Just as Neji is drifting off to sleep, Kakuzu and Deidara show up via an explosion.
"Wake up kids!" says Kakuzu. "The Second Round is over."
The three passing teams sit up, groaning forlornly. Neji is annoyed about missing his beauty sleep. He needs that to keep his hair shiny. Hopefully they will be allowed to sleep soon.
"What do you mean the second round is over?" demands Suigetsu. "It's not even half way through the allotted time!"
"All the other contestants are out," grins Deidara. "The teams you kids defeated are too battered to continue, and the other four teams had a four-way brawl that ended when one of them activated a nice, big landmine. It was glorious."
Neji thinks about that. "So who defeated the other two Leaf Teams?" he asks.
"They started the brawl," says Deidara, grinning.
Neji sighs. "Hinata and Sasuke had a massive catfight, didn't they?"
Kakuzu laughs. "They did indeed. We'll be watching the replays with popcorn later."
Neji sighs. Of course they recorded the exams.
"So what happens now?" asks Namiko.
"Now you all choose a number from this box," says Kakuzu, pulling out a cardboard box. "The number will determine your place in the tournament lineup."
The contestants roll out of bed and shamble over to Kakuzu. Neji is going back to bed after this. One at a time, each contestant takes a number from the box and looks at it.
"Alright, tell me your numbers," says Deidara, who has a clipboard and pen in her hands.
"Number One," says Neji.
"Number Two," says Omoi.
"I am Number Three," says Lee.
"I'm Number Four," says Karui.
"I am Five," says Haku.
"Six," says Suigetsu.
"Number Seven," says Tenten.
"And I'm Number Eight, obviously," says Namiko. "Can we go back to bed? It's past my bedtime and Mummy will be cross with me if I stay up too late."
Deidara rolls her eyes and finishes writing their names on the paper attached to her clipboard. Then she turns it around. "Here's the lineup for the finals. Neji VS Omoi, Lee Vs Karui, Haku VS Suigetsu and Tenten VS Namiko. After that, the winner of the first match will fight the winner of the second match, then the winner of the third match will fight the winner of the fourth. The winners of those two matches will face off in the final round to determine the winner. Whether or not you become a chunin will depend on your performance in your match, rather than whether or not you win the tournament. The Tournament will be held in exactly 30 days. Any questions?"
"Can we go back to bed?" asks Karui.
"Pack up your camp," says Deidara. "Now that this Test is over, I'm escorting you back to your hotel rooms."
"Can't we just sleep here?" demands Lee.
Neji is torn between wanting to just go back to bed and wanting to sleep in a clean, dry room on a nice, soft bed and waking up to a warm shower.
"No," says Kakuzu.
"But then it'll be even MORE past my bedtime!" says Namiko. "I'm tiiiiiired!" She sits down on the dirty floor, a pout on her face, and crosses her arms. "I don't wanna walk all the way back through the ruins and you can't make me!"
"I agree with the little kid," says Omoi.
"Yup," says Suigetsu. "Either you carry us back on your clay birds, or we're sleeping here."
Deidara and Kakuzu stare at the group of tired, cranky genins and roll their eyes. "Pussies," says Kakuzu. "You're walking."
"I'm telling!" says Namiko, tears starting to spill out of her eyes.
"What's your Mummy and Daddy going to do against exam proctors?" says Karui, impatiently. "Stupid kid."
"Leave her be, she's tired," says Haku. "And I agree with her and Suigetsu. Either you ferry us back to our hotels, or let us sleep here."
"I'm not telling mummy and daddy!" snaps Namiko. "If you make us walk back through the ruins right now, I'LL TELL NAGATO SENSEI!"
Both proctors gasp, short and sharply. Both turn a little pale.
"I'll just make some clay birds," says Deidara, pulling out some clay and chewing on it with her hand-mouths. "I'll take you back to your nice, warm hotels and you can all sleep late tomorrow."
"I'll pack up your bedroll for you," says Kakuzu, patting Namiko's head gingerly. "Just don't mention to Lord Nagato that we even thought about making you walk through the ruins, okay?"
