Author's note: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.

Chapter 35: On to the Finals

Inside the Hokage Monument, the Village Hidden in the Leaves

With all the winners announced, a brief brake was declared by the Hokage. The reason for that was to gather up all those who had recuperated from their time at the medics' quarters. But among them, only Inojin was the one they requested to see immediately. He was the first to win a match after all.

When the raven-haired boy got a glimpse of those who had won, he was stunned by seeing both Nashiko and Shunsuke standing beside the winners. He could not believe his eyes, but they had won their matches and he was not present to observe them.

But he could see his teammates Shikaien also standing there and he only waved at him in a friendly manner in return. The young boy with the ponytail approached his punkish teammate. Surprisingly, Inojin forced a slight smile on his face.

"I see" he said lowly. "You won your match. Congratulations. It's good to have you as a teammate, Shikaien" he commended him.

The punkish boy only chuckled nervously in return. "Yeah, but it wasn't easy. My opponent turned out to be quite the psycho witch" Shikaien said in return. "But Chouta also did a great job in her match. It's a shame she lost to Nashiko though" he added with a hint of regret.

Inojin only shrugged his shoulders. "It doesn't really matter if she won or lost her match. The only thing I expected from Chouta was the fact that she did her best. And apparently, she did" he said in return, causing Shikaien to agree with him. But both members of Team Ayumu were approached by Shunsuke and Nashiko, who were glad to see Inojin standing there in good condition. For a moment, Inojin fixed a slight frown on his twin brother, but eventually smiling. "Well done….Shunsuke" he suddenly said lowly.

His brother's eyes widened. "He actually gave me a…..compliment. And it didn't even sound sarcastic" he noted in his head. He nervously chuckled while scratching the back of his head. "Eh, thank you…Inojin. Nice work out there anyway" he replied with awkward. He didn't know what else to say.

"I hope you boys are prepared for this!" the Uchiha-Yamanaka twins and Shikaien faced Nashiko, who was beaming with determination. "We have just ensured ourselves a trip to the finals. Imagine all the people that will come to watch us fight!" she exclaimed while giggling.

Shikaien dropped a sweat by seeing this. "You're really getting too excited for this, aren't you?" he asked her while not understanding her reason for being so happy.

"But we are all to be divided into who we will fight against first, right? And as we each defeat an opponent we will advance to the top" Shunsuke explained to his friends. He suddenly began facing Inojin. "Who knows, maybe we get to fight one another, Inojin" he said to him.

As he heard those words, Inojin could not help but to smirk in return. "Perhaps, but I suggest you watch out for the finals. You never know how strong your future opponent can be" he said. His twin brother only eyed him with uncertainty.

Both Nashiko and Shikaien could notice the slight animosity existing between the brothers and it made them worried. They both remembered the match between Takeda and Minami and wondered if a similar match would happen in the finals. If so, then what would be the results? Even the twin brothers had no answer to that, although Shunsuke always considered Inojin to be on a different level than him.

There was no time for chatting any longer, as Udon Ise called upon all the winners to him. Tsunade and Naruto stood beside him. Now that they had won, all that remained was how to divide them into matches. The blonde-haired woman stepped forward, her face filled with pride and satisfaction. In addition to that, she clapped her hands, confirming her admiration for these young genins and their efforts so far.

"Congratulations to all you winners of today's third phase. With wisdom, strength and valor, you have all managed to make it to the finals of this year's Chuunin Exams" she explained loudly, her smile never fading away. "In those nine matches we have seen here today, nine of you young ones have emerged victorious: six from the Leaf Village and three from the Mist Village" she added while eyeing each genin standing there. She then nodded her head at Udon, who knew what she meant by that. "I will let Udon have the word for now, so listen carefully" she said and gave him the spotlight.

The four-eyed man with brown hair adjusted his glasses before picking something up from the floor. It was an open box. He walked over to the young ninjas and stood near them. "Before we can explain how the finals work in the Chuunin Exams, I would like each of you rookies to come over here and pick up a small ball in this box. On those small balls stands a number. Once you've done that, I will list the numbers you have been given. Now when I announce your names, please come up here and pick a number" he explained to them loud and clear.

As each winner took their turns picking up a small ball from the box, both Naruto and Tsunade could only wonder who would fight against whom in the first round of the finals. The numbers would determine all winners had their turns, Udon held up a notebook and a pencil in his hand.

"Okay, when I point this pencil at each of you, you will reveal to us the numbers you've been given. And do it loud and clear" Udon explained and began pointing his pencil at Shikio first.

"4" Shikaien replied lazily.

"6" Inojin said lowly in return.

"2" Nashiko replied with optimism.

"9" Shunsuke said with uncertainty in his voice.

"3" Kotone said while giggling.

"8" Jurou replied lowly.

"7" Aoi said in return.

"5" Hisoka said sternly.

"1" Minami said in return.

