before they had discovered that he had been a part of Shadaloo. He was notorious for killing opponents in the ring that were too weak to stand up to his attacks, and for beating some people to a pulp even after it was clear he had won just because they had driven him too far.

None of that sat well with him whatsoever.

"Cam promise me something." Naruto asked her in a solemn tone, "If it starts looking bad in there…" He trailed off and quickly shook his head. What kind of way to think was that? He was basically signing Cammy's own requiem for a brutal defeat by thinking that way, "Nevermind. Go kick his ass. I'll see you in the next round."

Sparing another little smile, Cammy nodded and continued on her way, making sure her gauntlets were tight and her hat was in place as she descended the stairs.

Once again, the sole ninja of Aohura City watched his live-in assassin leave, and this time his eyes weren't stuck on her retreating backside.

"Why didn't you tell her what you wanted to say?"

The question came from Chun-Li, who had stood aside and watched the entire interface with her hands on her hips. The two young adults were closer to each other than she was to either of them, thus their interactions were their own. But she didn't expect Naruto to back off from giving his intended message. He never did that. This was someone that always said what he wanted to say.

All Naruto did was shake his head and go somewhere to find a good seat, "How could I tell her to do something like that?"

"Like what?" She already knew, she just wanted to hear him say it for himself, "Tell her to do what?"

Gritting his teeth, Naruto was aware of what she was doing. Damn her. Why'd she have to play sexy big sister all the time? She treated all of them like that; him, Sakura, Cammy, Karin. It wasn't fair, she didn't even live near them and it was like she was their den mother, "How could I tell her that if things got bad I wanted her to quit?"

She knew he was going to ask Cammy to quit if things looked to be too tight, but the reason she brought it up was that she didn't know why he held himself back from saying it, "What's so bad about asking her to give up?"

The same thing that was wrong with asking Guile to quit trying to repent for breaking a promise he had made to others even though it wasn't his fault that it happened. It was a really simple reason as far as Naruto was concerned.

"How could I ask someone else to do something I wouldn't do myself?" He wouldn't even begin to insult Cammy's capabilities like that. She was smart and capable. She had pride and emotions just like any other person even if she sometimes didn't know what exactly they were or how to convey her own feelings on things.

Such negative thoughts were shoved to the back of his mind as he continued to look for Ryu and Ken. They would obviously be watching this match. No way Ryu would ever miss a fight involving his first true rival. He left Chun-Li behind as she stood and thought to herself.

What was he talking about? He couldn't ask her to do something that he wouldn't do himself?

XxX

Cammy wasn't even going to try and get close to Sagat before the fight even started. Make him chase after her. Force him to try and press her, and retaliate violently in return. No room for mistakes. His legs and arms had to be twice as long as hers.

Either way she stood there in her stance, a good length of field away from her imposing enemy, just waiting for the sign to go.

Likewise for Sagat, but his mind was currently elsewhere. All it took to get the chance that he wanted was one girl. Take her freedom or her life. Those were the only avenues of success for the mission given to him. But could he do it? Was he really willing to do so?

"It's time for the first quarterfinal bout! Cammy vs. Sagat: fight!"

He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he hardly noticed that Cammy was fast to make the first move, dashing at him so quickly that he mistimed when she would get close enough that he could land a sure-fire attack on her, "K̄hèā Seụ̄x (Tiger Knee)!"

With great explosive force that chipped away at the brick beneath him, Sagat launched himself forward swiftly, jumping at Cammy and leading with his knee. He launched it from too far out and she utilized a swift corkscrew kick that allowed her to glide just over the ground underneath him to avoid being hit, "Spiral Arrow!" Her feet back beneath her quickly, Cammy had Sagat's back after his miss.

Knowing that she would try a sudden move from behind, the moment Sagat's feet touched the ground from his Tiger Knee attempt, he turned around and lashed out with a long leg in a low sweep, but Cammy just flipped over him, flying like a cannonball to speed up her arc before landing and swinging both of her legs out in a sweep of her own.

Sagat drew a leg up to keep Cammy from taking it and was then forced to block a stiff, hard punch that came immediately after her attempt to take his base out. He lashed out with a leg in a front kick, but growled in annoyance when Cammy merely cartwheeled out of the way. What was she, a fighter or a gymnast?

Her evasive actions put Cammy far back out of his range when she stopped in a crouch, facing in Sagat's direction as she blankly stared him down like a predatory cat. If she had a tail it probably would have been waving behind her in anticipation. While her face were blank, the brightness in her blue eyes danced excitedly.

Yes, this was a 'Doll' but she wasn't a doll. That title couldn't apply to her anymore. A doll wouldn't feel excitement or trepidation of suffering injury.

And once again Sagat was against himself. Could he really do this? If he really could put her back under Bison's control with a phrase, would he do so? No one would know what he had done. The cameras couldn't pick up anything he said that closely. The only person in the world that would know would be him, he would lose no honor because of it.

But still, he would know what he had done.

Then again, what would it matter if he wound up placing Cammy back in Shadaloo's clutches? He wouldn't even be around long enough to face what he had done. The moment the tournament ended and he finished his rematch with Ryu he would quit and never look back at that portion of his past.

Shoving it to the back of his mind once again he pushed both fists out in a sudden punch that fired a yellow crescent of burning energy at Cammy, "Ying Seụ̄x (Tiger Shot)!" He wasn't expecting it to hit her, and it didn't. She was quick, that much was certain as she shot forward and slid underneath his ki blast as if it were a death limbo.

