SailorStar9: Nya? Chapter 21 goes up and only one review! Another chapter already? I gotta lay off the caffeine again.

Hellboy: Did you forget what happened last time?

SailorStar9: Forget what? (Takes a sip out of a Big Glug Mug ExLarge)

Hellboy: ...never mind.

Kakashi: That can't be good for him...Maybe I should take it off him-!

FRAG-A-DOOM!

SailorStar9: (Lowers the grenade launcher with a twirl) NO-ONE stands between me and my Java.

Hellboy: (Eyes the smoking wreck that WAS Kakashi's lower body) point Taken.

Kakashi: Can't...feel...my balls...!

Disclaimers: I own nothing, well except the pairing.

Chapter 22: Confrontation! Tsubasa Vs. Hyuuga

Both goalkeepers met on the foggy path.

With a glint in his eye, Wakashimazu fired a shot at his rival. "Now, that's Wakabayashi Genzo." He noted, Genzo having caught the flying ball. "Outstanding."

"What?" Genzo demanded. "Who are you?"

"You'll know soon enough." Wakashimazu reclaimed his ball.

"Tsubasa." Genzo greeted the warming up team captain.

"Wakabayashi." Tsubasa beamed.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Genzo stated.

"What about your leg?" Tsubasa inquired.

"I wouldn't be here if there were any problems." Genzo remarked.

"I see." Tsubasa nodded.

"Tsubasa, you did it." Genzo commented.

"Oh yeah, this." Tsubasa dug out the captain armband.

"No, the badge is yours now." Genzo corrected. "You're the one who has led Nankatsu FC here."

"Wakabayashi." Tsubasa blinked.

"Win the final." Genzo declared. "Please, captain."

The next day…

The finals started with both captains facing head-on.

"Take that!" Hyuuga fired his shot straight into Tsubasa's stomach.

"Tsubasa." Misaki gasped.

He did it on purpose. Genzo realized.

"What?" Hyuuga gaped when Tsubasa recovered momentarily, kicking the ball to the side.

Misaki caught the pass and sent the ball flying towards Tsubasa via a long pass.

"I got it!" Wakashimazu caught Tsubasa's shot.

"How can that be?" Tsubasa wondered.

"Come on." Wakashimazu tossed the ball out." I'm gonna fight."

"Hyuuga!" Sawada passed the ball to his captain.

"It's not use, Hyuuga." Genzo caught the shot. "Shooting from the penalty area; even if it's Tsubasa." He tossed the ball out.

"I see." Hyuuga smirked.

"Here goes." Sawada dodged Takasugi's slide-tackle, passing the ball once more to Hyuuga.

"If I get the goal from the penalty area, I will be better than Tsubasa." Hyuuga was determined. "Shoot!" he fired his shot.

"It's the same, no matter how you kick." Genzo was certain. "That distance won't work on me."

"Damn." Hyuuga cursed as Genzo saved the ball.

"Hyuuga." Sawada was puzzled at Hyuuga's persistence. Strange, Hyuuga is different today. He mused, after Hyuuga's fifth failed attempt to get a goal from Genzo outside the penalty area. How can he shoot from so far away? Could it be…

Damn… Hyuuga cursed.

"It's no use." Genzo swore, as Hyuuga fired his shot once again.

"Now!" Sawada jumped in.

Takeshi… Hyuuga blinked, the ball rolling towards the goal line.

"Alright." Sawada beamed.

"I won't let you." Genzo kicked the ball off course.

"Wakabayashi." Tsubasa beamed.

"Good one." Misaki cheered, as the whistle sounded, signaling the end of the first half.

"Takeshi!" the Meiwa forward passed the ball to Sawada.

Hyuuga must continue. Sawada caught the ball. He must go for the center goal.

"I can't let you pass." Ryo intercepted.

You can't have it. Sawada kept the ball. We must pass the ball to Hyuuga.

"In the latter half, Meiwa has become more agile." Ryo gaped.

"Hyuuga!" Sawada sent Hyuuga a long pass, the Meiwa team captain having entered the penalty area.

"Darn…" Tsubasa cursed. "Wakabayashi!" he gasped, the keeper catching Hyuuga's shot, the impact sending Genzo flying backwards. At the last second, Genzo stopped the ball from passing the goal line.

"A shot from that distance." Sawada was awed.

"It must work this time." Hyuuga swore.

"Let's go!" Genzo called after Hyuuga took off and tossed the ball out.

"Tsubasa." Misaki won the fight over the ball, passing it to Tsubasa.

"Okay." Tsubasa trapped the ball. "There's a chance."

"Darn…" Hyuuga cursed as he and Sawada hurried back. "I can't afford to lose a point here."

"Come on!" Wakashimazu jumped to block as Tsubasa fired his shot after bypassing Sawada's slide-tackle.