"Nicely done, rookies" Udon said in return after writing down the numbers. "New before we move on, I would like to tell you a little bit about how the matches are set up. From here on out, you are not to know of who you will be up against. The layout for the finals is strictly secret, so your opponent will be revealed on the day the finals begin. So what I suggest to every one of you have this in mind while training" the four-eyed man explained strictly.

He then stepped back, giving the spotlight back to the Hokage and Naruto. However, each of the winners was given a few minutes by the duo to reflect on what they just heard from Udon. As much as hard it sounded, they knew that such were the rules.

"Now that Udon's finished, I would like to give you rookies a few details about the finals" Naruto spoke up to make sure everyone heard him, including his daughter, who only stared at him with curiosity. "Due to recent circumstances with regards to the second phase of the Exams, we have decided to change our schedule. But even so, you all need enough time to practice your skills and prepare yourselves. Therefore, you have seven days from now on to get ready. There will be no delays or changes" he added to his explanation.

"Seven days?" Nashiko wondered in her head by what her father was saying. "If so, then I can't waste those days. I must practice my strategy, but how?" she added to her thoughts.

Shikaien noticed that something was amiss here. "Weird. A big event like the finals are usually planned two weeks before it starts" he remarked from what he heard. "Obviously they are still worried about the events on the Train Mountains" he added to his thoughts.

"Moving along, there will be thousands of people gathered to witness your matches, including VIPs. And I ain't just talking about snobby nobles from faraway countries, but also the Kazekage and the Mizukage. They have both happily accepted our invitation to observe you young ninjas doing your best" Naruto revealed to them with a grin.

Aoi's azure eyes opened up in surprise. "Woah…..since when did Auntie Mei agree to come over here? She never told us anything about that, even before we left for the Leaf Village" he thought but fixed his eyes upon his teacher, who was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. "Were you told of this, Kaito-sensei?" he wondered while eying him.

"Well that's just great! Our oversensitive leader is coming over to visit" Kotone expressed her disgust by hearing Naruto's words. "Now I have two idiots I need to withstand, not just one!" she added while annoyingly glancing at Aoi.

So far, Jurou had been relatively quiet after hearing the announcement. However, he could still talk inside of him and the orange-haired boy was beginning to suspect something. "Are you coming here just so you can watch me not loose myself to rage? Do I really need more surveillance around me!?" he wondered while thinking about the Mizukage. "Fool, if I really was dangerous, I would have torn your very body apart with my own hands!" he noted, expressing himself in a manner which was unusual for him.

Shikaien forced a confidential grin across his face, for he knew very well about the Kazekage's visit, given that his mother had told him. "Uncle Gaara, I look forward to see you" he thought about his infamous uncle. But he also snapped in realization. "But wait…..will Tsubasa and Atsushi also be there to watch me in battle?" he wondered, considering that he had just met his cousins from the Sand Village yesterday.

"All of you kids have been told why we arrange the Chuunin Exams. Therefore, I won't bother explain it once again. You are aware that these arrangements help strengthen the relationship between allied villages" Naruto pointed out, not even mincing his words. "I have nothing else to say, but I advise you rookies to seek counsel and guidance in your teachers and elders. Believe me, they will come in handy when the time comes" he explained to them and nodded his head at Tsunade.

"We'll see you in seven days. From now on, focus on what challenges lies before you. And remember: all of you must meet up for the finals. If you don't, there will be serious consequences, like disqualification" she warned them sternly. But something was on her head, and she felt that she needed to tell them. "And one more thing, those who are recovering from their injuries has been moved to the hospital. If you wish to see them, go to the hospital, tell the reception of what team you're in, and you will be given a visit. But above all, be prepared for the finals" she concluded and turned around to walk away, signalizing the end of the second phase.

Nashiko watched the elderly woman take off, eventually focusing her eyes on her father, who was still standing still. As the other winners began returning to their teachers, she headed towards Naruto with haste.

The blonde-haired man smiled as he saw his daughter approaching him. "Hey there, Nashiko!" he said and suddenly lowered to her level and put a hand on the pinkette's head. "Nice work out there, girl. You took this challenge better than what I expected" he admitted while stroking his daughter's hair. Judging by the tone of hi voice, Naruto was very happy for what Nashiko had accomplished today.

But he could notice that Nashiko was somewhat worried and it made him wonder why. After all, Nashiko carried the determination from her mother.

"Dad…..about what the Hokage said…."she stammered.

Naruto chuckled in return. "Come on, Nashiko. Don't take Grandma Tsunade's threats for real! It may sound harsh, but she was actually trying to motivate you for the finals. Believe it!" he assured her with a smile.

"It's not about that. It's about…..Takeda and Arata" she corrected him

This caused Naruto to cease all his goofiness and stare at her with eyes of surprise. From what he could tell, Nashiko was still worried about her teammate's condition. The blonde-haired man faced his daughter with a reassuring look on his face. He understood how she felt.