Planting her hands forward out of her slide, Cammy tried to flip forward into an attempt to wrap her legs around Sagat's head to drag him down skull-first into the ground. She wasn't long enough to pull this off however, and only wound up wrapping her legs around his waist. When she flipped up to gain momentum to drag him back down she merely came face-to-face with the unamused, bald, and eyepatch-clad visage of Sagat.

Sagat plucked her up by the back of her leotard and pulled her off of him before slamming his knee into her torso twice and kicking her away intensely. The crowd 'oohed' at how brutal the simple motions were. There was nothing grandiose or complex. His moves were simple and vicious.

The scar-cheeked blonde girl hit the ground in a heap and whimpered a bit while holding just beneath her breasts where Sagat aimed and hit her with his knee attacks. It hurt, and it made it harder for her to breathe at least for the meantime. It wasn't like Sagat would let her take a rest until she got her breath back either.

He walked toward her, not rushing but merely moving at a deliberate and thoughtful pace. He wasn't going to outquick Cammy if he chose to try and play that game with her. He could keep up with what she did, but trying to match her pace would not work for him. It wasn't his style.

When she tried another avenue of attack, faking to two sides before coming back with a sudden hopping spin behind a back elbow/backfist combination-, "Axle Spin Knuckle!" -Sagat merely timed her coming in and delivered what looked like a very mean-spirited rabbit punch right to her neck and the base of her spine.

Such a dangerous move could have killed her, and it sent her tumbling forward in a violent roll that deposited her on the brick ground in a heap once more.

'Death is a better fate than not having your freedom at all little one.' He thought to himself as he turned away to leave. People didn't stand up from such vital punches to important areas. It was why such things were forbidden in most martial arts tournaments. But this wasn't a regular tourney, it was regulated street fighting, and the only rules were that it had to be one-on-one, nothing else.

The hushed silence of the crowd soon turned into excited chattering and relived applause, and Sagat turned back around to see Cammy picking herself up again and holding her neck as she did so. Her hat was gone from her head due to the impact of the punch and her hit against the ground.

Ugh, of course. This was a Doll. These little ladies were extremely hard to kill. But there really was something wrong with Cammy, because she was clearly registering everything that had been done to her. She could feel the pain and she was showing it.

"I won't ever give up." Cammy said, standing back in her stance as she prepared to continue, "You can do as you like to me, but if you really aren't prepared to do what you must to win you won't succeed. All I need is one opening and I'll never let up again. I swear it."

Tough talk despite what he had just done to her. She hadn't been able to touch him despite several occasions where she had a good opening. What made her think she could do it now?

He watched her carefully when she started to move again. She took five steps forward to get a feel for her adjusted body mechanics after taking a heavy blow before tearing into her deceptive movements again. Lunges and side to side fake-outs were all designed to get her close to Sagat, but all he had to do was keep one eye on her and he'd be ready for anything that she tried.

Though he didn't expect her to launch a ninja throwing knife directly at his face.

During her moves to try and fool him into wrongly guessing where she was going, Cammy subtly drew the weapon from within her gauntlet that she had pilfered from Naruto's supply pouch while he had been talking to her before the match began. Anyone that tried to run at Sagat hoping to beat him into submission with just their hands and feet could label themselves the retarded idealist. It would be nice to do, but simply wasn't going to happen.

Thus she threw a kunai right at his face.

Barely leaning out of the way of the attack that he never saw coming, Sagat's lack of dual vision almost cost him dearly when he caught Cammy flying through the air at him with one leg enhanced with weak yellow ki fully extended like a javelin for a driving kick, "Cannon Strike!"

Sagat caught her kick using both of her large hands and slid back along the ground twenty feet before his heels dug into the brick and he stopped himself. With a concerted yell of effort he hurled Cammy back and away from him, looking at both of his taped hands that were slightly singed, bruised, and beaten up from catching her.

She tried to take advantage of the massive blindspot that turning his head created due to his missing right eye. Had he not been used to opponents trying to do the same thing to him ever since that eye had been gouged out, he wouldn't have been prepared to guard at his right side where he was open.

His one visible eye was bloodshot and angry that she would have the audacity to try and do such a thing to him, and his veins were visible all throughout his heavily muscled frame. She had so brazenly attempted to use a handicap of such magnitude against him with outright trickery. How was that for an even playing field? Well he could do the exact same kind of thing to her if he wanted to.

Anger. Humiliation. Impatience.

The same emotions that drove him to Shadaloo's clutches after his resounding defeat to Ryu's Shoryuuken in the past stirred within him again at the thought of being defeated by this little girl. Another embarrassing defeat on the grandest stage of them all. It simply made him boil over in frustration.

He opened his mouth and blindly blurted out his next words angrily before he even realized what he had said, "Shadow Law Zero: Killer Bee!"

Sagat instantly wished that he hadn't said what he had just done, but in his anger to get even with his female opponent's actions against him he had not only uttered but had yelled out her sleeper command.

Cammy only stared at him the same as before. She didn't stand at attention nor defer to him as a superior. She remained looking ready to fight. It didn't work on her. Maybe she was just waiting on an order to act? He'd seen the Dolls in the past stand as still as statues for hours until they were given a running command to do something, even when it came to eating or sleeping.

