Junio stood, staring crazily at her from the other side of the arena. Yoko now felt every wound she had received, each one aching and throbbing. Slowly, she stood on wobbling feet, trying to keep her head on the task at hand. She had one ace in the hole. How she was going to pull it off, she didn't quite know yet. However, she wasn't about to go out now...not when she had promised her teammates that she would go on to the finals...not when she was so close. Junio smiled at her, another of those canine grimaces that could be referred to as joyful.

"Very good. Stand..stand! Get up so that I can knock you down again!" He began to level his sword, and then she figured out how to pull off her trick. She just needed an opening...that was all. Suddenly, he began to run, around the arena and in no particular direction. Faster and faster he circled, jumping from the pillars keeping the roof up, one to the other. She slowly circled in place, keeping him in sight as he continued his erratic jumping and circling. He stopped dead, turning and jumping down at her from atop the tallest pillar. She gasped, jumping back to avoid being hit by his attack. However, the force of the swing was powerful enough to cleave a hole in the ground, throwing up shards of dirt and rock. The mass of projectiles pummeled her relentlessly as she hung motionless in the air. On landing, she hit the dirt, rolling and coming to a crouch, staring over at her opponent as her lungs brought in much needed oxygen. "I thought you were going to fight me! It's alright though..." he said, again looking at his reflection in the sword. "One by one...first an arm...then a leg...perhaps another arm...I'll save the head for last...won't do to leave you without it...HAHAHAHAHA!"

"Damn...I don't see how she'll beat this guy. He's too fast for her...and too powerful!" Bushio hung grimly on the rail, watching the fight progress. Deidara nodded, staring down into the arena.

"I know. I can barely follow him, but then again, I've spent lots of time training to detect movements, un!" Bushio glanced over at him, staring sidelong at the boy.

"You have? I thought all you did was train with that clay!" Deidara grinned, looking up at the older boy.

"Naw...I've been trying to detect the movements of people's hands. I haven't gotten it down yet, un! But, hopefully I'll be good enough to watch someone's hand signs." He again brought his attention to the arena. "Be careful Yoko. We're up here rooting for you, un!"

"Come on! Fight me!" Junio swung his sword once again, and again came up short as the wiry kunoichi jumped away.

I...can't find an opening. He won't let me! She jumped sideways, avoiding a downswing and rolling away from the backswing.

"Come on! It's only going to hurt for a little bit...then it won't hurt anymore! HAHAHA!" He began his maniacal laughing again as he swung at her head. She ducked, throwing shuriken as she dodged his swing. He brought his sword up expertly, cleaving the weapons away. Grabbing his own shuriken, he threw, sighing in satisfaction as one grazed her arm. She hobbled away, holding her hand to the spot. Gritting her teeth, she focused on him, watching as he began his zigzagging towards her.

Hmm...the way he attacks...the way he moves...wait, hold on! She dodged left, hiding behind one of the pillars as he again slashed at her. He attacks without thinking! He attacks recklessly, knowing that I'm going to dodge, and knowing that I won't counter him while he's like that. That's how I beat him! She rolled away as the sword smashed into the pillar, leaving a long hole in the solid stone. Junio scowled at the block, ripping his sword from the masonry and coming around from behind it.

"You keep running...why not fight me? Of course...I wouldn't want you to lose...YOUR HEAD! HAHAHAHAHA!" He again came on the attack, seeing her basically defenseless in the middle of the arena. She turned, facing him.

"Come on, then!" He laughed once more, swinging his sword around. She sidestepped, then gasped as the sword raked a gash on her chest, cleaving a shallow wound from one side to the other. He smiled as blood flew, splattering him and the ground. She stumped away, holding her chest and heaving. The wound hurt more then anything she had ever felt before. Junio only reveled in the way the blood soaked the ground. He brought his hand to his face, staring at the blood coating it.

"Yes...it feels so...warm! More...I must have more!" Yoko drew her breath as fast as she dared. Her lungs were on fire from her exertions, and her multiple wounds made her feel vunerable, weak. However...now was time for her counterattack! She brought her hands to her middle, feeling the last amounts of her chakra flowing through her. As she made her hand-signs, she remembered what Tazuriko-sensei had told her all those months ago...

"Look...you did great today! You're learning this technique much faster than I gave you credit for! However, you must understand...this technique is only to be used when you are in dire need!" He stood, watching over her as she got up from the ground, chest heaving.

"But Tazuriko-sensei, this technique. Is it really that bad to use?" Tazuriko had smiled, sighing slightly.

"Listen. This technique...I've killed a lot of nin with it. It's powerful, and dangerous. It requires many things, and those things are what makes it so dangerous!" She had smiled at him, saluting him.

"Don't worry, Tazuriko-sensei. I won't use it unless I'm forced to!" He had smiled at her again, staring up at the sky.