"Don't worry about them. Now that they're both in hospital, I'm confident they will recover from their critical injuries. Heck, your mom is there and she is the most talented and sweetest medic I have ever known" Naruto assured her in a fatherly manner. "You know, you and Shunsuke can visit him there, but only if he's awoken from his unconsciousness" he added with encouragement.

As much as she didn't feel this was helping her at all, Nashiko accepted her father's support regardless. She faced him with a slight smile, nodding her head while trying to look in her father's eyes.

Naruto rose up on his feet and was about to take off, but not before leaving a few words to his daughter. "When everyone's home, we'll celebrate your victory. But tomorrow, maybe me or your mom can help you with developing your skills. Think about this wisely, Nashiko" he told her before taking off.

Nashiko watched her father walk away, her thoughts still lost in confusion. But perhaps there was some truth in Naruto's words. She could definitely count on her mom to help both Takeda and Arata, even though she was no veterinarian. The young pinkette forced a slight smile on her face by thinking about it.

"Hey Nashiko!" the voice came from Menma, as he and Shunsuke approached her with smiles on their faces. Yup, if it was one thing she knew who to seek comfort, it was her teammate and teacher. The man with ponytail faced her with a grin. "Listen, I know that you're still worried about Takeda and Arata. Heck, even I am too" he admitted but quickly gave her a thumb for encouragement. "But trust in what your dad says, Nashiko. Having been tutored under him, Naruto is someone who makes sure no one's left behind" he assured her.

Nashiko smiled sweetly in return. "Thank you…..Menma-sensei" she said, but suddenly let out a deep sigh. "But I'm still a little worried about the finals, though" she added with uncertainty.

"I feel the same way you do" Shunsuke spoke up. Nashiko noticed the similarities in his tone and hers. It meant that they were both worried about the finals, not just her.

But Menma stood in the middle and put each of his hands on their shoulders. It was obvious that he felt they needed encouragement and support. "Both of you have done enough today. I suggest you spend the rest of the day celebrating" he suggested to them and both students stared at him in question. "Look, the finals may be important and all, but stressing out about it won't build you the confidence you need as a shinobi" he told them. They only got intrigued about this explanation. Menma grinned at them. "In the coming days, you can always ask me for guidance. I'm open to train you, even though it's gonna be more advanced than what we've been through before. But for now, I want you both to relax and think about all the good efforts you've done today. You make us jounins proud!" he concluded his lesson with a confidential grin.

Both Nashiko and Shunsuke realized that he spoke the truth, so they only nodded before leaping out towards the exit. Menma only watched them with a proud expression on his face. He knew that his lecturing that helped.

"Enjoying the victory, aren't we?" Menma turned around to see Ayumu with a cigarette in his mouth. The red-eyed man only grinned with the cigarette in his teeth as their eyes met. "I guess that you and me will have to celebrate later, for being good teachers to our students" he remarked with charisma.

Menma grinned cockily in return. "Don't be so full of yourself, Ayumu. Who knows, maybe our students will face one another in the finals" he said.

By hearing this, Ayumu immediately fixed a grim expression on his face. For some reason, he began eyeing the ground, indicating that he was in deep thought. "You know….that may be true" he said, but suddenly fixed his serious eyes upon his comrade. "Shikaien would have a good time with either Nashiko or Shunsuke. But Inojin…..I sure as hell hope that he and Shunsuke won't be fighting one another" he admitted lowly.

Menma could note the concern in Ayumu's voice and for some reason, he understood those concerns of his. In fact, Menma was himself fearing for his student. He had already witnessed Takeda getting beaten up by Minami. What would a fight between the Uchiha twins result in? The man with ponytail just refused to find the answer. Such answers would not come to him in a blink of an eye.

"I know" he replied to Ayumu's feelings lowly, but suddenly fixed a cheerful expression. "But screw that! You said we could celebrate our victory later? Hell, I'm in!" he said in return and reached out his fist to his friend.

Ayumu smiled smugly and bumped fists with Menma. "Glad to hear it, pal! We'll just take a couple of drinks or something" he said. But he felt that he needed to go, so he waved his hand at him. "Look, I've got some appointments that I need to attend to, but I'll catch ya later!" he said and took off, waving his hand in the process as he left. Menma only waved his hand back.

Near Ichiraku's Ramen Bar, the Village Hidden in the Leaves

Having exited the Hokage Monument, the first thing Nashiko wanted to do was to have some slush. She pretty much deserved it in light of her victory. But she was not alone, as Shunsuke was accompanying her. They both sat on a bench near Ichiraku's Ramen Bar, which had been changed into a tall building since the rebuilding of the Leaf Village.

"So you didn't wanna head home straight away?" Shunsuke asked her while taking a slurp.

"Nah, nobody's home as my mom is at the hospital and Haruto is at the Academy" she replied before fixing a grimace on her face. "Besides, you know how my mom acts whenever I achieve something great. Complete overraction and stuff" she added while dropping a sweat.