"Killer Bee?" She didn't seem to react to the name when Sagat said it, but when he opened his mouth again he found that Cammy had moved in a blur toward him again. Did she get even faster?

"Spiral Arrow!"

Yes she got faster. Significantly faster. Because Sagat hadn't even had enough time to get his arms fully into place to block her corkscrew kick, allowing her to kick straight through his half-complete guard and spike him with her boots straight in the stomach.

Blood flew from his mouth as he felt himself be hurled backwards by the sudden surprise attack. It felt like he had been hit with a wrecking ball.

XxX

From where he had been watching with his friends, Naruto's jaw went slack after seeing Cammy's attack land on Sagat. One minute he had been indistinguishably yelling something at her and the next she had kicked him with the same amount of force that he hadn't seen out of her since early that year. He thought that he had seen purple energy around her legs and a discharge of it upon contact as well, "She… did it?"

That was it. It wasn't the Spiral Arrow she had been using since she started living with him. That was the one he had deemed the original. The one that put the fear of Kami in him that it would crush his ribs and punch through his chest back when he had faced her the first time

"Did what kinderstuff?" Ken asked, actually letting out a whistle at how far Cammy managed to kick Sagat, "That's far. I only thought Chun-Li had that kind of power in her legs." Chun-Li heard him and let out a challenging 'humph' while giving one audible slap to a thigh.

"No, that's what I was telling you about." Naruto said, pointing down to the courtyard, "That's Cam's power! That's what she could do back when she was a Doll, the way I kept telling everybody!" On cue Cammy didn't let Sagat get to his feet free of charge and went right back in to go to work, "Don't you see that? She's faster, she's stronger, and-."

"And her tactics are going to be a lot more violent now." Ryu finished in Naruto's place, picking up what the youngster was putting down, "She can beat Sagat." He said, fully confident of her chances, "Right here, right now. She can win if he isn't aware of just how dangerous she is. That is, if Naruto has been right this entire time about her talent." All of them turned to him as if waiting on him to talk again, "How good was she before her amnesia?"

How good was she? Their first fight ended in a draw and the only reason he didn't get a chance to go for the kill more than he did was because he withdrew from the fight to protect Ibuki and Karin. The second time they met and worked together this time she for all intents and purposes blitzed Bison down and broke his neck. That should have been one of the countless times that someone killed Bison that day, but just like all of the other times it didn't stop the show for good.

After recanting that fact to everyone there, their interest in the battle skyrocketed and everyone had eyes on. But Naruto didn't care about anything like that. He was just excited that she had managed to turn things around. She had the former number one consensus fighter in the world on the damn ropes and didn't seem to be letting up a bit, "Get him Cam! You've got this!"

XxX

From where Sasuke was sitting, this girl was incredible. This was what Naruto had lying around in his apartment all day every day? She was a sawn-off little murderer of a fighter. Was he sparring with that every day too? If so it was potentially reminiscent to how violent his encounters with Gen were getting these days.

But Sagat was what intrigued him. From where he was sitting no one had eyes sharper than an Uchiha, and right before the relentless onslaught of the petite blonde beauty he saw Sagat's mouth move. The ability to read lips was a byproduct of what the Sharingan could do for you and he could swear that he saw that man say 'Shadow Law Zero: Killer Bee'.

What the hell was that about and what did it mean? Well as long as it didn't involve him he didn't give two craps about it. Why would he care? Cammy wasn't his friend or comrade except for the one time, and this only meant stronger possible competition for him later. Right then he had a fight to watch and it was a good one.

XxX

'She fights like a demon!' Sagat thought, as he was back up, blood trailing from his lip, and Cammy was in full assault mode. Punches were coming faster than any normal human being could keep up with. With Guile, his attempt to get close to Sagat failed in the end because he lacked the speed for an action so brazen, but Cammy had nothing to worry about in that regard.

She made Guile look like a turtle in comparison, and her reflexes were razor sharp. She was also significantly smaller than Guile, allowing her to tie up Sagat's arms and legs with their proximity better than the air force major ever could have with his own size.

Tiny fists seemed to be hitting far more than just his arms. Sagat felt her strike at his sides, trying to damage his kidneys because she couldn't gain access to his actual vitals. Those knuckled gauntlets of hers were absolutely nasty in how they would dig into the flesh of what they hit. He couldn't even extend his limbs to hit back he was being pressured so heavily. There was no let up in this girl.

Well it looked like he would have to take a few to land a few in this instance. A sacrifice he was willing to make if she was going to keep crowding him, and he'd take whatever he had to in order to avoid being hit with another Spiral Arrow. The next one hitting him as well as the first might have punched a hole straight through him like a drill. Moving his arms away from protecting him he surmised that she must have punched him with both arms twelve times in all before he grabbed her by the arm and turned before hurling her overhead.

She was more or less slammed on the ground but she studiously spaced the damage out and immediately bounced back up from her back to be on her feet again.

"Ying Seụ̄x (Tiger Shot)!" He fired a low burning crescent of energy at her that ripped away part of the ground as it flew because it was so close to floor-level. But after hitting the brick too much it seemed to break apart and snake away in four different smaller crescents all aimed her way to convene on Cammy's position. There would be no nimble dodges to the side for this one, 'Jump. Jump! Jump damn you!'

Ask and ye shall receive.

