Yo!! An old battle from the beginning of the series is played out 3 years later.

Chapter 22: The Mist vs. The Snake! Bloodline Throwdown!!!

Sasuke and Haku walked towards the arena, both glancing at each other. "I'm different from what I was when we first battled." Sasuke said. "I would hope so. You don't have your friends red chakra to rely on this time around." Haku said.

"I won't need it this time around." Sasuke said, smirking. Haku tilted his mask, and smiled. "Be prepared. I owe you and your teammates a few lumps for killing Zabuza-sama." Haku said. "Good. I owe you a few lumps for nearly killing me." Sasuke said.

(Hotel)

Sanosuke walked back to the hotel, bored. "Koji wasn't at the arena. I bet he is back at the room, playing some video-game." Sanosuke said. Before he could knock, he heard what sounded like guitars being played.

"Damnit. Not Guitar Hero again. He's going to make me play that game with him, and crush me." Sanosuke sighed to himself. He was about to open the door, but a scream from inside the room caused him to sweat drop. "Damnit!! That's the 8th game in a row I've lost! Best 9 out of 17!!" Sanosuke smirked.

"So, someone who can put him in his place in that damn guitar game?" Sanosuke said, smirking to himself.

(Sand Arena)

Sasuke and Haku stood across from each other. Kankuro called begin, and hopped away, as Sasuke activated his Sharingan. Haku expected him to charge, but was surprised when he put one hand behind his back, and stretched one hand out.

"That's…" Lee said, surprised. "Gai and Lee's Taijutsu. He plans on using it against him?" Kakashi said, not too surprised. Sasuke took the stance, and then took off. Haku dodged the quick punch at the last second, before Sasuke could hit him.

"Hmm. This makes things a little bit more annoying." Zabuza said, as he was hiding out on top of the arena. "We have a situation." Zabuza turned, and saw Shinji there.

"Huh?" Zabuza asked. "Hyosuke. He will be a tougher target than I first believed." Shinji said. "Why is that?" Zabuza asked, sounding annoyed. "He has some powerful allies on his side. Some that will make the mission twice as hard." Shinij said. Zabuza sighed.

"I know. The person who defeated me twice said that he would defend Koji." Zabuza said. "That's a bridge we will cross when the time comes. But really, there's another thing that doesn't feel right to me." Shinji said. "These people that hired us, brought you two back from the dead, and called on my skills. Why would they go out of their way for one person?" Shinji said.

"I'd rather not think about it. We are both here because of our skills. They have a bind over the three of us, and until we finish that mission, we will be kept alive." Zabuza said. "Not in my case." Shinji said. Zabuza looked at him, and Shinji smiled.

"They promised memories. I wish to know who I am. Why I have these skills, these abilities." Shinji said. "You are here because of a past you have no clue about?" Zabuza asked. Shinji nodded, and sighed.

"Maybe learning about your past will be more painful than never knowing." Shinji said. Zabuza stayed silent, contemplating the thoughts of his partner.

Sasuke and Haku were zipping all around the arena, as flashes from kunai hitting iron Senbon created sparks. Haku was then blasted, and flew into the wall. They were moving fast enough, that even yours truly couldn't commentate in them without slowing the screen down. So, slow it down I shall. Well, let's see:

Starts off with both nin pulling out some sort of weapon. Now, they run at each other, and block punches and kicks. Haku lands one, and Sasuke jumps back, pulling out a shuriken. Haku appears in front of him and knocks it away, as Sasuke steals a senbon. They both then begin to swordfight using said Senbon (sweatdrop) and they both go flying in the air. Both nin glance at each other, before throwing their fists forward. "JAN KEN PO!!!" (Bigger sweat drop) Sasuke had Rock, and Haku had scissors. Haku cursed as Sasuke smirked. Haku dropped his hands as Sasuke punched him dead into the wall, where he is when the tape ends.

(Wow, since coming back to Konoha, Sasuke has become what he was before he left for power. I guess he's showing his true colors. But anyways, back to the match.)

"Is that all you got?" Sasuke asked, smirking. "I've merely begun." Haku said, as he pulled out two water bottles. "Hn. No humidity to call upon this time around?" Sasuke asked. "It is something of a pain, but I can work around it." Haku said, as he opened the bottles. He tossed them into the air, and made a hand sign.

"Secret Art: Ice Pillars of Chaos!!" Haku said, and the water on the ground shot towards Sasuke as pillars of ice. Sasuke dodged them quite easily, but was cut and nicked by some ice needles falling from the sky. Sasuke landed on the pillars, and charged at Haku, Chidori blazing in his right hand. Haku smiled behind his mask, and the air dropped to cold degrees again.

"Your attack won't hit me." Haku said, as one of his Demonic Mirrors appeared behind them. "Like you could do anything to stop me. I have a goal." Haku said, as the other Mirrors came to surround Sasuke. "A goal?" Sasuke asked. "This exam isn't of my true concern. My goal is the death of a certain nin." Haku said, stepping into the mirrors, and appearing in all of them.