Shunsuke chuckled nervously by hearing this. "Well, I can understand you on that one. As a matter of fact, my mom is quite similar" he said. "Anyway, how do you plan on mastering your strategic thinking?" he asked her.

Nashiko had her thoughts dwindling inside of her. She was very unsure about this. But she did face Shunsuke with a determined look on her face. "I will figure it, I just know it!" she answered.

While the two friends enjoyed themselves with their slushes, they suddenly noticed a trio of young Sand ninjas walking past them. This caught them by surprise, as they didn't at least expect to see them in the Leaf Village. Before they knew it, they found themselves staring at the on in the middle, who was a boy with reddish-brown hair and carrying a gourd on his back.

The mysterious boy noticed them staring at him, so he stopped and looked at them, something which made his teammates confused. "What's wrong? Haven't you two ever seen Sand ninjas before?" the on in the middle asked them.

Nashiko was still unfazed while taking a slurp from her slush. "Nope, can't say I have. Well, except for Shikaien's mom that is" she said while admitting some exceptions.

The boy and the one with the weird hat and paintings became surprised by this. "Shikaien's mom, you mean Auntie Temari?" the hat-guy quizzed with a smug smile on his face. "I take it you two are friends with Shikaien" he remarked while eyeing them.

Shunsuke raised an eyebrow. "You know him?" he asked.

"Sure! You see, me and this gourd-dude right here are his cousins. We're staying at his house for now" he answered in return although the boy with the gourd felt annoyed by his comment.

The girl beside him fixed a dissatisfying look on her face. "And you say I make us Sand Scorpions look like a bunch of wannabe celebrities? You dimwit!" she said.

"The Sand Scorpions…are you THE Sand Scorpions!?" Nashiko exclaimed with wonder. The trio only stared at her with confused looks. "I have heard so much about you. All of you guys are chuunins, right?" she asked them one more time.

The one in the middle sighed in annoyance before speaking up. "Yes, we are. But don't refer to us as "guys". We have names, you know. My name is Tsubasa" he corrected her sternly.

The one beside him only scoffed at his behavior, but faced the two friends with a smile. "Never mind Tsubasa's attitude. He's always grouchy when meeting new people" he told them while trying to make them ignore him. "Anyway, you two seem like a couple of friendly fellows. The name's Atsushi, pleased to meet ya" he introduced himself. He then reached around the Sand kunoichi and pointed his finger at her. The girl only snapped in surprise. "And this is Haruka. She's a sweet, but an annoying girl" he introduced them to her.

As he could see his cousin behave like that, Tsubasa only crossed his arms and gave the two friends his back. It was apparent that he seemed not interested in knowing them and both Nashiko and Shunsuke could see that.

Haruka only sighed, as she was embarrassed over the different attitudes of her teammates. She loosened herself from Atsushi's hold. "Very funny Atsushi, now can we please move on?" she demanded from him. "You two are embarrassing me, for crying out loud!" she added with dissatisfaction.

Before the boy with markings could answer, Tsubasa began facing both Nashiko and Shunsuke with a questionable look on his face. "So now you know what our names are. Care to tell us about yours?" he asked them sternly.

Both friends were puzzled over hearing this, but they decided to reply anyway. "I'm Shunsuke Uchiha" the raven-haired boy told him, which actually caught the interest of the Sand Scorpions.

"And I'm Nashiko Uzumaki" the pinkette said simple. But she noticed how surprised the trio before them had become once they had told them of their names. She raised an eyebrow. "Why so surprised?" she asked them.

Tsubasa looked at her dumbfounded. "Why we're surprised? You don't even understand that the names Uchiha and Uzumaki are famous throughout the shinobi world, do you?" he asked them as if he was stunned by seeing them behaving so clueless.

Shunsuke let out a deep sigh of irritation in return. "Look, my dad might've been famous and all, but I am still just me!" he said to them while taking a brief look at Nashiko. "And Nashiko is still herself!" he added.

Atsushi stepped in between his cousin and the couple of friends. "Easy there, pal. We know how exactly you feel" he pointed out. "I mean, we Sand Scorpions were the only team from the Sand Village to graduate in last year's Chuunin Exams hosted back in the Hidden Sand Village and that made us celebrities throughout the shinobi world" he told them. "Speaking of which, are you two also participating in this year's Chuunin Exams?" he asked them.

Nashiko smiled at him sweetly in return. "Sure we are! And what's more, we have both made it to the finals!" she exclaimed with pride within her heart.

The Sand Scorpions were dumbstruck by hearing her words. However, Haruka immediately giggled after hearing this and she faced Nashiko with a smile. "You made it to the finals? That's great work! Hey, when I'm watching the finals I will root for you!" she said, causing Nashiko to fix a similar smile.

