Koji: Ng. What time is it?

Sanosuke: Get up, dude. The Jounin Exams begin in a little while.

Koji: Gah!!! How long!?

Sanosuke: I'd say about 3 hours.

Koji: …I have three hours. Wake me in two. (falls back asleep)

Sanosuke: (sweat drop) I see anticipation doesn't mess up your sleep.

Chapter 13: Exams Begin! The 16 Worthy Are Chosen!!

"Ah, the Sand Village. This truly is a Desert Oasis." Koji said, standing on the Village Gates to get a nice view of the village. "Home of the Kazekage." Koji said, sighing. He then jumped off the gates, and began walking. The exams did begin in about an hour.

(Sand Stadium)

"Welcome to the Sand Village Jounin Exams!" Gaara said, as the 320 Chuunin were standing, ready for the battle. "Since there are so many of you, we will cut the numbers down to the Final 16. These 16 will have the chance to become Jounin, while the rest I could care less about." Gaara said.

"Well, he's blunt." Koji said, and Sanosuke snickered. "Now, will the first twenty please enter the arena." Gaara said, as the first twenty names popped up. Koji saw his name, and shrugged. "Kick ass, my friend." Sanosuke said, and Koji smirked.

The others who weren't fighting left to the giant area where they could sit and watch, while the first set of twenty entered the arena. Koji had his headphones on, and decided to take them off once he entered the arena. He heard snickering, and saw the other 19 nin smirking at him.

"Lucky us. We get one of the boys who got his ass kicked by some girls." One of them said. "What?" Koji asked. "Last night, two boys were attacked by four girls. They couldn't remember the other one, but they said one of them had a weird hairstyle. Your hair matches perfectly!" One of them said. "Ha! We get the pussy!" One of them screamed.

Koji scowled something fierce. The Kunoichi involved were confused. Invading a hotel full of Kunoichi, in their minds, was suicide. (Of course, this little tidbit of information was omitted) Without anyone knowing, Koji was viewing the audience from the corner of his eyes. The girls were looking confused. They couldn't have done it. Many smirks and mocking glances were also in the crowd. The Konoha nin who knew of him also looked confused. Probably because they know of the temper that-

There! He caught it!

He turned to that looked, and his scowl became even fiercer. That look was one of smug victory. Gale Kazekiri was looking like he won a battle, and Koji knew he was the one who did this. He would pay. In both their minds, it felt like everyone else disappeared, as they both glared at each other.

"Hey, sissy man! You gonna fight?" One of them screamed. When Koji turned to look at them, they all felt a chill go down their spines. Koji looked normal, but his eyes looked cold and hollow. They all backed slowly, except for one guy from Rock.

This guy was HUGE!! Koji had to look up at him, and he smirked.

"Puny kid sissy! I smash sissy!" The guy said. "Hn. You're a big guy. Sadly, that won't help you." Koji said in such a deadly calm, everyone felt a small form of fear well up in them. The giant guy yelled in anger, and threw a giant fist at him.

Koji merely slid out of the way, and unleashed a 5 hit combo, and blasted him into the air. As the giant fell back towards earth, Koji walked under him. Everyone witnessed as the man hit the ground, and dust flew everywhere. When it cleared, everyone looked really scared, Sasuke looked slightly amazed, and Gale glared harshly.

Koji's right hand was in the air, pulsing with electricity, and holding the giant in the air. "Hope you finished taunting me. Because now I'm pissed." Koji said with a chilling calm. He tossed the giant into the air a little, and punched him, sending him blasting into the walls.

"Now, who wants to be next?" Koji asked, his eyes were glowing with evil. Everyone else converged around him, and Koji smirked. "So be it." Koji said. He put both his hands into fists, and brought them in front of him. He extended his leg outwards, and got into a stance. Everyone from the Cloud Village looked real intimidated by this stance.

"What's up with them?" Naruto asked. "That stance is quite familiar to anyone who lives in the Cloud Village." Sanosuke said. "Just like how Konoha as the Hyuuga Style Gentle Fist, the Cloud Village has the Masamune Clan and the Masamune Style Tiger Fist." Sanosuke explained. "Tiger Fist?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah. Masamune is a royal family in Cloud. The Tiger Fist is something close to the martial arts used in China. Their family originated from there, and they've been in Cloud for generations. Their Taijustu is amazing." Lee said. "Anything involving Taijutsu you got covered, don't you?" Sanosuke asked. "Of course!" Lee screamed.

Koji held his stance, and the others began circling him slowly. One of them, having enough of the ceasefire, charged him. Koji slid his foot around, and caught him in the gut with his right fist. After that everyone charged him.

