This one is longer!! P

There's also a fight in this one!

Please reviews!! Enjoy ;)

Chapter 10: The rules of the first fight.

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO

"Look like Naruto team made it in time after all" Thought Syng while listening to the long speech of the Hokage. "As well as the other Konoha genins... they sure are good, in their way..."

He was kind of proud. The tanned boy turned a little so see Misty and Tifa looking at him. He couldn't help but smile. It seems they liked the village and its ninjas too. Of the 81 who took the exam... 24 were able to pass. The sands were there, of course... Every sensei was silently congratulating their students. Gai-sensei was only looking at Lee, though.

-We don't care about the war! Tell us about the life or death battle, shouted Gaara, getting impatient to kill either Sasuke or Syng.

Of course. Gaara was getting thirsty for blood again... Syng had heard about him from their late sensei before... A child that bore a demon inside himself. There was a rumor about one being in Konoha too, but he didn't know who it was... He was obviously thinking about Sasuke. He was the only one who had survive from his clan, or its what Sakura had said to Tifa.

Cough cough

That Hayate guy... he seemed...

-He doesn't look well, whispered Ino to Shikamaru.

-And of course cough you'll have to fight against each other... right now, coughed Hayate.

Everyone seemed kind of surprised, even the Tsurugi team was getting uncomfortable, while the sands siblings were getting impatient.

-Arg! Whimpered Sasuke, trying to hide some pain.

"The Uchiha boy..." Thought Tifa. "He seem hurt... he's obviously in pain. At least, Lee-kun seem to have recovered..."

She closed her eyes, remembering the scene she had saw in the forest, from the top of a branch...

"I will protect you, Sakura-chan!" Had said Lee while defending her.

She wished to have Lee say this to her... anyone would do in fact...

-This board will determine the first fight on a random base. The rules are simple cough; there is no rule. The fight end when you opponent die or is ko-ed. Without further advice, I will now display the name for the first match.

While some were smiling, others were gulping from the tension. Sasuke wasn't well and most of them were tired... By luck, Syng had rest quite a while. He if had, he could summon as many swords as he wanted...

The name went random, but the board had decided...

Uchiha Sasuke (Gasp)... against Bear Misty!

Everyone turned around to see both opponents. While Misty closed her eyes, Sasuke looked at the girl.

"Now I got that freak..." He thought for himself. "And that bruise... It still hurt..."

-Everyone are to dispose on the border up there, please, said Hayate.

The genins started to walk the stairs to get up. Syng and Tifa stayed near Misty as well as Naruto and Sakura stayed with Sasuke a little.

-Oi, Misty... don't go easy on him! Smiled Syng.

-Did I ever went easy on someone, Syng? She answered back with a cold tone.

Of course. She never did. She was "The shadow assassin" of Tsurugi, wasn't she?

-Be careful, we haven't see him in fight yet...

Everyone went upstairs, leaving Misty and Sasuke on the ground level. Hayate was getting near them to speak again...

Upstairs, Tifa was talking with Sakura and Lee while Syng went a little further...

-Oi, so you're Shikamaru? Said Syng, with his hands behind his head as always.

-How do you know? Was surprised the boy.

-Heard of it. I'm Syng, from Tsurugi.

-You the friend of the troublesome girl?

-You've never been so right, she's a troublesome girl...

He was hit by Tifa behind him

-Who's the troublesome girl!? Now shut up! The fight will begin... Said Tifa.

Everyone looked downstairs. Everyone there knew Sasuke, as he was a kind of genius in the village. His talent were highly respected and... many people, good or bad as they may had been, were interested in him. People were getting silent, watching the two calm genins...

-Say, Tifa... started Sakura, her heart aching. How does Misty fight?

Tifa sighed, losing her smile.

-Without pity, she simply said.

-Don't worry Sakura-chan! Sasuke is strong! Said Lee doing the nice guy pose.

-Yeah, Misty's too! This will be an interesting fight! Said Syng, mimicking the nice guy pose with Lee.

-Yosh! Syng! I expect to your youthful battle! Said Gai-sensei, proud of Lee and expecting high from Syng.

-Sure sensei! Said both boys with the thumb up.

Sakura and Tifa were looking at the boys... While Sakura was terrorised, Tifa seemed to... like the way the boys were acting?

"They are even more freak that I thought" Sakura thought.

-Now fight! Shouted Hayate with his weak voice.

Everyone stopped talking, looking at the bright future fight. Misty was silent and not moving, while Sasuke was panting a little bit. He was in pain.

-So I will have to fight someone already's injured? Sighed Misty.

-Shut up! Don't start talking now because it's a fight! Shouted Sasuke.

-Fine, smiled the girl behind her scarf. But let me warn you first. There is one dagger in each of my sleeve. The first one will bring you great pain, while the second will relieve it...

She stopped while looking at the expression on the surprised Sasuke face.

-... by killing you, finished the soft voice.

She started walking back, letting everyone in a surprise. Sasuke was the first to attack, sending a direct punch toward Misty.

The fight had started.