"Well that sounds nice of you. It sounds much better than having my mom to root for me" she remarked and once again slumped when mentioning her mother. "I just pray that she won't be doing anything stupid on the tribunals" she added.

Shunsuke was interested in what Haruka just said. "Wait, are you three going to watch us in the finals?" he asked them with interest.

Atsushi smiled in return. "Sure we are! We have been tasked to guard the Kazekage's delegation during the finals. He seeks to inspire you who are battling in the finals" he answered in return.

As he heard his cousin answer them, Tsubasa couldn't help but to snicker. "Inspire clueless rookies like them? That's only half of the truth! I wonder whether these two knows how serious the current situation throughout the shinobi world really is" he wondered in his head while eyeing the couple of friends. But he faced his teammates with determination. "Haruka, Atsushi, it's time to return to Chiasa-sensei. We best not keep her waiting" he told them and took off, without as much as saying goodbye to Nashiko and Shunsuke.

Haruka only huffed in return, viewing the boy with outright dispassion. "Talk about lack of manners!" she noted with disdain of Tsubasa. But she faced her two newfound friends with a gleeful smile. "We best be on our way too. But it was nice to meet new faces here in the Leaf Village. Toddles!" she said while waving her hand.

"Yeah, see you guys around! And good luck with the finals!" Atsushi said, as he followed Haruka.

With them sitting by themselves, Nashiko could feel that she wanted to be somewhere else. She felt like heading back home to rest, considering the hard efforts she put today. The sun was also going down as she could notice.

Shunsuke got off the bench and faced Nashiko with a smile. "Well, I better go home now. Mom's probably wondering where I went off to" he said and Nashiko nodded in return, indicating that she was also planning on doing the exact same thing. "But I will see you tomorrow" he added and took off.

Nashiko waved her hand in return, and headed home towards her house. As she kept walking through the streets, she began pondering on how to prepare for the finals. But she was considering heeding Mamuro's advice and wait for tomorrow to begin thinking. For now, she deserved to enjoy her well-earned victory.

But unbeknownst to her, someone had been watching her from an alley. It was Minami, who had been trying to restrain herself from confronting her long-time classmate. Ever since exiting the Hokage Monument, the young bluenette had been hiding in this alley. The reason, she did not know. Riko only hung in her collar, not knowing what she was planning on doing.

Today, she witnessed a dramatic change into the relationship between her and Nashiko. She never understood why the pinkette cared so much about Takeshi. Thinking about all of this made her head spin and it was filled with confusion.

"Damn you…Nashiko" she cursed lowly as she watched her friend disappear. But she snapped once she could hear someone approaching her from the other side of the alley. To her surprise, it was her own mother. Hinata was facing her with an offended look on her face. "Mom…..what are you….." she uttered out words lowly.

"Say no more, Minami" Hinata requested in a motherly way and put a hand on her shoulder. "Come, we need to talk, once we're home" she told her. They both disappeared from the spot in an instant.

At the Uzumaki residence

As the young pinkette entered her home, she was surprised by seeing Haruto standing in the hallway. The young boy immediately ran up to her and gave her a hug. Nashiko was surprised by this, but she returned the hug as a normal big sister would do.

"Congratulations on your victory, Nashiko! I knew you could do it!" Haruto praised her, his eyes filled with admiration of his sister.

Nashiko smiled nervously in return and patted her younger brother's blonde hair. "Thanks Haruto. By the way, are you all by yourself?" she asked her and looked around.

"Dad's in his office upstairs. He picked me up once his business in the Monument was finished" he answered her. But Haruto wanted to know more from what her sister had been through. "But tell how the third phase was like? If I was in your shoes, I would be completely unsure of what to do" he asked while expressing his opinion about this.

"I was up against Chouta today. Despite her weight, she really managed to be a challenge to me. But with enough thinking, I managed to beat her in…." she stopped once she could see how concerned Haruto was, and it made her wonder. "Why so nervous, little brother?" she asked him with an encouraging smile.

"It's just that…how will Daichi react to this? Will he be upset and take out his anger on me?" he wondered with uncertainty. "Daichi and I are good friends so I don't wanna….." the young boy paused as he felt her sister's hand touch his shoulder. He looked up and could see Nashiko with a reassuring smile on her face.

"Don't be silly, Haruto. Daichi would never to something stupid like that. Heck, even Chouta wouldn't approve of him of doing that. The match between her and I was something that we only enjoyed, not everyone else" she insisted to him.

Hearing this only made the blonde-haired boy smile and once again, he tightly embraced his big sister in a hug. This time, Nashiko immediately returned the hug, knowing that she had actually helped her younger brother by easing his fears.

The door opened and Sakura came in, still wearing the coat nurses wears at the hospital. But instead of hanging it up, she ran up to Nashiko and hugged her daughter tightly. This time, the young girl could feel herself getting squeezed to death, given her mother's incredible strength.