Koji smirked.

He slid, and unleashed a quick combo that knocked another one out. He turned, and parried another fist with his left, and brought his right around, catching the nin in the face. He brought his hands around, and maneuvered a fist aimed at his face away, and brought his elbow into the nin's gut.

4 down, 15 to go!

He began hopping backwards, as they charged again. One of the over swung, and Koji caught his shoulder, and flipped him over. Since he was close to the wall, the nin hit the wall back first, and Koji rammed his shoulder into the wall.

(Ouch.) The other competitors thought to themselves. That looked really painful, and his outline was visible on the concrete he was slammed into. Koji turned to look at the other nin, his eyes were white with evil. His demeanor was like that of a demon, and the other guys loked like they damn near wet their pants. He took one step, and they all took a step backwards.

"No running away. I'm in a VERY foul mood." Koji said, taking another step. They all took another step back, and Koji smirked. "You all lose." And with that, Koji disappeared. In a flash, elbows, fists, and knees were being tossed, and a fist thrown to the sky unleashed an electric blast that sent everyone within the arena flying all over the place.

"Phew. I feel MUCH better!!" Koji said, cracking his knuckles. 19 nin were sprawled all over the place, in pain. Koji walked to the stands, ignoring the amazed looks everyone gave him. The moment he made it past Gale, something was said loud enough for only him and Gale to hear. He walked calmly, while Gale glared viciously at him. "Watch your back, Gale Kazekiri. Your ass is mine."

"Seems like Koji's found a rival." Shiro said, and Nekobe shrugged. "He's a strong capable boy. He can manage." Nekobe said. Him and Shiro were sitting next to Tsuande and Shizune.

"You know, you should ask that girl out. She obviously likes you." Shiro said, taking a teasing shot at Nekobe. Shizune and Tsunade were somewhat listening to them, and Shizune blushed something fierce. "Yeah, just like you and Tsunade-sama have been hitting on each other since you were 25." Nekobe said. That caused Shiro to smirk at him, and Tsunade gave Shiro and Nekobe a side glance.

"Go get your girl." Shiro said, and Nekobe adjusted his black sunglasses. "She'll come to me." He glanced over to Shizune's direction, and was amused to see Shizune blush.

"She wants you!" Shiro whispered obnoxiously loud, causing Shizune to turn even redder, and cause Nekobe to turn a little red as well. "Go flirt somewhere else. Old people hitting on each other is sick." Nekobe said, and smirked smugly when both Sannin blushed.

(Man, I wonder if I made the right decision when I became a Shadow Blade. Those two are complete retards.) Kimimaro thought to himself.

(Same Place: Scene Change)

On the top of the battle site, stood two men. "You know, getting the Kyuubi will be a hassle with three Sannin here." The shorter man glanced at his partner, and shrugged.

"It can't be helped Kisame. We are merely here to watch their movements." Itachi said. Just then, a girl, around Itachi's age, grasped onto his arm. "Here you are, Itachi-kun!" She said. Kisame looked quite amused, while Itachi maintained his outer calm.

"Kanzaki. Why are you here?" Itachi asked. "Wow! The desert is SO beautiful!" Kisame and Itachi both sweat dropped, intrigued by her actions. "How could leader have someone who is as ditzy as her?" Kisame asked. "Who knows. Leader is strong enough to do whatever he wants." Itachi said.

"He's stronger than you?" Kisame asked, amused. "Do I follow his orders?" Itachi asked. "Well…yeah." Kisame said. "And do you do what I say?" Itachi asked. "Yes." Kisame said. "Then that's the order of command. I follow his orders, and you follow mine." Itachi said, and Kisame smirked. "Smart-ass way of saying leader is stronger than you." Kisame said.

"Let's get Ice Cream!" Kanzaki said, and both nin sweat dropped again. "She's really an S-Rank Missing Nin?" Kisame asked. Itachi shrugged his shoulders, and sighed. "We'll never know. Something along the lines of Tobi's credibility as an Akatsuki member." Itachi said. Kisame chuckled a little.

Despite popular belief, all members of Akatsuki (the ones currently alive at least) were human. Itachi didn't smile, but he smirked every now and then. Kisame loved to fish, despite being compared to a shark. Deidara was a sculptor. That was forgotten because he keeps blowing his creations up. Zetsu took care of the gardens at the Hideout. That guy had one hell of a Green Thumb. Being a plant may have helped. Tobi and Kanzaki seemed too innocent to be considered criminals. And no one knew who the hell Leader was, and what he did, or how he knew everything. Yep, a normal day in the lives of 7 S-Rank Missing Nin.

