High! Got my computer back, so I'm ready to post! Also, about that pie thing…… I blame it on a little ten-year-old boy screaming that for 6 hours straight…… Next Chap!

Shinobi: The Next Generation Chapter 10: The Final Matches

"Round 2! First match, Uchiha Sakura vs. Hyuuga Haru!" The crowd screamed, their cries stirring into a feverpitch as the two entered the ring. Neko hardly noticed as the first blow was struck. Her mind was drifting to a different time and place, the day her great-Aunt first gave her that giagantic fan.

FLASHBACK

"Neko! You've got to put out even the slightest sign you're learning something! Come on, you're not even trying!" Temari yelled at the six-year-old girl in front of her. Neko was breathing hard, covered from head to toe in scrapes and bruises.

" I said I'd teach you to contro0l the sand and that fan. It won't work if you can't mold the two together!" The girl collapsed, the fan on top of her, crushing her lungs. It was about 2 meters taller than her, and defenetly weighed twice as much as she did.

"Get up! One more go, then time for bed."

Neko wobbily stood up, obeying her order (as did everyone else….). She dragged through the sand and air in front of her, and screamed, "Air Knives!". The sand molded into the wind, forming sharp cutting blades that sliced up the wooden practice dummy they had brought with them. Temari hugged and congratulated her, while Neko0, too tired to be excited, fell asleep in her arms.

END FLASHBACK

"They sure are taking their sweet time!" Ame's complaint dragged Neko from her revery, focusing her attention back upon the match. Sakura and Haru were still fighting, exchanging blows just as fast as when they began, 2 hours ago. The crowd was growing ugly, shouting stuff like, "Hurry up goddamnit!", and, "Damn this is boring!".

Neko rolled her eyes and turned away, only to jerk right back around as the crowd burst into applause. Haru was passed out on the ground, evidently from overuse of chakra.

"Since Haru is unable to continue, we will run straight into the next match, Neko vs. last match's winner, Sakura.

Finally, Neko thought, anger management my style!

Sakura prepared for the last match, breathing deeply, and praying to dear god that Neko didn't kill her…. Wait… that was Aoi's thought…..

She stood up, snake next to her feet in a tired, but aware lump, and lightly brushed some sand off her shorts as Neko walked into the arena. The redhead was undisturbed as the announcer, lousy, stupid thing that he was, called the beginning of the match.

Neko started forming seals the second his lips stopped moving.

"Heh." Sakura snorted, Sahringan watching her movements, " The same seals you used to defeat Tsuris. That little trick won't work with me."

She ran at her, arms and legs flying as she kicked, attempting to hit the sand nin. The sand around Neko rose to met each blow, protecting the redhead from the slightest scratch.

She streched her arms high over her head, yawning loudly. "Is that the best you got?"

"Pay attention." Aoi snarled as he wound his way up her leg, squeezing as hard as he possibly could. Sakura, using thjis distractiion to her fullest advantage, shot a fire ball at Neko's leg (not the one Aoi was on, duh!), burning it nice and crispy.

Feeling pain shoot up her leg, Neko was inspired to kick the red boa across the ground. She whipped around and formed seals immmediatly, then shouted, "Sand dreams!"

Sakura was sinking, the ground around her becoming unstable and gravity was doing it's job to pull her deep beneath the soft sand. She started screaming, with nothing else to do, Aoi poofed and disapeared beside her. Then everything was black.

After the sand dissapeared, Sakura was found sprawled unconsious on the now hard ground.

Finally! All posted!