"Mom….you're killing me!" she said while trying to break off the hug.

"I am so proud of you, Nashiko! I was worried about having to see you among the injured in the hospital, but I didn't. This only confirmed that you had won!" Sakura exclaimed while almost cracking her daughter's bones. The moment she let go of her, Nashiko tried to catch her breath. "I heard from my colleagues that you were up against Chouta. You were fortunate enough to not be given a different opponent" she added, still smiling at her pink-haired daughter, who was still panting.

Nashiko got up on her two feet and faced her mother. "Yeah, but Chouta was not amateurish in the match as I thought she would. She also put all her efforts into defeating me" she claimed, but she could realize that her mother was not even accepting those words of hers.

"You're being so insecure about yourself, Nashiko. I understand the situation you're in" Sakura said in return. But her eyes were focused on her husband, who was now walking down the stairs. She immediately headed towards him, planting a kiss on his cheek. "How was today, Naruto? Did you enjoy seeing our little girl making up to the finals?" she asked him.

Naruto coughed before answering. "Sure it was, Sakura. However, being Grandma Tsunade's closet assistant, I also observed how the others won their matches" he said while grinning at her with charm.

Sakura's face slumped in anger. "I heard that Ino's twins also won their matches" she said and suddenly faced Nashiko with determination. "You must be prepared for the time you are chosen to fight one of them, Nashiko" she told the young girl.

But her daughter fixed a defiant look in return. "I won't be fighting two friends for the sake of appeasing you, mom! And besides, Shunsuke is my teammate!" Nashiko said in return, her mother still facing her determined.

"I know, but you still have Inojin to worry about. And I'm not just talking about him, but also the others who have advanced to the finals. Every one of them won their matches due to their skills, not because of pure luck" Sakura explained them in return. "You have skills, Nashiko. But for the finals, you must be ready for whatever opponent you stand up against. And luck is not enough, that I can assure you" she added.

"I know that!" Nashiko snapped with annoyance and then sighed deeply. "Look, I really need to rest. I've seen and heard so many things that my head starts spinning" she told her parents with tired voice.

Sakura faced her motherly and she was joined by Naruto who began patting Nashiko's pink hair. Haruto only watched them with a smile. "Of course you can. You deserve some rest in light of what you've done today. Wouldn't you agree, Sakura?" Naruto began facing his wife.

"Certainly, but just don't oversleep. We still have to celebrate later" Sakura replied and put a hand on Nashiko's shoulder.

Hearing these words made Nashiko satisfied, and she quickly headed for her bedroom to rest.

Inside the hospital

Rock Guy found himself lying on a bed. It was shining brightly, indicating that he was lying close to the window. But the brown-haired boy slowly opened his eyes and he could notice how different the atmosphere in the hospital was than in his home.

"Where…am I?" he asked as he got a clear view of what he saw. He could see the bright roof and it made him realize that he was in a hospital. "The hospital…..how?" he wondered.

"You're awake! Good" the voice came from his father, who sat beside him on a chair. But Lee was not alone. Joining him was his wife and Guy's mother Tenten. The brown-haired woman smiled when seeing her son awaken from his unconsciousness. Lee faced her with his smug grin. "What did I tell you, Tenten? Our son will always awaken from a battle" he said to her.

But Tenten banged his head, given that she was tired of hearing his nonsense. Rather, she reached to her knees and put her hands around Guy's left hand. Both of his hands had been bandaged, especially in the one where he had gotten a terrible hole from Jurou. Tenten caressed his hand gently.

"Your father told me of your match and how you lost" she said with a smile, but Guy could hear the sadness within her. "But I don't care about whether you won or lost. I'm just happy that you're alive" she added while trying to hold back her tears.

Guy could only stare at her with concern. "Mom….." he said lowly. But he suddenly came to a realization and he tried to move his arms. They wouldn't obey his command and it made him shocked. "Darn it…..my arms" he said as he watched. But he could at least move his hands, including his fingers.

Suddenly, Tenten turned around to face her husband with eyes of anger. Lee saw this, but remained unfazed. "Lee…..why did you do that?" she asked as she began gritting her teeth.

"What do you mean by that, Tenten?" he asked her.

The brown-haired woman immediately stood up on her two feet and got in Lee's face. She also grabbed him by his collar. "Don't play dumb with me! I'm talking about the Eight Gates, damn it!" she said, her eyes never leaving him. "Why the hell did you teach him that!? I told you not to feed him with techniques that may cost his body!" she added.

Despite her anger, Lee remained calm when facing his wife. "Tenten….it was never in my intention to make Guy break his arms and legs. I only taught him that to so that he could master his taijutsu" he insisted to her.

Tenten was not convinced by his answer. "You're not listening. Guy would have been better without those gates!" she hit back.

