SailorStar9: Nya? Chapter 29 goes up and only one review!

Kakashi: (Walking down the streets of Konoha) I got a bad feeling...she let me walk away too easily... (Humming to himself as he read his Beloved volume of Icha-Icha Tactics) Hoho...Jiraiya-sama hasn't lost his touch...hm?

(Kakashi quirks an eyebrow as he spots a weird seal on the next page, shrugging to himself as he turned the page, only to gape in horror as he discovered the rest of the pages were blank!)

Kakashi: Wha-NO! (He flips the book over desperately from all angles) It can't be! It was just getting-huh?

(A note falls out of the book, addressed in familiar handwriting)

Note: Yo, Kaka-baka, if you want to read the rest of this book, you'll have to take your job more seriously...that means for every time you show up on time, half a page will be added to the book. If you actually do something constructive, a page will be added. See ya Sucka! SailorStar9.

Kakashi: (Eye widening in horror/disbelief/primal fury)...-!

Disclaimers: I own nothing, well except the pairing.

Chapter 30: Genius Juan Diaz

How can we be looked down upon by Japan? Juan Diaz growled, unwilling to be belittled by what he considered as an inferior team. Dodging Tsubasa skillfully, he charged towards the goalpost. Performing an 'Overhead Kick', he scored Argentina's first goal. Genius? He scoffed. Heh! I'm the only genius here. I'll make that clear to you. An easy steal. He snatched the ball from Sawada. This is how a pass is made. And fired the pass to Alan Pascal. Pascal, move.

Okay, catch. Pascal returned the pass.

Alright, leave it to me. Diaz assured. He caught the pass and made his second goal. "I'm glad you did what I expected, Mr. Goalkeeper of Japan." He mocked.

"Damn." Wakashimazu cursed. "Treating us like fools."

On the bench…

No good. Ami mused. We're following their pace.

On the field…

No matter what, we must get our rhythm back. Tsubasa swore. Juan Diaz? Pascal? Who's going to attack?

Heh, too naïve. Diaz snorted, coming forth to engage Misaki. Think you can get rid of me? And stole the ball from Misaki.

"Juan Diaz is going to attack." Tsubasa warned. "Stop him."

Heh. Diaz taunted. Is that all you've got? Watch. And fired a 'Drive Shot' from mid-field, scoring his third goal.

Damn. Hyuuga cursed.

"He knows 'Drive Shot' too?" Ryo growled.

"He didn't use it in the Italian game." Matsuyama hissed.

"Saving his strength for the semi-finals?" Jito wondered.

"The Japanese team is weak." Diaz declared. "I'll break my record. Make me happy. Smiling?" he frowned at Tsubasa's grin.

"Three points." Tsubasa told the team. "They're attacking. Isn't that good?"

"What?" Diaz echoed, understanding the hidden meaning. Getting back my 3 points? Come on. I'll show you who's stronger. "Come on." He declared.

Stopping in his tracks, Tsubasa made a pass to Misaki, who then passed the ball to Nitta, who then passed the ball back to Tsubasa.

"He's going to shoot." Diaz barked. "Be careful, Galvin. Guard it."

Tsubasa fired his shot, the ball's path curving right in front of the defenders.

"Alright." Hyuuga closed in. Tsubasa trusts me. That's why he made the pass. No matter what. With that promise, he fired his shot, scoring Japan's first goal. "Nice pass, Tsubasa."

"Nice shot, Hyuuga." Tsubasa corrected.

"Damn, Japan has those guys too?" Pascal cursed.

"He's just avoiding fighting me." Diaz growled. "I'm going to get that point back."

The match restarting, Diaz dodged past Hyuuga and headed straight for the Japan goal, with Tsubasa and Misaki following closely behind.

Tsubasa managed to steal Diaz's ball and made a pass to Misaki.

"How?" Pascal gasped.

"Matsuyama." Misaki made his pass.

On the bench…

"Okay, very good." Mikami noted as Ryo caught Matsuyama's pass. "Keep that up."

On the field…

"Tsubasa and Misaki are being watched tight." Masao noted.

"We must do it." Kazou told Jito.

"Right." Jito nodded.

"Tsubasa." Ryo made his pass.

"Tsubasa, pass the ball to us." Masao called, Tsubasa having dodged Diaz's defense.

Jito, Tachibana brothers. Tsubasa looked at the three players. Okay, we're counting on you.

"Let's go, Jito." The Tachibana siblings chorused as Tsubasa made a pass backwards.