Cammy knew the score, she knew what situation she was in, and she had to take a calculated risk that no matter what Sagat was suckering her into she'd have a better chance of surviving it than being hit with four consecutive Tiger Shots.

Thus she took to the air in a quick leap that had her above Sagat and on the way down before anyone in the audience was aware of it, eyes attracted to the flashy death blast of the Tiger Shots that exploded together in fire as if a series of grenades had gone off.

Another Cannon Strike from Cammy, he could see it. Sagat's scar burned red in anger at this girl's hidden potential, and covered in a strong aura of yellow he flung himself into the air to meet her. He smashed a knee against her kick. The resulting clash propelled him back at the ground but kept her in the air, spiraling out of control of her own body. Sagat's feet touched the ground and he rocketed up leading with his large taped fist that smashed into Cammy's back.

He knocked her into the air again, but his anger and desire to not lose wouldn't be sated with just landing one uppercut, "Thảlāy Seụ̄x (Tiger Destruction)!" Like a rocket he shot himself back into the air, leading with his fist again, only it was yellow hot, eventually catching fire before it punched Cammy again. The move topped out and he flipped through his final shot before kicking Cammy away.

There was no thud, not for a while at least. She flew through the air until her body impacted off of the high temporary walls that had been set up to keep the action from reaching the viewing public. Her body deeply dented the metal that comprised the structure.

From how hard she hit, her body seemed pressed against the vertical surface for a few seconds before she finally fell from it. But miraculously she landed on her feet, eliciting sounds of shock and awe from the populace bearing witness to this.

Even Sagat was completely amazed. Her body was a complete mess. She was bloody and bruised, and that was just what he could see. From the other side of her, her leotard was torn from the entirety of her back to her waist with a deep burn on the skin underneath from his last move.

Her head was hanging and her twin braids had been loosened to free her hair all over her face, covering up the sight of taking in ragged breaths. And those breaths quickly became choked gasps when one of Sagat's hands clasped around her neck and lifted her off of the ground, "…Won't… quit…" Her voice was almost nonexistent, but as close as they were he heard it.

There was still rage in his eyes and an intent to cause harm, but he didn't even get to choke Cammy for very long after grabbing her.

"The winner of the match: Sagat!"

That didn't sound right. He looked around wondering where exactly the event emcee was located. Bison ran this thing, and he said that if he couldn't trigger her brainwashing he would have to kill her. As far as he was concerned, if her mental conditioning turned back on she wouldn't have kept fighting. So he was supposed to kill her wasn't he?

Whatever. It didn't matter. At least in the end he didn't have to do either. With that in mind he merely let go of her neck and set her back on her feet. Somehow she could still stand on her own two feet.

Sagat looked at his hands that still showed the effects of the extremely physical battle and turned to walk away from the completely nonresponsive girl who simply swayed unstably in place.

As he reached the landing of the stairs he looked up as a quickly running Naruto wound up jumping clear over him to keep from bumping into him. Chun-Li moved past him and even Ken walked past him at a slower pace, making sure that the medical staff was with him.

Ryu stood on the stairs and once again the two locked eyes, staring holes into each other, "I'll see you tomorrow, in the final round." Sagat said, only getting a stoic nod from the humble warrior.

Having said his peace, Sagat moved up the stairs past the man he so desperately desired a rematch with. He was going to his lodgings for the night now that his day of bouts had ended. He was going to go prepare. Until he had to come out for the semifinals he would keep himself in isolation. It was the only way he could have the time to come to grips with what he had almost done. But why hadn't he been forced to finish things?

"Cam stop, it's over!"

Turning around at Naruto's sudden cry, Sagat saw Naruto seemingly having to hold the girl back from trying to attack him again. Even with everything she had already been through she was still intent on fighting him? All he did was shake his head before continuing on his way.

Holding onto her around the waist, Naruto dug his feet into the ground and kept her from trying to pursue and go after her previous enemy. Her blue eyes were clearly glazed over and her face was entirely unresponsive, "Come on, it's okay, you did great okay? Just cut it out, you don't have to fight him anymore!"

"She's unconscious again." Chun-Li commented as she noticed that Naruto had a good grip on her that kept her from making a big mistake that she would be unaware of, "I can see it in her eyes." She closed her eyes and sighed in a bit of relief. Things could have gone a lot worse in that fight. At least it was stopped before it went too far. Cammy was fine.

And then she heard a rather nasty crack noise come from nearby, a sudden curse of surprised pain, and a bit of shuffling. Opening her eyes she found Cammy facedown on the ground being pinned by Ken with her hands stuck behind her back. Naruto was gritting his teeth and seething, rapidly pacing back and forth while holding onto his left wrist.

"How did she even get that loose?" Ken asked aloud, hitting a pressure point on her neck to shut the girl down. He just didn't understand it. Naruto had a damnably good grip on her, and she wasn't that squirmy, nor was she strong enough to shrug off Naruto when he had a full hold on her, "Hey someone take her already and get her fixed up, she's still pretty bad here."

"What happened?" Chun-Li asked as the medical attendants sprang into action and pulled Cammy onto a stretcher before carrying her up to handle tending to her heavy wounds, "What's wrong with Naruto?" The smattering of vehement curses under his breath simply could not be ignored.