Hearing this, Guy raised the tone of his voice to that of strictness. "That is where you are wrong. His opponent was the deadliest he had faced so far. Neither of us ever expected him to have survived Guy's Reverse Lotus" he explained with reason. He was beginning to look at his wife with seriousness. "Without my teachings, Guy wouldn't have been able to hold his ground" he convinced her.

Hearing this made Tenten filled with uncertainty. Even so, she was still upset about the matter. "But at what cost, Lee? He cannot move his arms or legs because of your stupidity!" she pointed out to him while crossing her arms.

"Mom!" Tenten snapped and she looked at her son, who had managed lift himself up without the help of his arms. Guy faced his parents with a shameful look on his face. "Truth is….I never wanted to use the Reverse Lotus, given what would happen to me. But I…..I just wanted to show everyone…..Hisoka, Hideki-sensei and even you dad…..that I was worthy of becoming a shinobi!" he explained with a hint of frustration in his voice.

Lee faced his son with widened eyes. "Guy…..what on earth you are talking about?" he asked him lowly. "There was no reason for you to impress us. All that I cared about was that you would not die in this match" he insisted to him.

But both he and Tenten could see that tears were streaming from his eyes. It was apparent that he was frustrated. "Why…..why is this happening to me? All that hard training…for nothing!?" he asked out loud.

Tenten immediately embraced her son in a tight hug and Guy happily accepted it. She comforted him as he continued sobbing, his head still filled with depression. "Believe me, Guy. That hard training you went through was for nothing. You did what you believed was right, even though it may have been a terrible mistake on your part" she told her son while stroking his brown hair.

Lee only stood there and watched the condition his son was in. He had been there once, many times actually. He sighed deeply and sat down on his chair. He was in deep thought at the moment. "Guy-sensei…what would you do?" he wondered while thinking about his late teacher, who was the one who had taught him anything about never giving up. He eventually faced his son and smiled. In fact, his son was also doing the same thing after Tenten ended her hugging. "I will still be on your side, Guy. Always" he told him.

As he did that, Tenten walked out of the hospital room, but not before looking over her shoulder to see her husband and son. "I'll be heading back home now. But I will come visit you tomorrow, Guy. Sleep well" she said, as she left.

Lee noticed that she didn't even bother asking him anything. Once again, he sighed deeply, because he knew that Tenten was officially upset with him.

In another hospital room, Saburou was having visitors by his bed. It was his father and younger sister. So far, none of them had said a word, until Saburou started a conversation. He adjusted his sunglasses before speaking.

"I take it both mother and Susume didn't have the opportunity to come here, am I right?" he asked both of them.

Shino was still facing him with a frown, never replying. Only Yasu was kind enough to answer her brother's question. "Correct. They are both out in the fields as we speak. But they will return home tonight. That means they can come visit you tomorrow" she answered him.

Saburou nodded at her in appreciation. "I see. Thank you so kindly, Yasu" he formally thanked her.

"Quit changing the subject, my son. Have you nothing to say with regard to your loss at today's phase?" Shino asked him sternly, still wearing a disapproving frown on his face.

This made the blonde-haired boy focus attention on him, and he fixed a similar frown in return. "Trying to mock my dignity as usual?" he asked him and scoffed at his father's words. "You just have to face it: I lost the match, despite my best efforts!" he said to him.

Hearing his reply, Shino raised an eyebrow in question. "Despite your best efforts, you say? Now that is not convincing me" he told him in return.

But Saburou only looked to another direction in return. "Fair enough, I never expected you to be convinced anyways" he said in return.

"Do not test my patience, Saburou Aburame. It would be wise to learn from your elders, not disrespect them" Shino warned him in return.

Saburou faced his father's gaze with irritation. "I am respecting my elders, you idiot. As a matter of fact, grandfather is a better councilor then you could ever hope to become!" his son hit back, causing Shino to form an angry scowl with his mouth. By seeing this, the blonde-haired boy smirked in return. "It looks like I got you this time, my" so-called" father" he taunted him.

"But brother, Grandfather Shibi is having similar opinions as father has. He thinks that you could've done it better" Yasu suddenly spoke up, thus surprising her brother. But the young girl with brown hair had her left shoulder being held by Shino. She looked up and could see him shook his head at her.

"You have spoken enough, Yasu. Why don't you go wait outside in the hallway? I will be out in a minute" he told her.

"But father I…." she was interrupted by Shino's strict voice.

"Do not make me repeat myself. This visit is soon over, so I kindly ask you to go and wait outside" he told him and the girl in the purple jacket immediately obliged, knowing better than to test her father's patience. As she exited the room, Shino returned his gaze on his son, who was frowning at him in return. "Now, where were we?" Shino spoke up.

But Saburou got angry by hearing his father's attitude, but remained calm. "There was no need for you to be that bossy towards Yasu. She deserves to see her older brother" he scolded Shino, but Saburou could see that his father remained unfazed. "I can't believe I am saying this, but I look forward to see mother and Susume again. I would really like to hear their opinions on my efforts" he suddenly took a jab at his father.

