Arashi is sandwiched between Mikoto Uchiha and young Iruka. On the other side of Iruka, Kazama sits knitting whatever her latest project is. On the other side of Mikoto Itachi is sitting with Tenzou, Kakashi's wife. The two of them are cheerfully fighting over Tenzou's baby, who is currently in Itachi's lap. Kakashi is sitting in the row in front, beside Madoka, Ino and Karin. Karin's mother, whose name Arashi has already forgotten, is sitting beside Ino, as Karin insisted on sitting beside Madoka.
Two... people? Weirdos? Monsters? Blights upon the fashion industry? - Arashi is not sure what to call them - walk over to Kakashi. The smaller one is on crutches and has a heavily bandaged arm.
There is an empty seat beside Kakashi, at the end of the row, where Tenzou was sitting until Itachi arrived. Tenzou had gone from jittery to happy the moment Itachi arrived and moved back a row to sit beside her friend. The smaller blight upon the fashion industry sits down beside Kakashi and says, "I am afraid it is my fault we are late, Kakashi sensei. Did Neji or Naruto win?"
"Lee! You made it!" Madoka leans forward and looks past Kakashi at the small blight upon the fashion world. "Naruto won."
"Kakashi," says the large blight upon the fashion industry. "Your students are doing far better than I thought they would."
Kakashi turns to Gai and and frowns. "Sorry, did you say something?" he asks.
"KAKASHI! YOU ARE FAR TOO HIP AND COOL!" the large blight upon the fashion industry laments, rather too loudly.
"Shut up, Gai," says Tenzou.
"Ah, the beautiful blossom of my eternal rival's heart!" says Gai, by way of greeting.
Tenzou ignores him.
"What is Sasuke doing?" asks Itachi. "That taijutsu is not going to work."
Arashi looks down to the arena, where Sasuke is running rings around her opponent.
"Kakashi!" scold Gai. "You should not encourage your students to copy my moves! Even Lee could not beat Gaara with that taijutsu, so why did you train Sasuke in it?"
"I did not tell Sasuke to copy Lee's moves," says Kakashi. "She did that on her own. Dunno why, but my team thinks it's a good idea to copy each other and their opponents."
"Oh, we're just copying you, sensei," says Makoka.
Mikoto laughs. "They don't call you the Copy Ninja for nothing, Kakashi!"
"Um...question," says Arashi, turning to the older crime against the fashion industry. "Who are you and why are you committing crimes against the fashion industry?"
Tenzou bursts out laughing. Kakashi turns around in his chair, staring at Tenzou, an expression of shock on his face. Tenzou holds her sides and continues to laugh, one hand over her mouth.
"Kakashi sensei!" Naruto runs up to Kakashi from in between the rows and grabs ahold of Kakashi's vest. "Kakashi sensei, you have to stop the match!"
"Naruto, calm down," says Kakashi. "Sasuke will be fine."
"But that Gaara kid thinks his purpose in life is to kill people!" protests Naruto. "He killed two people on his way to the arena! He's not right in the head!"
"Naruto," says Kakashi firmly. "Just watch."
Tenzou is still giggling, but in a much more subdued fashion.
"What are you talking about?" asks Mikoto. "What, exactly, is that kid's problem?"
Naruto turns, a look of anguish on his face. "He's just like me, but he had to find his way alone."
"What do you mean, 'just like you'?" asks Madoka.
"He's a-," says Naruto, but stops and bites his lip.
"A wh-" Madoka breaks off mid sentence when he sees Gaara surround himself in a solid dome of sand. "What is that?"
Arashi is a little miffed he never got an answer to his question. "It's probably a shield of some kind," he says. "Now could someone please tell me who the giant green crime against the fashion industry is?"
Tenzou bursts into fresh laughter and Naruto laughs along with her. Then Naruto grins and says, "That's Giant Eyebrows sensei. He's Neji, Lee - that's Lee sitting next to Kakashi sensei - and Tenten's sensei."
"Giant Eyebrows?" Arashi frowns.
"My name is Might Gai!" The man himself proclaims.
"But sensei," Naruto turns his attention back to Kakashi. "If the match goes on, Sasuke might die!"
"Naruto!" Kakashi snaps, out of patience. "Be quiet and watch Sasuke, she is about to surprise you."
Down in the arena, Sasuke is running up the arena wall.
Fugaku frowns when Sasuke runs up the wall. Not because he is doubting her tactics, but because he is not so sure that is the best thing to do in a dress. Fortunately, Sasuke knows the ancient, sacred kunoichi art called The Clothing Stay in Place Jutsu. If Sasuke had not known that jutsu, Fugaku would have made his daughter wear only trousers and turtlenecks. And tuck all her shirts in. Or wear overalls.
Fugaku snaps himself out of his thoughts and focuses on Sasuke. What is his little girl doing? Her eyes are closed, and she seems to be psyching herself up for something.
Then Sasuke opens her eyes, and they are spinning, red sharingan with two tomoe per eye. She starts making handsigns: Monkey, Dragon, Rat, Bird, Ox, Snake, Dog, Tiger, Monkey.
"Chidori!" says Sasuke, as a singing ball of lighting encases her left hand.
Fugaku becomes aware he is staring, open-mouthed, at his daughter. When did she awaken the sharingan?
Sasuke charges forward, the Chidori making a trench in the wall and then the ground. Sasuke charges straight at the solid shell of sand, dodging the spikes the jap out at her, trying to halt her forward charge. Then Sasuke slams the chidori into Gaara's shield, penetrating it with ease. There is a pause, in which the whole arena is hushed.
"BLOOD!" Gaara's distressed shriek carried clearly through the shell of sand. "IT'S MY BLOOD!"
Sasuke's eyes widen and she tries to pull her arm out of the hole she made in Gaara's shield. The sand travels up Sasuke's arm, all the way to her shoulder, holding her in place.
Sasuke activates her Chidori again, but Gaara's sand grabs her left leg and her side. The shield dissolves, exposing a distressed Gaara, holding a bleeding shoulder. His other arm is outstretched, controlling the sand he is directing towards Sasuke.
A mental image of Rock Lee, crushed beyond repair, floats in front of Fugaku's eyes.
Fugaku leaps down into the arena.
"Sand Coffin!" says Gaara.
The sound that comes out of Sasuke is so far beyond a scream it pulls the breath right out of Fugaku's lungs and makes his blood freeze in his veins. Fugaku plants himself between Gaara and Sasuke, his Mangekyou Sharingan blazing for all to see. "Stand Down!" he orders, taking control of Gaara's movements with his eyes. Gaara's sand falls to the ground.
"Why?" screams Gaara, holding his head. "WHY!?"
But Fugaku ignores him, catching Sasuke before she can hit the ground. Her left side from the shoulder down is crushed and bloody. "Daddy?" whimpers Sasuke, her eyes closing.
"Stay with me, Sasuke," begs Fugaku. His eyes are burning.
Medics rush out, taking Sasuke from Fugaku's arms, laying her on a stretcher.
"No pulse! No heartbeat!" The medics' hands glow as they examine Sasuke's injuries. Then, one by one, they all step back, shaking their heads. One of them pulls out a white sheet, and lays it over Sasuke, covering her face. They lift the stretcher, carrying Sasuke out of the arena.
Fugaku follows along behind, leaving a stunned audience behind him.
Gaara is still kneeling in the dirt, holding his head and groaning in agony.
"The winner is Gaara!" announces Genma, without any enthusiasm.
Nobody makes a sound.
Why did they put a sheet over Sasuke's face? She won't be able to breathe like that.