Thanks to those last few reviews from guests. You pushed me to come back to this story.

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Im sorry I kept you waiting this long.

This is for you.

"Suiren and Kankuro. Please come down." I got a pat on my back from Naruto that almost through me over the edge just like Shika. Man can that kid push. "Yea Suiren! You got this!" I jumped up on the raining and down to the arena glancing up at Kankuro. He locked eyes with me but only for a moment. What was he waiting for? "Proctor! I withdraw" My eyes narrowed. "I withdraw so please advance to the next match." It was quiet for a moment but quickly the crowed roared in outrage. But they were nowhere near as angry as I was. My chakra swelled like a tempest and at the moment I didn't care about keeping it in check. Did he think I wasn't good enough to battle him? Did he think this was going to be easy?

"I didn't peg you for a coward." I let my hand lay lazily on my hip. "And here I thought you were actually going to put up a fight." Grabbing at the railing his knuckles whitened. Temari put a hand on his shoulder and whispered something in his ear. "Come on now all this talk about the leaf village being second rate and now you down want to prove that crap you spew?" I could feel heat radiating in my body. "Fight me." I was hungry for the match at hand. "Fight me , unless you're just scared. I mean I guess I would be too. You know what they say about Uchihas." I had to admit I was using some of Sasuke's tactics but I didn't care. I was ready for this fight now more than ever. All that training was for this.

"Kankuro, No." Temari yelled when he stood on the rail. "Don't worry. I got this; you might want to time this one, I won't even need crow." The crowd boomed as he joined me in the arena. With a toss of his sebon the proctor eyed us before telling us to start.

Pride swelled through me and I was usual far from prideful but this was for the village, my comrades and my fallen clan. Now is when everything was on the line I felt it in the pit of my stomach.

The silence dragged out, you could hear a pin drop in the arena. Waiting for the first move, any move. My red eyes bore holes into my opponent when finally his foot shifted ever so slightly and we were off. I front tucked forward to dodge two sebon he had tossed my way. I was on my feet, my hands coming together. Dragon. Tiger. Hare. "Water Style: Raging Waves!" Jumping I allowed the biggest wave of water I've ever created spray the arena. With a slight pop I felt chakra behind me and I turned using a kunai to block three more sebon. I jumped back to dodge another and back again for another two.

Weapons were coming fast, each laced with more poison then the last. Bringing my hands together I quickly hide in a puddle. Waiting for the right moment I reemerged behind Kankuro jumping over him I aimed for his puppet, my foot barley making contact, it moved slightly back, my red eyes wide. Chakra strings. Kankuro was quick to distance himself from me before I could make another move. "You're starting to get on my nerves." Putting his hands inside his jacked the weapons came flying. I had to remember to keep an eye on that puppet.

I dodge all the oncoming objects but flinched when he started to laugh. He didn't want me to close. All his attacks were long range and I had to get close if I wanted to end this. His hands were out and my eyes narrowed. I saw his fingers flinch and my hands came together. I flickered avoiding the weapons as they started to move off the floor. He controlled them perfectly with those chakra strings. Every swipe of this fingers and hands caused more and more poisoned weapons to come my way and all I could do was dodge and flicker to get away from them.

I had to think, I was losing control of this match and at this rate I was sure to lose. "Come on you really didn't think you could beat me. If you forfeited now I promise not to kill you." I was finally out of reach from his chakra strings but I was too far to make an offensive attack. I was to slow to dodge and make moves at the same time if I came in close. Taking a deep breath in a focused every ounce of my chakra. "Fine then. Don't say I didn't warn you." His voice was distant like a tunnel while I kneaded my chakra and gathered it to the center of my network. I heard a thud, his puppet. I was time.

I pushed all my gathered chakra from the center of my network to the front of my head. Like a train it moved and only for a moment did I feel that wall before it smashed through and I felt a surge power I had never felt before. My eyes shot open, everything was slowed and I could see my own chakra surrounding me, warm and alluring. I did it. I didn't know how long it would last so I had to take advantage of it.

I was faster than ever. It took Kankuro a minute to realize I was come back for him and he started to try and hit me with sebon and kunai again. My hands came together and I was able to flicker and dodge with little effort. If I wasn't careful who knows what would happen. As I got close I felt the water beneath my feet. My hands came together to create water clones that I left in my wake as I flickered closer to him. After I had made three I was in his striking range.

I pulled back and with a chakra filled punch I aimed for his solar plexus. He blocked the shot and tried to come at me with a kunai in hand. I could feel my chakra spilling over when I slapped his hand away and went for kick. He dodged but I was still able to graze his cheek. My hands came together, "Fire style: Fire ball Justu!" The raging mass of flames barely skimmed passed him as he rolled to dodge. My clones had caught up with me and I flickered behind him, crouching down and cutting the bandaged that connected the puppet with its master.