Instead of opening his mouth to discipline him, Shino turned around and walked towards the door. Before opening it, he looked over his shoulder to see his son sitting on his bed. "I have heard enough from you. I will return tomorrow" he said before exiting the door.

Once he was alone, Saburou could only reflect on what his father had told him during his visit. It made him feel somewhat downed. Yet, he still accepted that he lost and was out of the Chuunin Exams. In fact, he was thinking about something else. It was with regards to his team.

"Minami…..you better prove to me that you are worthy of reaching the finals, by winning" he said lowly while thinking about the bluenette. "If not, I might as well be there to beat the hell out of you if you lose" he added to his thoughts.

In the Uchiha-Yamanaka household

Ino was filled with overjoy over hearing that both her sons had won and she had warmly embraced them the moment Inojin and Shunsuke entered the home. Inojin was feeling a hint of awkward of this, while Shunsuke happily returned the hug. Because of their victory, a celebration was required and Ino had cooked the entire dinner. Therefore, Sasuke was left with cleaning it up, something he reluctantly accepted. Over dinner, Sasuke had told his wife of what he had seen today, including the matches involving their sons. Shunsuke smiled at him normally while Inojin only stared at him with skepticism. But their father didn't seem to care what they felt.

But now, Ino and the twins were sitting in the living room, with Sasuke still cleaning up the dishes. She sat in between of them on the couch, filled with confidence as a mother usually would. But her sons had different behaviors, with Shunsuke being not sure how to face it and Inojin being very optimistic about it.

"Have you two thought about preparing yourselves for the finals?" Ino asked her sons as they looked at her.

Shunsuke smiled at her. "I'm not sure. But I think I will seek guidance from Menma-sensei. I might also consider training with Nashiko. We are teammates after all" he answered her.

Hearing this caused the blonde-haired woman to frown. "I admire your suggestions, Shunsuke, but in this case, it would be best if you trained by yourself. I mean, what if you and Nashiko were to eventually fight one another?" she asked him as if she wanted an answer from him.

The young boy fixed a surprised look on his face. "What?" he simply said with confusion.

"I seriously doubt that would happen, mom" Inojin spoke up. "They are teammates, so they can't fight one another" he pointed out.

Despite being told this, Ino felt somewhat uncertain about whether that was true, considering that none of the winners got to know who they would be up against. All this had made her think that everything could be possible, including the fact that teammates would face one another. She wished she could at least find out whom her sons were up against.

Inojin rose up from the couch and walked towards the stairs. "Anyway, I am going to bed. This entire day has been a great pain in my neck" he told his mother and twin brother and headed upwards.

This left only Shunsuke with Ino, but he also rose up from the couch. "Sorry mom, but I really feel like sleeping right now. Are you okay with being….." the raven-haired boy was quickly interrupted by his mother.

"Oh that's okay, sweetie! If you want to go to sleep, then I won't deny you the right to do that" she told him and quickly embraced him in a hug. "You deserve a champion's rest!" she said while stroking Shunsuke's hair.

The young boy nodded his head before heading upstairs. The twins had their own bedrooms, but both were on the second floor. This left the blonde-haired women in the living room by herself. But she was eventually joined by Sasuke, who was finished with cleaning the dishes.

The raven-haired man took his seat beside his wife and reached for a newspaper lying on the table before them. While he was reading, he couldn't help but to notice how nervous Ino was behaving, even though she had a reason to be extremely proud. Sasuke sighed deeply.

"Ino…..you know that this tournament isn't about you, yes?" he quizzed her while taking a glance at her.

The blonde-haired woman was still facing the table. "I know that, Sasuke. But ever since the events on the Train Mountains I….I can't help but to feel so damn insecure" she lamented herself and put a hand on her forehead. "I feel this way because I am a mother" she admitted to him.

Sasuke only glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. He could tell that Ino was still stressed. He put aside the newspaper and faced the table, similar to his wife. "For some reason I agree with you. But at the same time, I find your reason preposterous" he told her.

This actually made Ino turn her head to look at him. A part of her wanted to just open her mouth and protest. But another part of her just wanted to show some understanding to her husband's words, even though they had little meaning. By thinking this through, she fixed a smile as she looked at Sasuke.

"You are indeed a lucky man, Sasuke Uchiha" she commented, causing him to face her with a raised eyebrow.

"And what exactly do you mean by…" Sasuke was interrupted as his lips were caught by Ino's. Although it took him by surprise, Sasuke returned the kiss and folded his arms around Ino's body.

But Ino quickly broke the kiss and faced her husband seductively. "This is what I mean" she said, before kissing him once again, to which Sasuke responded to like a gentleman.

To be continued…

Author's note: A good chapter indeed! We are now finished with the third phase and are now beginning on the road to the finals. What will happen next? And how will Nashiko and her friends prepare themselves for the finals? Stay tuned.