Chapter 18

Temari was fighting Shikamaru, who had decided to be lazy again today. Eventually, he gave up, and Temari was declared the winner.

"It seems that Uchiha Sasuke hasn't showed up," I said, after prying myself away from almost getting killed from Gaara, who was going down the psycho path.

"Who?"

"Oh, of course, you wouldn't know. He's the guy who Gaara's gonna fight. Wait, how come you know Gaara's name and not Sasuke's?" I was curious about this, and had pondered over the answer since I had taken Tsukiko home.

"He interests me."

"Uh-huh."

Then I looked back, since the ninja had appeared again, and was saying that, once again, they were going to postpone the match, and asked for the next two to come down.

I lifted my foot over the trickle of sand that came from Gaara, and walked over to him.

"Relax," I said, "Once Sasuke gets here, you can slaughter him. Just don't get me in the process."

I wasn't sure if that was going to help at all, but it was what I did when I was six. I slid away from him, and from his quizzical siblings, to watch Tsukiko's fight.

Juro Finyer was standing by the proctor, with a smug look on his face. But the strange thing was; there was no Tsukiko. I scanned the arena, and finally found her right below me.

"I'll begin from here, thanks," she said to him.

The proctor shook his head, and said, "We said that we have to start every fight facing each other. Now get down here!"

She looked up at me, and I shrugged.

"I guess I forgot to tell you that."

"Fine, fine," she grumbled, and jumped down.

"Be-"

She immediately jumped away at the first syllable, landing right where she was before.

"Tsukiko!" Aika's voice was heard. .

She looked over, and Aika said, "Give him hell!"

She nodded, and looked back.

I could hear Aika say, "No!"

Juro ran toward Tsukiko, his handmaroon.

"Whup!" she grunted, ducking just in the nick of time. Then she punched him, right in the stomach.

He coughed up a bit of blood as Tsukiko jumped away, then he dropped his head again.

What the heck is he doing I thought.

"Oof!" once again, Tsukiko ducked just as his red hand swung toward her. She punched him again, this time in the ribs. He froze again, and this time Tsukiko didn't jump away. She hit him in the back with a lightning bolt.

The crowd gasped, but Tsukiko ignored them. She pulled out a kunai, and grabbed his hair. She hacked off his perfect hair, then grabbed his chin and pulled his face to look at her.

She slid her hand down to his neck, and pulled him off the wall. Then she dropped him.

He fell with a thump onto the ground; then Tsukiko landed primly next to him.

She leaned over. His eyes were closed, and he looked asleep. Then he jerked up and swung his legs around.

Tsukiko fell down, and Juro scrambled up, and stood right behind her , directly on top of her hair.

Juro smirked at the defenseless Tsukiko. Then he raised his hands, and preformed seals.

"Akaruite no Jutsu!" he cried, and raised his hands.

Unlike his hand glowing before, this time it was both hands, and they were blood red. He curled his hands into fists, and began the quick descent to win.

"Oh, no you don't!" Tsukiko grunted. Then from the ground, the white-haired kunoichi spread her arms wide, and slapped them together

"Uindoshi-rudo!" she shouted.

Then, with his hands just inches from her face, a whirlwind of swift breezes swirled around her. They hardened, but continued to rotate, and formed a shield just before Juro's hands hit her.

"What?" he said, surprised.

"Yes, you can't hurt me now," Tsukiko said silkily, "Now, will you please get off my hair?"

He obeyed, and she stood up. The winds began fly faster, whipping up her jean jacket.

"Now, Juro Finyer, please die."

She ran at him, white-hot lighting running through her hand and arm.

Then she hit him. He flew across the stadium, hitting the opposite wall. The wall collapsed, and boulders landed on him. I held my breath, but nothing happened; the pile stayed still.

"Ahem," said the proctor, "Since Juro is not able to move, the champion, Tsukiko Moiev!"