"You wish to kill Naruto, myself, or Kakashi?" Sasuke asked. "No. The death I seek is the one named Koji Hyosuke." Haku said. "You mean that idiot? What reason do you wish to kill him?" Sasuke said. "It is something that was assigned to me and Zabuza-sama." Haku said, and Sasuke's eyes widened. "He's still alive?" Sasuke asked.

"If you can defeat me, I may talk." Haku said, as he began raining senbon on Sasuke, who, thanks to Sharingan, was able to dodge most of them with ease.

"Zabuza-taichou, do you think it's wise to trust these Association Guys?" Shinji asked, and Zabuza glanced at him. "…Not in particular." Zabuza said. "Then why do we go along with this mission?" Shinji said. "It's called self-preservation. That guy, Xin, could kill all three of us at the same time if he truly wanted to." Zabuza said.

"Then does that mean we are being cowards?" Shinji said. "If you want to look at it that way, then yes, we are. In my mind, it's fleeing when the time comes." Zabuza said. "Is this really the true colors of someone like you!?" Shinji screamed.

Zabuza gave him a glare so fierce and cold that even Shinji was silent. "You're not from Kiri (Mist f.y.i), so I wouldn't expect you to understand. But there, it's kill or be killed. If you are at a fight you can't win, you tend to flee if it isn't for a mission. It takes courage to stand tall against an opponent, but even greater courage to know when to pick your fights!" Zabuza scolded, and Shinji lowered his head.

"Being obvious about what you are going to do is like asking to die. After this, we shall never meet them again. I have enough issues with making sure that Hunter Nin don't know I'm alive. After this mission, you will never see me again." Zabuza said. "If that's how it is." Shinji said.

Sasuke was hoping with all his will that the Mirrors took up quite a bit of chakra, bcause he really couldn't avoid these needles forever. One good slip, and Sasuke wold be a living imitation of a porcupine. So, he made some hand seals for his favorite jutsu, and a stream of intense fire shot out. The mirrors melted a tad bit, but there was no real damage done to them.

"Shit. Still not strong enough to melt them." Sasuke said to himself. "You weren't the only one improving after we last met. I am signifigantly stronger than I was when we first met." Haku said. "What about that Jounin you worked under?" Sasuke said, as he prepared the Chidori. "He is stronger as well." Haku said. "To bad. From what I remember, Kakashi is stronger as well." Sasuke said, as he enveloped himself in the Chidori Current.

"And I am strong enough to beat you by myself!" Sasuke said, as he extened the wave from the Chidori Current so that it surrounded the entire area the mirrors covered. "Now try and come out! I guarantee that you will get a nice shock." Sasuke said, de-activating his Sharingan.

Both nin were trying to fight out to see who could stay in this dead lock for the longest, and it seemed that Sasuke was winning. Haku's mirrors seemed to take more chakra than Sasuke maintaining the Chidori Current he had running. So Haku was forced to think on the fly. With one seal, all the mirrors shattered, and none of them produced Haku. Sasuke de-activated the Current, and stood in a ready stance.

Haku was hiding himself very well, but Sasuke believed that he could beat him. He heard a whizzing sound, and turned in time to block a senbon. He jumped away towards the wall, but was surprised when he felt something stab him in the back. "You lose." Haku said, as Sasuke's hair covered his eyes.

"Wrong again." Haku felt a kunai grazing his throat, and saw the Sasuke in front of him disappear. (Shadow Clone Jutsu.) Haku thought to himself. "You obviously outclass me, Sasuke Uchiha." Haku said, and Sasuke smirked. "I call it quits." Haku said. Kankuro nodded, and Sasuke lowered his kunai.

When both nin were resting, as everyone waited for the next fight, Sasuke glanced over to Haku. "I will warn you now. Koji isn't going to die." Sasuke said. "Why is that?" Haku asked. "Because he will be defended by allies who could easily take you three out." Sasuke said.

"You included?" Haku asked. "I won't even be needed. Naruto and Kakashi would be more than enough for you two." Sasuke said. "What if we have a third member?" Haku said. "Then I guess that we'll see, won't we?" Sasuke said.

And so, we come to the last battle. The final fight of the Second Round. Naruto Uzumaki vs. Shikamaru Nara. The Kyuubi Kid vs. The Shadow Genius. The Master of the Shadow Clones and Rasengan vs. The Master of Tactics and Shadow Skills. There was no way to place a bet on who would win. It was truly a battle of Brains vs. Brawns.

ShadowRonin: Yeah. Sasuke beat Haku, but it wasn't a complete blowout. If Haku had been fighting as thought Zabuza's life was in danger, he would have given a fiercer fight. But since his winning doesn't matter to the mission, he didn't go all out. But Sasuke doesn't need to know this. Now, the last battle, and boy is this going to be a doozy. Shikamaru vs. Naruto! Ready! Set!!! GO!!!!

Next Chapter: Both are members of the Elite Konoha 12. Both have a Trademark Jutsu. One involving Clones, another with Shadows. One's the brilliant Tactician, the other is a vessel for the strongest demon known to mankind. Naruto vs. Shikamaru. Brains vs. Brawn. Shadow Possession vs. Shadow Clone. Who will win in:

Chapter 23: The Fox vs. The Sloth!! Power of Will vs. The Power of Mind!!!