"I worry about you the most, Yoko. You don't seem to have the fighting skills that the boys do. You...you might want to rethink being a shinobi." She gasped, then stared dejectedly down at the ground.

"I know that I'm not as strong as Deidara or Bushio. But, I have the willpower and the heart of a shinobi. I know that inside!" He had laughed at her, looking down.

"Having these things...do you think that makes you worthy to be a shinobi?" She smiled, nodding.

"Yes...it does!" He laughed again, placing a hand on her shoulder as they began walking from the training ground.

"Well then...you may just be a good shinobi after all, then. Maybe...just maybe!"

Junio launched himself across the arena, his body moving fluidly as he closed the gap. His fun was over...it was time to finish it! Yoko smiled lightly at him, and then finished her hand-signs.

"Ninjutsu Arts: Muscle Puppet-Master Jutsu!" Junio, almost directly in front of her...suddenly stopped dead. His arms...legs...nothing on him would obey his commands. He kept trying to tell his legs to move forward...and his arms to swing his sword...but nothing was happening!

"Wait...what? What the hell? What did you do to me?" Yoko smiled, snickering a little herself. She stood, getting shakily to her feet as the boy stood like a statue, sword upheld to strike her down.

"I think we can get rid of that!" The sword dropped from his hands as he let it go. He cursed, looking up at his hands refusal to obey him. "Alright, I guess you can put your hands down now!" He dropped his hands, letting them hang useless by his side.

"You...you witch! What the hell is this?" She smiled, walking around him slowly as he glared at her, moving his eyes.

"This is the muscle manipulation technique. It allows me to use you as a puppet, controlling you with my chakra directly. You can't do squat!" She walked to his front, smiling at him. She suddenly lashed out, catching him in the chin and sending him to his back. It was her turn to laugh, and she did. He just glared up at her from the ground.

"You...you bitch!" She tutted, sending out a wave of chakra and getting him to his feet.

"Now now...what would your mother say if you said that? She would probably have to smack you, right? Well, since she isn't here...I think I will!" She took a step forward, punching him in the face and sending him sprawling. "Hey...I'm not done with you yet!" He slowly got to his feet again, looking at her with a death stare.

"When I get out of this...you're dead. Do you hear me?" She laughed, a twinkling sound that resounded around the arena.

"When you get out of it...you'll have lost, and I will have won. Now, stand still. It's been awhile since I've had a human punching bag!"

"Wow...look at Yoko go! She's kicking his butt now, un!" Deidara was amazed as Yoko began a pummeling assault on her foe, using his face as a target for her fist, and crashing her knee into his stomach. "She's...she's great now, un! I wonder what was up before..." Bushio grunted, cutting him off.

"I know. This is almost unworldly. How did she become so strong all of a sudden. This must be a trick or genjutsu."

"Hey...Junio! Snap out of it! Are you going to let her beat you up like that! Come on, man! Fight!" Aprilio was shouting down into the arena, encouraging his helpless friend. Deidara grinned, jumping on the railing.

"Come on, Yoko! Beat that guy senseless, un!" Aprilio shot him a glare, but continued supporting his teammate. Maey was decidedly calm, staring down into the arena as if in a trance.

"Come on. You said you wanted me to fight. So I'm fighting! Let's go!" She punched him for the upteenth time, making him stumble back. His face was bruised and bleeding, and he stood, panting at her. His hands and feet still disobeyed him, and he thought of the worst things he could do to the kunoichi in front of him. "You see...this technique is special. It requires me to latch onto you with a bond first before it can be activated," she explained while walking towards him.

"A bond?" He didn't understand, so she laughed.

"Right. A bond. Actually, it was your attacking and dashing about that gave me the idea. Look at yourself. You're covered in blood...not your own, but mine as well!" He craned his head, gazing at his arms and legs, which were covered in blood from his last attack he had made.

"Your...blood?" She smiled, nodding.

"That's right. My blood acts as the buffer into your body. When the technique is activated, my blood seeps into your muscles and skin, blocking your chakra flow into your arms and legs. Then, my chakra takes over, meaning you can't do anything until I tell you to, and right now...I'm telling you to run headfirst into that pillar!" He turned, running full dash into a pillar on his right. He hit the ground hard, instantly aware of the pain that flooded through his body as the impact left him with a broken nose. She smiled, using her chakra to pick him up off the ground. There he stood, glaring across at her as she smiled disarmingly back.

"Now that I have had my fun, it's time to quit this game." Junio's hand went to his pocket, pulling out a kunai. He whipped it around, stabbing it into his arm. Howling with pain and fury, he ripped it out, holding it dripping in front of him. Yoko laughed. "Now...say you give up, or we'll go for the other arm!" He smiled back at her.

"I'm going to enjoy ripping you to shreds!" She shook her head.