The brat seemed to be just a touch below freaking out on the attitude meter. He seemed angry, annoyed, and a bit concerned with something, as evidenced when he jumped up and kicked the head clean off of a moss covered stone statue just because he didn't seem to like its face.

Ken stood up from where he had been pinning Cammy for her own safety and ran a hand through his blond locks as they looked over at Naruto who seemed to be trying to hold back some pain while a remaining medical staffer that had seen the whole thing tried to tend to him and find out what the situation was. Ken was sure he already knew though, "I think Cammy broke his wrist."

"Crap…" A definite frown crossed Chun-Li's face at the thought of an injury that wasn't suffered in an actual fight handicapping her next opponent. An opponent that was a friend, "I don't want him to quit. What's the point of winning like that?"

"That little fucker's not going to quit." Ken assured her, waving off the concern as if it were obvious, "Even if Cammy had broken his whole damn arm he wouldn't quit." He stopped talking when the doctor seemed to have touched the ultimate sore spot on his hand and wrist and he turned to punch the statue he had just kicked the head off of with his good hand, cracking it somewhat, "Yeah… you deal with that. I'm gonna go make sure our favorite Doll is okay."

As Ken walked off, Chun-Li just massaged her temple and walked over to Naruto to try and run some damage control on the situation at hand, "Come on Naruto, let the doctor do his job here."

"This sucks." Naruto muttered miserably, face twisting every so often as the medic on hand tried to gauge the damage done to a very important part of Naruto's abilities in combat. Apparently that's what you get when you try to help your friend that subconsciously doubles as a killer of men, "Why'd she do that? Didn't she know it was me? She seemed like she was chilling out, and she snapped my arm."

"Wrist." Doctor corrected, getting a glare out of Naruto, "Just saying, see?" He poked and prodded one of the problem areas to get Naruto to bite down on his opposite knuckles, "Your arm itself works just fine, but your hand is basically as useful as your appendix right now." Naruto covered his mouth with his free hand and just started yelling muffled obscenities once again at his current case of misfortune.

XxX

(Twenty Minutes Later – Fighter Standby Building – Medic Bay)

The room was empty with the exception of Cammy lying unconscious on one of the beds. They had cleaned her up quickly and had bandaged her wounds after what injuries she had, including the burn on her back. Those monks worked fast, that much had to be admitted. None of the fighters that had gone down in the tournament were still laying around somewhere.

Ken had seen most of them all up and around just hours after their matches that resulted in their defeats. Zangief and T. Hawk had left after their defeats and treatment, more or less fuming, while Blanka decided to hang around in the woods nearby, even with his arm the way it was. Guile was off at a nearby reflection pond just staring at himself silently. Balrog was off calling his dentist in America about possibly replacing the teeth that Chun-Li knocked out. Dee Jay was walking around the temple, raving about the rhythms he had gotten from his loss to Sasuke and writing lyrics.

Basically the place that was supposed to be the hub for all of the fighters was turning into a ghost town fairly quickly since no one wanted to be there while there was a fighting festival going on. That was some impressive work with how fast they assisted all of the injured people, but for a martial arts temple they probably knew how to best patch up damaged fighters quickly so that they could get back to training and sparring or whatever they did at this monastery to hone their skills.

"Yeah, you're gonna be alright in no time." Ken said, giving Cammy a rub on the shoulder even though she wasn't awake to respond or even know he was there. He wasn't trying to wake her up or get his own hand broken the way Naruto's had been, maybe worse, "By the time the round is over you'll probably be up and about again just like everybody else."

In the meantime, after the Naruto and Chun-Li situation got sorted out, he would have to take on Ryu. He couldn't spend all of his time in the medic bay, he had to go get ready for action. By his estimation he probably only had fifteen to thirty minutes to warm up and prep himself. Even less if for some reason Naruto vs. Chun-Li didn't happen.

Naruto and/or Chun-Li would be back to pop in on her to make sure she was okay in just a few. The doctors were in the other room as well waiting to treat the loser of the next matches while watching the event on the TV provided to them, even though she wasn't badly injured enough to the degree that she would need to be observed at all times.

Carefully moving a few stray strands of hair out of her face, Ken nodded to himself at his good deed for the day having been accomplished and left to go back outside. Ryu was probably already getting his mind straight for the next battle.

Cammy was allowed to sleep in peace for a long stretch of minutes until eventually a shadow stood over her and a startling presence woke her up. It was unlike that of Ken's or her other friends that calmed her, it was darker and with more rage festering within it. At first she figured that she was still dreaming due to the fact that the man in the red uniform and military cap was the one there, but she realized that it wasn't one and made to move until his voice stopped her.

"Stand down and be silent Killer Bee, that's an order."

And just like that her body became still and restful. She just looked up at him, unable to take her eyes away from his own solid white ones. The grin on his face didn't make her feel too safe, but for some reason his order to be still and silent actually made her do so.

"Good." Bison said, pacing around her bed, "The reactivation trigger command worked after all. I feared that you had lost too much of your programming from your amnesia including the failsafe to outright reset you."

'Why can't I move? Is this the Bison man that everyone kept telling me about?' Why was he here for her? Didn't he deem her useless before trying to kill her and Naruto? That was what she had been told by Naruto and he never lied to her.

For all of the good that came from having his Killer Bee back under his command, there was something about her that Bison didn't like. Those eyes of hers. The emotive blue, instead of the vast dead pools she used to have/ He had spent so much time ensuring that she would always have them and that his enemies would always drown in the nothingness behind them before she killed that. That was the crown jewel Doll that he wanted.