"Okay." Jito landed on his back, both legs stretched out and boosted the twins forward.

"Take that." the Tachibana twins caught the ball between their feet. "Twin Shot!"

"Alright." Tsubasa beamed as the ball entered the net.

"Tachibana." Jito gaped, both twins having slammed into the goalpost.

"There's one more point." Tsubasa muttered, the Tachibana siblings having been taken to the side, just as the whistle sounded, signaling the end of the first half.

After intermission, the second half started, with the Argentina team possessing the ball.

I will not let him get another point. Diaz swore. Because I'm the world-class Juan Diaz.

Juan Diaz, don't get emotional. Pascal warned. Or they'll take away your pace. "Juan Diaz, pass."

Tsubasa took the chance to steal the ball via a slide-tackle and passing the ball to Misaki, who then handed possession over to Ryo. Ryo then passed the ball back to the passing Misaki.

He… stole my ball again! Diaz hissed. I won't forgive you. He then headed to reclaim the ball from Matsuyama.

Juan Diaz, even though I'm not a genius, I'm one of the members of the Japanese team. Matsuyama guarded the ball.

Shut up! Diaz reached out to claim the ball.

"I'm not giving the ball to you." Matsuyama guarded the ball with his thighs. "Tsubasa." He made his pass.

"What?" Diaz gaped. "Damn!"

"Hyuuga, catch." Tsubasa passed the ball over in mid-air.

"Okay." Hyuuga increased his speed and scored Japan's third goal via a diving header. "Tsubasa, this is only the beginning." He stated.

"Matsuyama, good job." Ryo added.

On the bench…

Hyuuga… just scored with his head. Mikami was surprised. But you can't win this game with boldness. "Misugi." He voiced.

On the field…

"Misugi." Misaki blinked as Misugi stepped forth, replacing Mamoru on the field.

"There's no time." Misugi voiced. "Let's go."

I'm not giving the ball to you. Diaz swore.

"Don't just stick to Tsubasa, Diaz." Pascal cautioned.

"My opponent is Tsubasa." Diaz insisted.

Diaz, what are you doing? Pascal wondered, having gotten the pass from his teammate who had stolen the ball from Nitta. You can't have it. He promised as Misugi came forth.

Having read his moves, Misugi stopped past Pascal, skidding to a stop and shot back, reclaiming the ball.

"Damn." Pascal cursed as Misugi jumped over him and bypassed the Argentina forwards.

"Misugi, here." Tsubasa called.

At that, Misugi made his pass.

"Beautiful, Misugi." Tsubasa reached to catch the pass.

"Not a chance!" Diaz intervened, knocking the ball out of Tsubasa's reach and sending it into the air.

"Okay." Tsubasa nodded.

"What?" Diaz gaped.

"Misugi." Misaki beamed.

It's going in. Misugi promised. For the coach and everyone… and for myself. "Go!" he took the chance and fired an 'Overhead Kick', scoring Japan's fourth goal.

"Diaz, leave Tsubasa." Pascal advised. "We're playing soccer." He reminded. "It's not a one-on-one game. Didn't we come all this way for the victory?"

The team is losing points because of me. Diaz realized his mistake. But the coach is not switching me. Does he still want to keep me as center? Pascal, you too. He turned to his best friend. You always went with my ways. You've been my friend since we were kids. "Pascal." He sounded. "That #10… Tsubasa Oozora is a fighter. I hear he's even better in the face of an obstacle."

"That's right." Pascal replied. "And we're to get the game back from that genius."

"Okay, Pascal." Diaz agreed. "Get back the point. Come on, everyone." He told his team as the match restarted. Just like old times. He smiled.

Yeah. Pascal agreed, catching the pass.

"Goal." Tsubasa barked. "Guard the goal."

"Come on, Diaz." Pascal made his pass.

"Go!" Diaz fired his shot, Wakashimazu deflecting the ball.

Not yet. Diaz resumed the attack. Not yet. For everyone, for Argentina, I must win.

"Come on." Wakashimazu declared. "I'll guard the Japanese goal."

I'll fight to the end. Diaz readied his shot. I must win. Just as the whistle sounded, signaling the end of the match and Japan the ticket to the semi-finals.

Omake

The Eyes are the Prize

Team 7 had quickly fallen back into their usual routine after the disastrous 'C-rank turned A' mission to Wave: waiting for their lazy sensei, performing the odd D-rank, having the occasional brief spar…

Eventually, however, the pressure got to be too much for even the terminally-stoic Sasuke.