"That's not the way to say it. Here, let me help!" His kunai flipped from his right to his left, and he yelled in pain as it plunged into his other arm. Yoko raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, now what?" He smiled once again.

"You think you've won, haven't you? But, this game is far from over!" Yoko tutted again, making the boy plunge the kunai into the same wound he had just inflicted, making him wrench the weapon back and forth in it. He cringed, feeling the knife rip his upper arm, down to the bone.

"Now now...you need to learn how to behave. Say you submit!" He shook his head.

"NEVER!" Yoko smiled, directing him to point the kunai at his stomach.

"These cuts you gave me will look like scratches after what I'm about to do to you! Now, say you give up...or things will get ugly!" Junio laughed, spitting into the dust.

"You stupid little girl! I'm going to rip you apart, a little at a time! Then, I'm going to kill you!" She grimaced, and his hand moved up a little.

"Say it! Say it now!" He shook his head again. Yoko sighed. "Fine...I wanted to do this anyways. Take this!" His hand plunged down, and she waited for the kunai to enter his stomach. However, it stopped, hovering a half-inch away. He glanced down at it, and then up at her, smiling. She lost her grin, replacing it with a questioning glance. "Hey...stab yourself! I demand it!" He laughed again, this time throwing his head back.

"Sorry girl...but it seems you ran out of chakra!" Yoko gasped, directing all her chakra at him. However, what he said seemed to have been true. No matter how hard she tried, she didn't have enough chakra left to finish the job. The kunai dropped to the ground, and Junio, dripping blood, laughed even harder.

"Wait...something is wrong, un! They stopped. Something must have happened!" Deidara was anxiously gazing down into the arena. Bushio also was aware that something was amiss. It was quiet now, both competitors staring at each other.

"Oh no...Aprilio, I think he's going to..." Maey glanced over at her teammate, who echoed her thought.

"I know...this doesn't look good!" Bushio averted his gaze over at the two, who were watching the arena with horror.

"What...what isn't good? What's he going to do now?" Maey looked over.

"He's...going to use his ultimate technique! I've never seen anyone beat it...or even live through it. This is bad..."

"Huh? Ultimate technique? What is it, un?" Deidara tugged her shirt, and she looked down.

"It's...bad!"

"Hehehe...it has been a while since I've used this. You should be grateful that you forced me to. I have to say, you're more wiry than I gave you credit for, girl!" He laughed again, his strange, guttural laughs that made her shutter. Slowly, he ripped his shirt off, staring down at the blood covering his body. It was only then, with his shirt completely off, that Yoko saw the four crystals embedded into his skin.

"What...what are those?" He smiled, looking down at the multi-colored crystals embedded in his arms as they gleamed in the sun.

"These are my chakra crystals. They focus the power of my chakra, and combine it...with sunlight!" He looked up, closing his eyes as the sun beat down on him from the top of the arena. However, it was slowly disappearing behind a cloud, and he gazed up longingly into the sky. "Very well...it is time!" He put his hands together, closing his eyes. The purple crystal on his right arm began to glow, faintly at first, but brighter and brighter it grew, until it shone like a miniature star. Yoko stood her ground, staring at him.

What the hell is this? Is this a trick? A jutsu? What are those things? She decided not to wait for an answer. Taking a kunai from her pouch, she tossed it. However, her hands were shaking to much from the fight and her blood loss, and the weapon went wide. She spat into the dust. I have to get closer to do anything. I'll try to attack him head-on! She drew another kunai, running at him. By now, a red crystal on his left arm began to glow, just as brightly as the purple one on his right. She hopped in the air, swinging the kunai down. She hit the ground, coughing as dust arose and choked her. Junio was gone, using his insane speed to leave the spot. He now stood in the place she had, still in the same position. Yoko turned, her eyes slitting against the glare the dust created. She again attacked, bringing her arm swinging across. He disappeared again, and she glanced around for him, finding him on the opposite side of the arena. Now, a white crystal on his left arm began to glow, brighter and brighter until it joined the other two. He smiled to himself.

"Oh no...there's only one crystal left! This isn't good, Aprilio!" Maey turned to her partner, who echoed her.

"I know...we have to stop this match. She'll...she'll die!" Both began running towards the Tsuchikage, who was still watching the match. Taking the initiative, Deidara and Bushio ran after them, talking while they ran.

"What is this technique? Why is it so dangerous?" Bushio looked over at Maey, who turned her head slightly to answer.

"This technique...it leaves a person helpless. They can't do anything to fight it, and you can't break it. Only Junio will be able to make it stop once he activates it." She turned her head. "It's...a horrible technique!" Deidara still had questions.

"But...but it can't be that bad, right?" Aprilio glared over at him.

"You idiot. What do you think we've been saying to you for the past five minutes? It's going to kill her if he does it!" They reached the Tsuchikage before they even realized it. He glanced down at them, a smile on his face.