He continued to look her over, with his intimidating expression never fading for a moment. So smug and self-satisfied, as if things had shaken out with what he wanted, "I have a way to fix that emotion in your eyes though. I never truly finished your conditioning the way I did for the other Dolls simply because there was never any or any way to do so. But it seems that things have changed. Luckily it falls in with what I want you to do for me anyway."

'What the hell is this man talking about?' Cammy thought frantically in her head, 'I'll never do anything for this person! You don't have any power over me!' Still her body and her voice failed her, 'Why can't I fight you?'

"What is your only purpose Killer Bee? Respond." Bison asked as if he were testing things out.

"To adhere to Master Bison's will and fight for his benefit. Nothing else." The droning voice was completely similar to the way she used to be prior to Dhalsim's original meddling, 'No! What am I saying?'

"Good. Now my orders are quite simple." Bison said, reaching out to stroke her cheek as if he were a fond parent doting over his daughter, "All of the Dolls had to do it except for you. I had them kill their families, but since you don't have one therein lies a problem. You're almost perfect. It's a simple enough fix though. I merely want you to kill the person that has cared for you the most in the world. Kill the person that you care for the most."

Kill the person that has cared for her most in the world? How would someone that didn't know her know who that was? But apparently her body understood exactly what was being asked of her, "Yes Master Bison. Mission accepted."

"If you can kill the thing that you love more than anything else, there won't be anyone you won't kill for me." It also helped that if his guess was right on who this person was, her would-be target was one of the people he wanted vengeance on anyway. Killing one of his hated enemies with the very girl that the person had spent so much money, effort, and care on; what could be better? "And if you can't do it the only use you'll have for me is with your death."

If she failed, the trauma that her death would inflict on who killed her would be immense, crippling even. If she succeeded he would be one foe down with no effort to himself and he would have his Killer Bee back for good, with nothing tying her to those idealistic fools any longer.

Her body began to try and weakly get up to accomplish her mission when one of Bison's hands pressed onto her chest to keep her down, "No Killer Bee. There's no need for you to hastily carry this out. As you are now there would be no question as to the result, so rest. Sleep. And when you awaken tonight, carry out your assignment."

'No, no, no, no, no…' Cammy thought to herself as her eyes involuntarily closed and she began to drift off, the last thing she heard being Bison's laughter fading out of her mind.

---

Omake: Fighter Interviews (Zangief)

Introduce yourself to our viewers. Let them know a little something about you if you would.

"I am the 'Red Cyclone' of Russia! Zangief! Real men do their talking in the ring, so anything else you wish to know about me you'll find out there in battle!"

Fair enough. What are your thoughts on the tournament so far?

"Feh, it's insulting that all of these puny people managed to qualify for such an important tournament. I've seen two women amongst the contestants! What kind of joke is that? Such frail looking creatures as well. One lariat from me will snap them in half! I'm not looking for much more from most of the men either."

So just because you're fighting women and men that aren't as muscular as you, you think that they're not strong enough to be in a world tournament? There's more to fighting than just brute strength you know.

"Who do you think you're talking to? Of course I know that! Skill is also a major factor! But you can learn skill, as I have. You cannot learn pure power! There is simply no substitute for it!"

What about speed?

"I will hit whatever comes close to me no problem. Speed means nothing when you will crush whatever you grab without fail. Being hit and harmed does not frighten me either. My muscles are like an iron suit of armor! I cannot be harmed by the small fists of most of my enemies!"

Why do you think you're the man to win this tournament?

"My skills and body have been forged in the unforgiving Siberian lands. This tournament is nothing to me. I will destroy all brave enough and foolish enough to stand before my might! Test me and see… if you dare."

Anything you want to say to the people watching at home?

"Mother Russia, watch me closely. This is for you! I will not fail!"

Fighter Interviews (Ken)

Could you give us your name and where you're from sir?

"Yeah sure thing. Ken Masters, from California. I don't really live in town. I've got a lot of land a few skips and hops away from the Sierra Nevada mountain range. It's a really great place actually."

You're the man that owns the Masters Hotel chain of luxury hotels. What made you want to join this tournament when you're as rich as you are, especially when you already have the title of the premier U.S. Martial Arts Tournament champion? What do you have to prove?

"A lot actually. I'm a martial artist first and foremost. I was trained since I was a boy, and I love it. I love getting stronger and testing my limits. I want to test myself against all of the fighters I can. My best friend is in this thing too, and I want to show him that he's not the only one that's been getting stronger over the years since we finished training under our master."

If you win what will you do with the prize?

"Shove it up the sponsor's-… I mean, donate it *up Bison's ass*."

What do you think of the tournament so far then?

"It seems like a hell of a time. It's a pretty fun atmosphere. Maybe if this place isn't torn to hell by the time it's over it'll last long enough that I can have some fun with my friends before going home."

You're the second person to say that the monastery is going to be torn apart because of the tournament.

"There's a reason for that. But you'll see later. Don't worry about it now though. Just smile and ignore the fact that you're interviewing the people that might accidentally cripple, maim, or kill you within the next two days. Haha."

Ah, that's good, but it's a rather dark bit of humor isn't it?