Namiko glares at Kakuzu. "I might tell him anyway. My legs hurt."
"Is she old enough to be a ninja?" asks Lee. "I know she's the Mizukage's kid, but still, isn't she a little too early in her youthful years?"
"The Academy was boring!" says Namiko. "My legs hurt because I bruised them in one of my fights." Namiko starts crying properly.
Neji sighs. Namiko probably is a little young to be a ninja.
Tenten goes over to Namiko and picks her up. "Stop crying now. We'll be able to go back to bed soon."
Namiko wraps her arms around Tenten's neck, lays her head on Tenten's shoulder, yawns so widely that Neji can see her tonsils and promptly falls asleep.
The genins pack up their gear while Deidara makes her clay birds. Kakuzu packs up Namiko's gear, while Neji packs up Tenten's. Then they all pile onto clay birds and fly back to the hotel where all the exam candidates are staying. When they arrive, Tenten hands Namiko over to her teammates, and the genins head to their rooms to sleep.
Neji is going to shower as soon as he wakes up.
Team Asuma, Team Kurenai and Team Shisui head back to the Leaf. Itachi and Kisame go with them. Itachi walks along holding Shisui's hand and keeping a careful eye on Sasuke. Sasuke and Hinata did a number on each other - not all of the damage they sustained was from Deidara's bomb.
"What are you staring at?" Sasuke demands, glaring at Itachi.
"I'm assessing how much damage is from the Hyuuga girl, and how much is from Deidara's bomb," says Itachi smoothly. "You two look frightful."
"What's your beef, anyway?" asks Kisame, who doesn't know about the Naruto situation. Privately, Itachi thinks Sasuke will get with Shino eventually.
"I hate that prissy Uchiha," snaps Hinata, glaring through the eye that isn't black and swollen. "Bitch keeps hitting my man and trying to steal him off me."
"For the last time, I have no interest in Naruto!" snaps Sasuke. "He's practically my brother, for Indra's sake! And I'll hit him as much as I damn like - he gives as good as he gets, anyway."
"Wanna go another round, you little…!" Hinata tries to lunge at Sasuke, but Kurenai stops her.
"That's enough, you two," she says. "You'll do yourselves further damage. Wait until you're healed and I'll arrange a training match with Kakashi, then you two can hash it out to your hearts' content."
"Fine," says Hinata.
"You speak my language," says Sasuke. "Let's do that."
"You two are so dumb," says Karin, rolling her eyes. "What are you even fighting about? It's always been, and always will be, Naruto and Hinata. Sasuke and Naruto have always had a love-hate relationship, and that won't change ever. Just get over yourselves."
"THANK YOU!" shouts Sasuke, throwing an arm around Karin's shoulders. "See, she gets it!" Sasuke glares at Hinata.
Hinata returns an equally damning glare. "That could be their way of flirting, and the sibling nonsense is just a cover up!" Hinata snaps.
"Oh my gosh!" groans Sasuke, letting go of Karin and getting right up in Hinata's face. "We are actually brothers. Not brother and sister, BROTHERS. We are the reincarnations of Indra and Ashura Otsutsuki, the sons of the Sage of Six Paths, that's why we hate each other. We were reborn because their fight is still unfinished, that's why we can't stop wanting to stab each other! But we're brothers, so we can't help wanting to be friends as well. We have a time and place named for our final showdown as Indra and Ashura, and once we've settled that we will be friends properly. It's not OUR fault we can't get on, it's the smelly old men whose souls are hanging out in our bodies, okay? Why do I have to spell this out for you? You already know I like-" Sasuke stops suddenly, turns red, then white, claps her hands over her mouth and backs away from Hinata.
Hinata's eyes widen. Itachi sees both girls glance at Shino. Only Itachi, Asuma and Kurenai actually see it because the swelling on the two girls' faces blocks the other genins' view of their eyes. The three jounin exchange a glance of realization and Itachi can't help feeling smug that she guessed that Sasuke likes Shino.
"Are you alright, Sasuke?" asks Shino. "You are turning quite pale."
Sasuke reverts to her old ways and hides behind Itachi.