"Charge!" Tsubasa fired another shot with the rebound ball, only to have Wakashimazu deflect the shot with his foot.

"Captain, it's up to you." Wakashimazu shouted.

"Okay." Hyuuga caught the ball.

"I won't let you pass me." Misaki blocked Hyuuga's path. "Coming, right or left? Here." He decided, switching to his left. "What?" he gasped when Hyuuga shifted to the right. "Darn, he caught up."

"They're counting on me." Hyuuga growled. "I must succeed, no matter what."

"Come on. "Genzo accepted the challenge.

"Wakabayashi, let's fight it out." Hyuuga readied his shot.

Both adversaries clashed, with Hyuuga's shot winning the scuffle, the impact causing Genzo's glove to fly off and the ball to enter the net.

"How can it…" Misaki gaped.

"Damn…" Genzo cursed.

At the whistle, the match restarted.

"There's no time." Misaki trapped the ball. "Tsubasa, I'm counting on you." And fired a long pass to Tsubasa.

"Go!" Tsubasa fired his 'Overhead Shot', only to have Wakashimazu block the shot.

"The victory is ours." Hyuuga caught the rebound ball.

"I'm gonna avenge for Hyuuga." Genzo dashed out of the goalpost, snatching the ball from Hyuuga.

"Wakabayashi." Hyuuga blinked as the goalkeeper fired his shot.

"Long distance kicks don't work on me, either." Wakashimazu retorted.

"Tsubasa!" Misaki made a heading pass to the incoming Tsubasa.

"Go in!" Tsubasa kicked the ball into the undefended net, pulling the equalizer. "It's in." he blinked as the whistle sounded, signaling the end of the second half, the match entering into extended time.

Back in the present, in Japan…

"Guys, the dark mana is moving." Rei reported.

"Where to?" Makoto asked.

"I can't determine that." Rei sighed. "The mana overloads my sensors pretty fast. It's coming..." she said and the three Inners walked out of the room. As they reached the shrine's yard, they saw Uranus waiting for them, sword drawn.

"Hello there, girls." Uranus said.

"Mars Eternal Power!"

"Jupiter Eternal Power!"

"Venus Eternal Power!"

"Perfect," Uranus smirked and charged. "Uranus Gale Blade!"

The three Inners leapt aside as a solidified air blast shot by, neatly slicing a tree in half. Uranus was already charging at them but was abruptly stopped by Venus' chain.

"Stupid girl. Your powers are just a nuisance to me." Uranus snapped.

"True, but they are enough to distract you." Venus shrugged.

"What the …"

"Ocean Sphere!"

Uranus yelled in pain as Neptune's massive bubble of water trapped her, and she fell to the ground, knocked out, after it vanished.

"Neptune Eternal Power!"

"Well... guess this is it." Jupiter blinked as Neptune's healing wave washed over the unconscious Sky Senshi.

Omake

There but For the Grace of God

Chiyo, the revered council elder, puppet master and poison specialist of Sunagakure no Sato, had just given her life, using the secret kinjutsu Kishō Tensei, to revive Gaara.

A crowd of Suna nin had gathered -seemingly out of nowhere- and they were all cheering and crying, clapping their hands, thumping each other on the back and giving each other awkward, one-armed man hugs, grateful and relieved that their young Kazekage would be all right.

There were even girls -pretty ones!- arguing over who would get to fight for him, protect him, be with him.

Naruto stood silently, off to the side, taking in the emotionally fraught scene.

"Gaara…" he thought wistfully to himself with a rare, genuine smile. "They really accept you. Look how far you've come..."

He was happy for his friend, of course; but with all he'd been through himself, he couldn't help but feel a little bit melancholy, as well.

"I've worked so hard," he thought, brow creasing and a small frown forming, marring his unrefined (but handsome) features. "I've always tried to be nice to people, tried to keep smiling so I'd never be a burden…"

"So why don't they accept me?" he asked the silent gods of the ether. "What is the difference between us?"

The answer to that question, he was sure, would change his life by orders of magnitude.

"Look out!"

"He's coming this way!"

"Run!"

Uzumaki Naruto stalked down the (now deserted) main street of Konoha.

He had the kanji for "ramen" tattooed across his forehead. (All the way across his forehead: it was 4 sprawling characters.)

And he'd kill you if you even looked at him funny.

Phase 1 of his new plan for becoming Hokage was under way.

SailorStar9: Gaara was a psychopathic killing machine his whole life, and then -overnight- his village loves him.

(Oh, that's right - he's the son of a kage. I forgot. Hey, wait a minute...!)

If the people of Konoha are going to be such hard-asses to Naruto, maybe it's time for a little wake-up call.

(Come on, you know he's not the sharpest kunai in the holster: 2+2=CAT for this guy, for crying out loud. Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc has his name written all over it.)