I heard a splash of one of my clones as I quickly kicked away his puppet. My two clones holding Kankuro's arms back, kunais to his neck. It was over. My breathing was heavy and my heart hummed. The smirk on his face was unnerving. "Do you give up?" I mumbled, red eyes scanning his body for any sudden movements or threats. I took a step forward when he laughed, "Give up? You'll have to kill me if you want to win this."

"Fine." I eyes wavered to his prized possession. That stupid puppet was the key. Putting my hands together I flickered over to his puppet on the floor and pressed my kunai to the wrappings, gazing down on it. "How about now?" I head fell to the side as one of clones snapped Kankuro's neck. There were loud gasps as his body slumped to the floor but my eyes remained on the marionette below me and I wasn't even slightly surprised when the wrapping unraveled to reveal the ninja inside. My blade carefully against his neck.

"How did you know?" He asked my chest rising and falling, trying to steady it self, there was really nothing left for him. One wrong move and I would end it right there. "Chakra stings." I said thinking back to the moment I lightly grazed his puppet. "There were chakra strings leading from the wrapping to your body. It was then that I knew you were controlling it the whole time. I just had to get close enough."

"The winner is Suiren Uchiha!" The arena thundered. My heart beat in my ears was just as loud. I stepped back, eyes scanning the crowd. I had almost forgotten they were even there, the set of eyes I was looking for where nowhere to be seen.

I grunted when I was lifted off the ground, "You did it Suiren! You did it!" I could help but laugh. It was only the first round. Why was he getting so worked up? My feet touched down and I stumbled a bit before giving him a smile. "Thanks Naruto!" I was that much closer to facing my next opponent but right not that was furthest from my mind. Damn it Sasuke.

I watched a nin whisper to our proctor for a moment. Ten minutes, he had ten minutes. " Can you believe this if he doesn't show up im going to kill him." Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. I was right there with him. "Do you really think he won't show? There is no way he won't show?" He asked me questions like I had all the answers. "Weren't you training with him?" I nodded my head. "Yea but I left yesterday early. They still had training to do." I regretted that decision immensely at the moment.

The proctor looked down at his watch. Time was moving way to fast. I glanced nervously back at Naruto before the proctor opened his mouth, "It's time. I am going to have to call this match –."

I saw it, it started as a small leaf. That's when I caught it, those onyx eyes. They were here. That idiot. My muscles were sore but when they arrived in a swarm of leaves in the middle of the arena I marched over. "Sorry we're late, you wouldn't believe the traffic." Kakashi played as clueless as ever. "Oh and Congratulations." I glanced at my sensei and couldn't help but let a small smile tug at my lips. Looking back at my teammate they pressed into a thin line.

I wasn't mad or angry, hell I probably would've been happier if he didn't have to fight Gaara at all but he was here and that was that. "So you decided to show? I was betting you wouldn't come cause sooner or later you'd have to face me". Oh Naruto. "What about you did you win?"

"You know it!" The blond gave a small fist bump. "Hn, well don't get to full of yourself. You're still a loser." A moment passed between the two. My team was almost together again. Almost. "Sorry if we kept you waiting, but, um how late are we?" Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean it's not like Sasuke, is well disqualified or anything right?" I had to roll my eyes, they couldn't have cut it any closer.

"Like master like pupil, even down to your lousy sense of time. You know you were so late that we extended the deadline for you, twice in fact and it's lucky for you we did because you just made it. No he's not disqualified." Sweat dropping a bit it was my turn to rub the back of my neck, just made it was an understatement. "Oh that's a relief! You had me worried there for a minute. So we're okay. " I could feel the tension grow in the air.

I saw Sasuke make eye contact with Gaara, "Just make sure you don't lose to this guy." Naruto said looking over at Gaara himself. "Got it." The knuckle head looked back to Sasuke, "Good, cause I want to fight you myself." Sasuke nodded, "Got it."

"Come on Naruto, Suiren, they don't need us here." It wasn't long before Naruto and Shika went back up into the box above us. "And im going to take the stairs this time. If you don't mind" Naruto sighed before following after him, "Come on; are you still upset I gave you a little push? You ought to be grateful." I hesitated a bit longer, a small sway on my feet.

"You won." He finally looked over at me. "I won." The words were bland in my mouth. His lip quirked up. "Knew you would." I was my turn to let my lip rise. A small breeze hit the remaining sweat on my forehead. It was comforting in a way. I leaned forward; I didn't want my words to travel or anyone to read my lips. "Don't – Don't die on me you idiot." We had gone through so much since the start of these exams, coming out on top every time. I tried to convince myself this was no different.

The movement was quick his hand reached out touching where the bite had been, travelling up to cup my face and intertwine with the back of my hair. "I won't." My eyes closed for the instant and his touch was gone. I let out a breath before I turned to head toward the stairs to head back up, Gaara emerging in front of me. He looked at me for just a tick before his eyes were back on Sasuke, that sinister look. Look of pain and blood and carnage.

Disclaimer: I don not own Naruto ™ only my own Oc's thrown into the mix.