"Yeah heh… funny thing about that. I was only half joking. Seriously, when stuff starts blowing up people better turn and run. The only good thing about this is that it's outside, so we can't literally bring the house down."

Okay, I'm adequately freaked out now. Anything you want to say to the people watching at home.

"Yeah, Eliza baby if I end up fighting Ryu I want you to record it somehow so I can watch it later after I kick his stick-in-the-mud ass all over the place. Same for Naruto's little loudmouth ass too. Cheer for me and I'll see you when I get home. I love you!"

Fighter Interviews (Ryu)

Do you mind introducing yourself to the people watching you that might not have seen the First World Warrior Tournament?

"Of course, that's no problem. My name is Ryu. Just Ryu. I don't really have a home. My home is the world and I go where the battles of my life take me. That just so happens to be here and now today."

There isn't much record of you going anywhere or doing anything since the first tournament ended. What, are you a spirit of martial arts that just shows up whenever the world spawns a challenge that you deem worth your time?

"No. And I wouldn't joke about something like that. There really is a man like that out there. Be grateful that he isn't here. Believe me."

"Err, really?"

"I would never lie, especially about something as serious as this."

Okay, well how do you feel about this tournament as opposed to the last one?

"I'm actually very excited. Many of the fighters involved are people I've had fights against or have fought alongside, and I know for certain that they are strong warriors. The mystery that comes with the people I've never faced is also appealing. I just want to fight and prove that I'm the strongest."

You've already done that though. Your defeat of Sagat during the finals of the first tournament happened to be an incredible performance.

"…I don't consider that victory to truly be mine. It's hard to explain why I feel this way, but just understand that much. A true victory over Sagat in this tournament, to prove that I can do it without resorting to dark places, it would mean the world to me."

That rematch sounds like it would be incredible. What makes you think that you can win it now, or the overall tournament in general?

"I don't know if I can win either. But isn't that why fighting is so incredible? No matter the factors involved or the elements that compose a battle, anything can happen. This is why we fight, and why the matches in this tournament will be so interesting to begin with; because the true answer lies in the battle alone. Nowhere else."

Do you want to make a prediction right now?

"The only prediction I can give you, is that no matter who I end up facing I'll give them my best and expect the same from them. There should be a few explosive confrontations to count on, and I plan on coming out on top in all of them."

As expected of the champ. Is there anything you want to say to anyone watching right now?

"This will be an incredible event. I have a nagging feeling that we all may see or be a part of something during these fights over the course of two days that no one will ever forget."

Fighter Interviews (E. Honda)

Can you tell us your name and your place of origin for the benefit of those watching us?

"Whatever you say bub. The name's Edmond Honda, based out of Tokyo, Japan… I'll let you all guess where since I only want strong warriors to be able to seek me out. My discipline is sumo."

Sumo is a rather impractical fighting style for a fighter to use in a tournament that consists of street fighting isn't it? I don't wish to offend, so please don't take it that way.

"No, I hear that more than you could ever imagine. Trust me, I wouldn't be here if I wasn't capable of laying a hellacious beatdown on folks with my skills. Sumo is more versatile than you think."

What's your motivation for being in this tournament to begin with? Reports say that you're an Ozeki level sumo, so wouldn't you be better served trying to win the title of Yokuzuna amongst your own ilk instead? This seems like a distraction to that focus.

"Wahahaha! True enough! But I'm in this tournament to try and earn some respect not just for myself, but for sumo in general. Around the world in places outside of Japan people don't see the appeal, and the dedication or hard training that it takes to take our path. If I can do that, I think I'll get promoted sooner than later."

Do you like the tournament so far? Are you excited for it?

"I'm ready for the action to start. I like the atmosphere and everything, but I'm just getting antsy. I hope I get to fight first and get it out of the way. Overthinking matches like this in tournament situations is always a bad thing."

What makes you think you can win? I'm certain that you don't find yourself at a disadvantage, but other combat-savvy viewers might. Any words to sway their thoughts?

"I've got the same chance to win as anyone else. Everyone here is a strong fighter because they stuck to their guns and did what they did the best until they stood head and shoulders above everyone else. I'll just have to pound them all into the pavement and prove that what I bring to the table is better than what they're bringing."

Any words for the viewers that you want to let them know?

"Don't sleep on the power of sumo, or you might wind up getting yourself hurt."

Fighter Interviews (Sasuke)

Alright, could you introduce yourself to the people watching at home? Your name and your hometown please.

"…"

Come on. Give us something here. You're already in the tournament, so people already know your name. We can just tell them that you qualified in China, but that could lead to inaccuracies in where people think you to be from. Where are you from?

"Another dimension."

Because your skills are so otherworldly?

"Hm, you could say that… idiots. Any other questions that I can ignore?"

What are your thoughts on the tournament so far?

"I'm only here for the fights and none of them have started yet, so right now I honestly couldn't care less about it."

Jeez kid, you're such a buzzkill. What exactly is annoying you about the tournament?

"All of the screaming people. The giggling girls behind my back that won't say anything to my face. The loud announcer outside shouting at the top of his lungs about nothing like some shitty club DJ. The fact that too many people I know are here that keep trying to talk to me… especially one not-so-orange clad idiot who shall not be named. You. This set. The fact that I have to do an interview like this is some dog and pony show and you're trotting me out on display. Tell me when to stop. I can keep going all day, so I guess you can get your interview after all."