Surprising everyone, he finally came right out and asked about Kakashi's mismatched Sharingan eye.

How did the elite jounin come to have the legendary doujutsu (known to be exclusive to the Uchiha clan), anyway?

And so Kakashi told them the tragic story of Team Minato's Mission to Destroy the Kannabi Bridge

.

How he had always been such a stickler for living by the Shinobi Code, following his father's disgrace.

How he had -incredible as it may sound- graduated from the Academy at the tender age of 5 (in a single year and at the top of his class), made Chuunin at the age of 6, and then been promoted to jounin shortly after his 13th birthday.

How he had invented his only original technique, the Chidori - and how Minato-sensei had harshly forbidden him from using it.

How he had been put in charge of the mission to blow up the bridge, while the future Hokage had gone off to assist the demoralized Konoha forces on the front lines.

How Rin had been captured by the enemy, and how adamant Obito had been about rescuing her.

How Obito had met his untimely end, gifting Kakashi with his newly awakened Sharingan as his final act ("A present for making jounin," he had said).

How the Iwa nins had returned and…

How Kakashi had at last used the three-pronged kunai his sensei had given him, which had summoned the man instantaneously in a yellow flash…

(But -sadly- too late to protect his female teammate from the gang of Iwa nins, who had taken their… revenge on her.)

And how Kakashi had lived with the unbearable guilt from his first failed mission, since long before the rookie genin of Team 7 were ever even born.

It was an emotionally fraught tale of sacrifice and redemption; and Sasuke appeared to immediately accept the story wholesale, without reservation.

The Uchiha clan had never liked Obito, to be perfectly honest: they considered him a buffoon and a failure, and wouldn't hesitate for a second to say so - even in front of the boy's own teammates. So having a loser like his cousin crushed to death by boulders was immensely satisfying to the arrogant Avenger.

That is, the story was satisfying.

Oh, hell - he was just satisfied by Kakashi's answer, all right? Don't make a feudal case out of everything.

His 'annoying' teammate, on the other hand, seemed a bit more skeptical.

"That's kind of… convenient," Sakura observed quietly. "I mean, you couldn't use your new technique without the Sharingan; and then suddenly…"

"Yes; yes, it's a real coincidence," Kakashi quickly jumped in. "You know what they say, 'God never closes a door, without opening a window', and all that sort of jazz. Anyhoo, I think that's enough for toda-"

"And no one else actually saw any of this happen?" Sakura pressed the subject dubiously, gears clearly turning behind that broad forehead of hers.

"Rin," Kakashi answered brusquely. "I told you, Rin was there. She performed the operation."

"But you said that she was in shock afterwards; practically catatonic," Sakura continued, latching on to the puzzling incongruities and inconsistencies of the story like a dog with a new chew toy. "Though actually, from your description of her behavior it sounds more like some kind of mind technique, or maybe a genjutsu…"

"What exactly are you implying, Sakura?" Kakashi narrowed his visible eye at the girl who always was too smart for her own good.

"N-nothing! Nothing," she swiftly back-pedaled. "I just-"

"And where is this 'Rin' person now, Sensei?" Naruto piped up, taking the heat off his one-time crush. "How come we've never met her?"

"Missing," Kakashi responded tersely. "She disappeared shortly after that. MIA."

"So-"

"Hey, that's enough boring talk about ancient history," Kakashi interrupted the pink-haired girl, his tone once again bright and enthusiastic. "Good news! I've decided to enter the three of you in the Chuunin Exams! Whoo-hoo!"

The two boys bit hard, of course; their heads filled with thoughts of proving themselves (against powerful opponents, for one; and to the rest of the villagers, for the other).

("Hook, line and sinker," Kakashi silently gloated.)

The distaff member of the team, on the other hand…

"Are you sure we're ready?" Sakura asked nervously. "I mean, don't inexperienced kids like us get killed in those exams?"

"You worry too much," Kakashi eye-smiled, waving his hand dismissively. "I'm sure everything will work out fine."

SailorStar9: Obito gives Kakashi the Sharingan eye, and Sakura gives him the fish-eye. 9L¢

What other reason did Kakashi have to enter these untrained, inexperienced kids in the Chuunin Exams? By all rights, they should have been totally out-classed by the competition.

(Is Rin's implied rape after the cave-in something else that got whitewashed in later editions?)