"Ice cream huh? Fine. Let's go." Itachi said. "Hey! Your treating me like a child!" Kanzaki said. "You act like one." Kisame said, and she glared at him. "Do not!" She replied, acting childish.

(Another area in the Arena)

As this argument lasted, battles were being waged in the arena. Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Sanosuke had all blown their competition away. "Explain why we are here again." Kabuto asked, sighing.

"I want to see how the Leaf Nin have progressed. They were quite strong. I want to make sure every thing is in my favor when I invade them again." Orochmaru said. "That's a very evil thing." Orochimaru and Kabuto turned, and 15 portals of darkness shot out Association 15. "Spying to prepare a Village's downfall." One of them said, smirking behind the shadow his hood made.

"Who are you people?" Kabuto asked, adjusting his glasses. "We are a group of 15 nin looking to rule the continent. Sadly, there are a few problems standing in the way. You, Orochimaru, are one of them." Their supposed leader said.

"Orochimaru-sama never met you guys." Kabuto said. "That's a shame. He is to die today." Their leader said, walking towards them as the other members left in their portals. Kabuto was about to make a retort, but Orochimaru held his hand up to stop him.

"Stay back Kabuto. This guy has some powers that my dark chakra may not be able to handle." Orochimaru said. The nin smirked behind his hood, but Kabuto and Orochimaru didn't know. "You would look out for your precious partner in crime?" He asked.

"It can't be helped. He's the best Medic Nin I know, and he has many uses." Orochimaru said. Kabuto shrugged, a little confused that Orochimaru would openly compliment his Medic Skills. "Well then, little snake. Let's play." The Association Leader said, and two crimson chakra blades shot out his cloak.

They looked like lightsabers, but they also looked blunt. (Think Xemnas's Twin Blades from Kingdom Hearts 2)

He charged, and Orochimaru pushed Kabuto out the way to block the blades. Orochimaru opened his mouth, and the Kusanahi shot out of his mouth, nearly hitting the Association Leader. Orochimaru stretched his hand out to catch the blade before it shot too far out.

"The ability to stretch your limbs out. That's quite a jutsu." The leader said. "I guess this changes the way I will view this. I didn't take this skill into account. I will be back." He said, disappearing in a portal of darkness.

"What the hell was that about?" Kabuto asked. "Don't know. But maybe Tsunade and Jiraiya should know about this." Orochimaru said. "You're going to meet them?" Kabuto asked.

"No choice. If I'm a target, then those two will be as well. They need to stay alive in order to help kill these new guys, and Akatsuki as well." Orochimaru said. "I guess." Kabuto said.

(Back in the Arena)

As THAT as going on, the rest of the fights had ended, and the Final 16 was chosen. "Will the Final 16 please come to the arena!" Baki said, as the 16 strongest walked in.

Koji and Sanosuke walked down, both talking about how they were going to kick each other's asses.

Ino, Sakura, Hinata, and Tenten all walked down, chatting animatedly.

Chouji and Shikamaru walked down, as did Sasuke and Naruto, who looked like they were arguing.

Kiba and Shino both walked down as well. Lee jumped the rail, and landed on the ground.

Gale of course floated down with his winds.

Then the last two nin walked down.

One looked like he could have been a Mist Nin, but he wore no headband, like Koji and Sanosuke. He had a blue shirt on, and black pants. His dark blue hair looked real unruly, and he had glasses on. Around his neck, was a chain with a small dog tag on it. Engraved was the name Shinji.

The last one had a mask on. He or she wore what looked like a blue outfit that would fit perfectly in the Mist Village.

"Now, since these last battles were so quick, we can begin the second round." Baki said, as Temari walked in. "I'll be watching over the fights. Good luck!" She said, smirking at them. "Now, the first two will battle. The rest, wait in the Standy Room!" Temari commanded.

The Name Generator started, and flashed names randomly for about 30 seconds, before two nin's names appeared on the board. Koji smirked. "Knock her out, Sano." Koji said. The board read Sanosuke Kazeyama vs. Tenten. Both teens walked to the arena, while everyone else walked to watch.

ShadowRonin: The prelims are over, and the fights begin! Sanosuke and Tenten take the stage first. Can the Weapon Mistress handle the Missing Nin from Rock, or will she pierce through his rock hard Earth Techniques? Find out!!

Preview:

Battles are beginning. Tenten and Sanosuke take the stage, as Lee and Mist prepare to fight it out. Battles and mysteries are revealed, and someone is looking to kill Koji. Who is out for his head, and who is Mist? Find out on:

Chapter 14: Brawls Begin! Sano vs. Tenten! The Battle of Speed!!