Chapter 9 - The Other Side

(AN: This one's really hard to write… I can't seem to get the fights and emotions to play out right! Ahhh! Kuso! Oh well, here's the best I got for this chapter, enjoy!)

Nobu stood at the top of the balcony, looking down on the room before them. Meio leaned against the wall nursing her wounds, Kaida pressing down hard to stem the bleeding. Nobu signalled the two to come closer, and brought out the scrolls. The trio leapt over the rail and landed easily on the floor, not a sound emanated from any of them. The Jounin standing there turned slowly and greeted them warmly, holding his hands out for the scrolls. Kaida smiled and stopped Nobu from handing them over. She released the Genjutsu and grinned at the Chunin who's plan had been foiled. A final test as you might say. She gestured for Nobu to move, and then the Chunin spoke;

"Well done you three! You've passed the second part of the exam! Please, follow me through to the next stage!"

His voice was eerily happy, Kaida could have sworn he was on something, but then again, ninja are strange folk…

Later on, about three hours after they had passed the second part of the exam, Kaida, Nobu and Meio walked into a large hall, the Hokage waited for them at the other end. All the other participants gathered there, waiting for the next stage to be announced.

The Hokage announced that if anyone wanted to leave the exam for medical treatment, they could do so now, but they would not advance to the third and final round, they would fail the exam.

Meio smiled weakly at Nobu and Kaida, who both nodded in understanding. She was still loosing blood from her shoulder wound, it would be unwise to continue. Turning slowly, the girl and four others left the exam. That left six of them to take each other on in the final round. They were just one more step away from reaching their goal.

The six who were left were told that they had just one day to prepare for the exam, in which they would fight each other to showcase their skills to the Hokage, the Feudal Lord, and other important people. And the people looking to make money from the outcomes of their fight.

XXX

The third and final part of the exam was about to begin. Kaida was shitting herself.

What had she gotten herself into? Oh Fuck! She paced back and forth, waiting for her turn to fight. She was up against a girl called Sakuya, a girl said to be a challenge, a sure win. Oh Kami, what was she going to do?

She stopped pacing and tried to calm her breathing, now was really not the time to loose her cool. Nobu had already been carted off to the hospital with multiple fractures and a collapsed lung for a slight miscalculation. She had to remain calm and collected, or she would fail, and in the ninja world, failure could mean death.

"Kaida Suzaku versus Sakuya Izayoi, Third Match!"

The words struck through Kaida like a knife, and she couldn't suppress the cold shiver that ran up her spine and round her head, tormenting her.

"Humph! Move it bitch, I wanna get this over quickly, so be a good girl and let me kick your ass!" The voice was high, distinct and haughty. Arrogance ruled Sakuya, she was the bee's knees, the crème de la crème, the ice queen. Kaida gave her a blank stare, her eyes looked dead, and her voice when she spoke was low and warning, full of malice. It was pretty obvious they didn't like each other.

"I'd like to take my time with you though… I hear drawn out pain is the best if you want someone to beg for death…"

Sakuya stopped, she turned her head, face clear of any emotion, but under that façade, her mind was screaming, 'Shit! She's a freak!'

They walked out into the sunshine, into the arena, where the screams, yells and jeers of the crowd blasted all coherent thought from both women's minds.

They took up positions on either side of the referee in the centre. He glanced at both competitors and nodded. He looked towards the Hokage's seat and then back to the women.

"Let the match between Kaida and Sakuya… BEGIN!"

Nothing happened.

Kaida didn't move, neither did Sakuya, they stared at each other for long moments, aging out for, seemingly too long for the crowd. Sakuya heard them and thought that that meant she was wasting time. She brought out her kunai and started her attack.

Lashing out at Kaida, Sakuya struck flesh… wood…

The substitution jutsu was timed perfectly, and Kaida watched her opponent from a tree on the other side of the arena. She was fast, agile, but quick to anger. That could be used to Kaida's advantage.

Kaida dropped out of the tree, and opened her umbrella silently, she huddled behind it casting a clone jutsu, she left a clone behind the umbrella and waited for Sakuya to notice her. With the real her and one clone in view, to Sakuya and the onlookers, it seemed at though the real Kaida was hiding behind the umbrella, just what Kaida wanted them to think. She and the clone attacked, Sakuya dispatched the clone with ease, and let herself get kicked in the chest, letting Sakuya think that she was a useless clone.

The clone behind the umbrella stood, holding the umbrella high, then closing it and throwing it like a javelin towards Sakuya, who narrowly dodged being impaled. But that wasn't the clone's intended target.

The real Kaida caught the umbrella and opened it. She pulled a cord as she leapt into the air and let hundreds of needles fly towards her enemy, too preoccupied with her clone to notice, until it was too late.

Sakuya went down, and the clone vanished in a puff of white smoke. Kaida landed just behind her opponent, and waited for a moment to see if there was any fight left in her, before looking at the referee.

He nodded at her.

"Winner of the third match, Kaida Suzaku!"

Kaida smiled and waved up at the crowd, then turned and started to tend to the injuries covering Sakuya's body. She pulled out the needles, one by one, and waited for the medics to arrive. They carried Sakuya away on a stretcher, and Kaida walked off the field, into the arms of the man she had fallen for.

Iruka smiled, his arms wrapped about her, kissing the top of her forehead.

"See? I told you, you could do it."

Kaida just smiled. This wasn't over yet. The Hokage still had to decide if she was ready to become a Chunin. She crossed her fingers.

(AN: Well what did you think? I know I took a while to write this, sorry about that. Also, did anyone spot the Touhou Project reference? Lol, remember to review, I need them to keep me going! Laters folks!)