Being quite more agile than she would had seemed to be, the girl had done a backflip on the ground, getting on her hand and pushing her even farther backward.

-Are you escaping? Shouted Sasuke, now that Misty was in the shadow of the stand where the sands siblings were.

-Never, said Misty.

The girl faded in the darkness like if she was disappearing! Without notice, and without letting people react, she was behind Sasuke, while a dagger was pressing against the boy neck.

-Never, repeated Misty.

Sasuke parried the surprised attack by hitting the hand who was holding the dagger, and kicking the girl a little bit back. They had exchange position since the beginning of the fight.

Sasuke was heavily panting, another wave of pain was sent in his neck, making him kneel.

-How did she!? Was surprised Kiba.

-H-how could... tried Hinata.

-Eh! Laughed Syng. Misty is called the "Assassin of shadows" in Tsurugi. You see...

Misty jumped back in the shadow, reappearing again behind Sasuke to kick him in the back, throwing him on the ground.

-She can move in shadows... continued Tifa.

The kunoichi faded again in the slight shadow, to make her appearance under Sasuke, kicking him in the air from under.

-She can fade and reappear in a wide range of shadow, even if the shadows aren't connected together, ended Syng.

Sasuke fell back on the ground, heavily in pain.

-Will you give up? I haven't even use a dagger yet... almost laughed Misty. (Almost)

-Never! Shouted Sasuke, getting back on his feet and throwing some shuriken.

Misty parried easily the weak offense.

-This will not do! Shouted Naruto from upstairs. Go Sasuke!!

"She is indeed strong" Thought Kakashi.

-I will now do you a favor, I'll end this quickly, said Misty while doing a rapid combination of hands seals. Crossroads No Jutsu! She shouted.

Sasuke first felt light... then he opened his eyes, confused. He was at the center of a desert, in the middle of four connected road of sands. He couldn't see anything, since sands, rocks and small dried bushes were all there was. Except something, a tree. In one of the corner of the four road was standing a tree, where Misty was sitting, looking at the young shinobi.

-A genjutsu (illusion technique), whispered Sasuke, now back on his feet.

-Indeed. This is the crossroad of your fear... Each road represent one of your greatest fear... I'll let you choose your destiny. You will walk one of those path, hence driving you in an insane torture of your greatest fear... that is until you break the illusion... or die, explained Misty, as calm as always.

Outside the illusion, spectator were only seeing a concentrated Misty, and a resting Sasuke, which had fell on his knee, fixing Misty without moving.

-Why did she do it? I mean... She could easily have beaten him without this! Said Syng, confused.

-Maybe she wanted to toy with him, answered back Tifa.

-Care to explain? Asked Naruto, a little bit angry from the lack of action.

Of course, everyone there listened to the explanation of Syng and Tifa about Misty's special ability, which would obviously make her win the fight. A few minutes had passed... Syng was now talking with Kiba and Hinata, asking how Akamaru was feeling. Tenten, Ino and Sakura were now near Tifa.

-Last time... started Tifa.

-Uh? Wondered the girl.

-Last time she used that jutsu... It was on Syng, during a training (Almost everyone was listening now, even the sensei). Usually... well, there's ALWAYS four roads in that genjutsu... But for Syng, there was only one road, explained Tifa.

-A road? You mean a fear? A single one? Asked Ino.

-What... w-w-hat fear was it? Asked Hinata, who wasn't listening to Kiba or Syng.

Syng had stopped talking, as Tifa and he were now looking at each other. The girl with a sad face and the boy with a rather angry face. She would have said it, he eyes getting teary, but action was upcoming on the battlefield!

Misty fell on her knees, while Sasuke was trying to get up.

-How could you... break... Your fear... Panted Misty.

-I don't care about my fear... Sasuke said while... crying?

Misty got back up and got her first dagger out of her sleeve, launching an offense against Sasuke. The boy parried her attack and hit her hardly. He started to give many hit, punching and kicking her in the air to perform a combination attack...

-LION COMBO! Screamed Sasuke, throwing misty back on the ground.

While descending, Misty had whispered something in Sasuke's ear.

She was now on the ground, crossroad had took most her chakra and she didn't have the will to fight for now... maybe she was happy, who know. She closed her eyes and lift her hand.

-Alright... I give up, she said her eyes still closed.

Sasuke feel on his knees.

"I will keep your secret, she had said."

The medical team went to get both ninjas, but Kakashi appeared behind Sasuke.

-I will take him.

And so he disappeared with the boy. Misty got back on her knees by herself.

-I'm okay, she said to the medical team.

She wasn't hurt badly... in fact, she was okay. Of course, Misty hadn't much chakra left, but enough to win the fight at least... She walked upstairs, meeting with Tifa and Syng.

-Hey, why did you- started Syng.

-Cut it out, said Misty. Look for the next fight.

Tifa looked at Misty for a while, Sakura and Naruto were in joy over Sasuke victory. She knew, from deep within her heart... Sasuke... which fear he had chosen... the same and only fear Syng had shared with his friends.

Death.