"Are you enjoying the matches, young ones?" Maey looked up anxiously.

"Tsuchikage...you have to stop this match! He's going to..." but the Tsuchikage began to shake his head.

"I'm sorry young one...but I cannot. Only the competitors may stop the match. Besides, each seems to have done well to this point, so why not let it go and see what happens, eh?" Maey began to once again beseech her point...but it was to late, as a cry echoed around the arena. All four crystals now aglow on his arms, Junio put his hands out, trapping Yoko's image in a box shape with his palms.

"Secret Technique: Solar Orb of Containment jutsu!" Yoko, her kunai out, dashed at him, bringing her hand across in a slice to end the match. However, she found herself blocked, her kunai bouncing off a clear shield. She gasped, dropping her kunai, which slid down the smooth wall of the shield. She punched, attempting to break the enclosure, but to no avail. Kicking likewise brought about the same result.

"What...what the hell is this?" She glared at Junio outside of the shield, and he smiled at her.

"This...is where you die!" Then, he lifted his head to the sky, smiling as he watched the clouds moving against the blue background. He saw the sun, trying to peek through one of the fluffy white object's. It neared the edge, beginning to peek out. He smiled, closing his eyes. "...It's a lovely day...for a barbecue!" Then...as the sun peeked around the cloud...Yoko screamed!

"What the hell?" Bushio threw himself to the railing, staring in horror as Yoko screamed in the ball of chakra, clutching her head and hitting her knees. He couldn't tell from his height what was happening...but he knew it was bad!

"What's going on, un? What's happening to her?" Deidara glanced at Maey, who looked at him in horror.

"That technique...it uses the power of the sun to trap heat. She's...she's slowly roasting alive!" She turned to the Tsuchikage. "Tsuchikage-sama. I again implore you to stop this match!" He looked at her, and then back down into the arena. He nodded, the Examiner returning his nod. He walked to where Yoko was, screaming as her body broiled.

"Young woman, do you submit?" However, far beyond hearing or comprehending, Yoko continued her frantic screaming. Junio smiled. Her screams were music...he could've started dancing, if he had ever learned how! "Young woman...do you submit?" Again the Examiner asked, and again Yoko couldn't answer, her body doubled up in pain. The Examiner looked up at the Tsuchikage, who nodded. The Examiner sighed, turning. "Your winner by default...Junio Mezanuchi." He turned to the boy, looking at him. "Very well, release your jutsu!" However, Junio gazed at him, that same, mad look in his eye.

"...No! She must die!" He laughed, his insane chuckling echoing around the arena. Bushio glared, jumping down onto the ground and rushing over.

"You son-of-a-bitch! You won, now let her go!" Yoko lay still in the ball now, lying limply prone. Junio glanced over at Bushio, who was standing next to the ball.

"No...she must pay for what she did to me...with her blood!" He smiled, then looked back up into the sky, noting the sun, clouds...and the heat! Suddenly, a fist crashed into his stomach, bringing his face down. Bushio was face-to-face with the boy, staring deep into his eyes.

"Let her go...or I swear I will kill you!" Junio smiled at him, and then the ball vanished, leaving Yoko lying on the ground. A team of medical nins rushed in, beginning to work on her. Deidara hopped down, running to where Bushio stood. Aprilio and Maey ran over, grabbing a hold of Junio, who seemed to be out of chakra and stamina. The medic nins worked feverishly, injecting chakra and fluids into the girls limp body.

"Come on, Yoko. You can't die now, un! We need you...we're a three-man cell!" Deidara, a tear in his eye, watched quietly as the medics worked.

"Come on...this isn't good. You, there, I need you there! You, come on, more fluids! She's dry as a bone! Come on!" They began CPR on her, pumping her chest and blowing air into her lungs as chakra was fed into her. Bushio, grim-faced, watched all. His heart was racing, his blood pumping in his ears. Suddenly, the lead medic stopped, watching as the others stopped as well. Silently, he turned to one that was standing by.

"Ok...call it..." Bushio's heart sank, and he fell to his knees. Deidara ran to Yoko's side, kneeling down and crying on her chest.

"We...we were partners...you...me...Bushio...we were in it together, un! Why...don't leave us now...don't go...please..." Tazuriko, watching silently from the top row, suddenly appeared next to him. Taking the boys shoulder, he picked him up, dusting him off.

"Come on, Deidara...you don't need to be here." Deidara sniffed, walking slowly away with Tazuriko. As Bushio passed the motionless body of Yoko, he turned to the side, smiling a little.

"I...I would've gone on that date with you, you know? I would've..." and then, as a tear rolled down his face, he walked silently out of the arena. Junio, led out by his two partners, walked stoically out, his saner side coming back. However, before he exited the arena, he smiled to himself.

"...Thirteen..."