So you said that you don't like that people you know keep trying to talk to you. Is there anyone you do consider a friend or like to talk to?

"Only one person I've met in the last five years and they're not anywhere near here. Change the topic."

What makes you think you can win the tournament?

"Because I'm the best. Because the further in the tournament I go the easier it'll get. The more I'll see. I'll know how my next opponents fight by the next round so the first round will be the toughest, and from there I'll have all the time I need to work out a way to take their own habits and turn them against them. No one can hide anything from my eyes."

Speaking of which, did your eyes just turn red?

"Yes."

How did you put in contact lenses that fast?

"I didn't."

…

"…"

…Okay. Could you stop glaring at me? Those red eyes are really-.

"…"

Well that ends the interview. Thank you for your time.

"Hm."

Wait, what? Why did I just tell him to leave? I feel like we skipped about seven other questions that I wanted to ask him, but I feel like we did them. Where did he go?

Fighter Interviews (Dee Jay)

Alright, alright. You don't have to have a seat, but could you calm down a touch and stay in the shots please? You're giving the floor director hell here. Now if you'd introduce yourself?

"The name's Dee Jay mon! Comin' into your living room live, straight from Jamaica! How's that? Do you want me to do it again? Maybe the next time I should play a tune for the people to help get 'em invested in me?"

No, no, this is fine. We're on a tight schedule here. So why did you decide to join the tournament?

"I thought it'd be a good idea to help give myself some rhythms for the next album I'm set to record. All these fighters here, there's got to be someone that'll give me some inspiration!"

How do you feel about the tournament so far?

"I'm liking the beats that these Thai musicians have with their instruments, it's pretty wild stuff! I'm digging the festival atmosphere that this place has going for it, it's a good time all around mon! It's all about takin' it easy in the meantime before fighting for Dee Jay. No reason to get all stressed out!"

Anyone you want to fight?

"I want to give my own kickboxing a test against Muay Thai, so Sagat. Other than that, I'll fight anybody here, it's all for fun in the end isn't it?"

Not for some people, but I see your point Dee Jay. So why do you think you can win?

"I don't know. If I win I win mon, it's no big deal in the end. Being here to show my stuff is enough for me. No need to get greedy right?"

Anything you want to share with the people at home? Anything you want them to hear from you?

"Let me get my maracas, I've got a song I want the people to hear. A new release, first time in the world! Be right back!"

Fighter Interviews (T. Hawk)

What's your name and where are you from? It's just an introduction for the viewers so that they can know who you are.

"Thunder Hawk of the Thunderfoot Tribe. I live with my people in Mexico by the Monte Albán plains."

You don't sound very pleased with that. It's your home isn't it?

"No. My home was taken from me and my tribe years ago."

And you don't want to elaborate on that?

"No. Move on. That's a warning.

Easy, whatever you say. We'll move on. What do you think of the tournament?

"I'm waiting to see this sponsor. I want to thank him for putting this whole tournament together… personally. Show him my gratitude."

That sounds ominous. Want to elaborate on that?

"No. Next question."

*talkative people aren't they?* Of course… well is there anything you want to say to anyone watching?

"Bison I know you can hear me. Return my land to me, and I might consider not destroying you for what you did to Julia and the younger girl from the tribe. Of course that all depends on you. Ignoring me could be the worst mistake that you would ever make."

Fighter Interviews (Dhalsim)

"My name is Dhalsim of a small village in the Kerala region of India. My title has many definitions, but for the sake of making it easy for people to get the gist of what I do, I am a spiritual leader for the people of my village."

…I didn't even ask you anything yet.

"My apologies, but I was able to read your mind and determine what you were going to say. Your thoughts were very loud, I take it you've asked those questions a lot over a short period of time for them to dominate your thoughts."

Brother you're right on the money. Today's just been one of those days. So what do you think of the tournament thus far?

"While I do not enjoy the idea of violence to be something that is celebrated and revered, I can appreciate the cheerful spirit of those around taking part in the event. It is important to find joy in your everyday life wherever you can get it. Who am I to say that people cannot derive theirs from watching other willing souls test their skills?"

You don't like to fight?

"No. I detest causing harm to others and will never kill another living creature. I will never fight simply for my own gains. It is not my way."

So why would someone like you enter a fighting tournament?

"I am here in order to raise awareness and money for my village to keep getting the things that it needs such as medical treatment, more clean water, things of that nature. If the abilities I have been gifted with are able to help the people I've been entrusted with protecting and caring for in this regard, I will go against my own beliefs to keep them healthy and safe."

That's a rather noble approach to something like this.

"I do what I feel I must."

So what makes you think that you can win this tournament?

"Expectations and responsibilities… these are the ties that bind us. If we did otherwise we would not be ourselves. I will do what I have to, and I will do what I must. The only thing that I can say… is that I have nothing to say."

…What?

"It is not important."

Okay. Well is there anything that you want to tell someone that might be watching?

"I will say all that I need to through my actions. There is no need for unnecessary words."

---

Alright people. I start college classes again on Monday, and it's my last year so some of these will invariably wind up being rather time consuming. Just warning you now to prepare for that. I doubt it'll slow me down any more than having a job for the entire last year did, so I'm probably just blowing smoke here.

Anyway, chapter complete. Later days. I'll see if I can't finish a chapter of something else soon. This was actually pretty easy to write despite how long it was.

Kenchi out.