Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

"The winner is… Tadashi no Amegakure!" The Ame ninja shrugged, while Hiroshi looked positively relieved that he had avoided injury. They both made their way up to the contestant's gallery. Itachi nodded. He knew that Hiroshi had probably made the right choice.

Chapter 10 – Ame and Suna

"It's time for the next match," Shino announced. "The contestants are… Megumi no Amegakure against Nara Kei no Konohagakure." Hiroshi nodded at his sister as she passed him and she smiled back.

"Don't worry – I won't lose," she told him. "That Ame girl had better watch out!"

Megumi snorted as she surveyed her opponent. Why do I have to fight a kunoichi? she sulked. My appearance won't affect her. As long as her genjutsu's a pathetic as her brother's, I'm OK, though.

The two female ninja opted for a more flashy entrance, both jumping off the gallery and landing, perfectly positioned, opposite each other, ready to fight.

"Don't work up a sweat," Kei told her opponent. "This'll be over quickly, I promise." Megumi laughed.

"In less than five minutes it'll be over – I grant you that – but I'll be the victor, not you!"

"Five minutes? Try three!"

"Begin," Shino said, seeing that they were about to start anyway. Megumi immediately raised her flute to her lips and began to blow. Everything blurred for Kei as the genjutsu took effect. She smirked.

"Nice try, but it's futile!" Kei, surreptitiously releasing the genjutsu, performed some Seals and her Kagemane no Jutsu took effect. Engrossed in her tune, Megumi didn't notice the sliver of shadow until it was too late. Abruptly, her tune was cut off as she was forced to drop her flute. Kei grinned again and made the handsigns necessary for her mother's family jutsu. Shintenshin no Jutsu! The Kagemane held just long enough for her to slip her soul into Megumi.

"Time to forfeit," she told her victim, who snorted back.

"Humph. No way."

"Yes way," Kei responded, forcing Megumi to raise her hand.

"I… with… draw…" Megumi spat out, fighting the effects of the Shintenshin no jutsu. Shino nodded.

"The winner is… Nara Kei no Konohagakure," he announced. Kei released her Shintenshin no jutsu and her soul slipped back into her original body. Megumi glared at her, but there was nothing she could do. She had lost. Angrily, she stormed up the stairs. Her teammates didn't even bother trying to cheer her up. Her hair was bright red, which meant that she was furious. Kei, on the other hand, bounded up the stairs to be congratulated by her teammates.

"The next competetors are…" Shino announced. "Koushi no Amegakure and Ryu Isas no Konohagakure." The remaining Ame ninja and Mikoto's boyfriend made their way down the stairs at a calm pace. They weren't in any hurry, after all. When they finally got into position, Shino sighed.

"Begin." How many times would he have to say that?

Koushi didn't bother saying anything; he just threw his Senbon umbrellas into the air. Joro Senbon! Isas looked at the jutsu scornfully.

"Katon: Seikakabe!" he retorted. The senbon needles entered the flames, but didn't emerge again, melted by the incredible heat of Isas' jutsu. Koushi smirked.

That's how you're going to play it, huh? Joro Senbon! More needles pelted the Seikakabe, showing no sign of stopping. Joro Mizusenbon! Senbon needles made of water joined the metal ones, slowly extinguishing the flames.

Dammit, Isas thought, how is he doing that? Doton Kekkai: Dōmu! A dome rose up and completely encased the blonde shinobi. The black haired rain ninja laughed.

Joro Makusenbon! Thousands of invisible needles pummelled Isas' protection, slowly making it crumble.

That's just great. Isas thought. Katon: Seikakabe! A wall of fire formed, directly absorbing the senbon that had made it through the cracks. He gasped in pain as a water needle made it through both of his defences and pierced his upper arm, nearly a fatal hit. This is too risky. I can't see what he's going to do next, Isas thought, scowling. Doton Kekkai: Dorō Dōmu! A huge mound of earth rose up and covered the rain ninja.

So that's how you're playing it, is it? Koushi thought. I'll have to use taijutsu then. He ate a Hyōrōgan. His chakra increased tenfold and he punched a hole through his prison. Before it could re-seal itself, he escaped and advanced towards Isas' protective barriers.

Dammit, he's broken free of the prison, Isas thought. I'm in trouble now – he's resorted to taijutsu. Just as he thought that, the Ame ninja punched through the earthen barrier. Seeing the Seikakabe, he summoned his water chakra and encased his fist in it. He punched the barrier, wincing at the burns he sustained, and connected with the Leaf shinobi behind it. Isas tried to block it, but it was too powerful and he went flying. In an instant, Koushi was standing in front of him and punched him again, hard, knocking him out. Before he could deal a blow that would kill the 18 year old, Shino stepped in.

"This match is over. The winner is Koushi no Amegakure." The Ame ninja grinned and disappeared in a puff, reappearing in the viewing gallery. Meanwhile, medics knelt over Isas and transported him away to the infirmary. Shino watched him go indifferently.

"The next match is between… Hōzuki Hotaru no Konohagakure and Taro no Sunagakure," he said, sounding very bored.

"Good luck," Itachi said as his female team-mate headed to the stairs. She smiled at him.

"Thanks, Ita-kun," she said before heading down to the arena. The puppet master followed her. They took considerably less time to reach the bottom than the previous contestants had.

"Begin…" Shino said, getting thoroughly fed up with that word. Neither contestant moved. "I said to begin."

"Ladies first," Taro said, giving Hotaru a mocking bow. She glared at him.

"I never really agreed with that statement," she said. "It implies that women are weak. Why don't you begin?"

"I never was one to deny the wish of a lady," Taro replied. "Very well, if you insist." She watched as he released the puppet that was on his back. A puppet master like his father, he was borrowing Kankuro's best puppet, Karasu. He sent it flying towards Hotaru who started to weave handsigns. Her thirst for blood was almost palatable as she finished her sequence. This jutsu's particularly appropriate against a puppet master, she thought grimly. Chakrafukumu no jutsu! Taro's eyes widened as Karasu dropped to the ground. He snarled at the silver haired kunoichi. Somehow she'd severed his chakra strings. No matter, he'd just have to re-attach them again. He frowned when he couldn't do it. It wasn't long before the truth dawned on him. That little vixen's stopped my chakra flow – I'll have to use taijutsu. With one last, sorrowful look at his father's puppet, he drew a kunai and held it in the classic 'ready' stance. Hotaru scowled. She'd hoped to stall him for slightly longer than that.

Oh, how I HATE fighting geniuses, she thought, annoyed. Taijutsu it is then. She drew a kunai of her own and threw it at the Suna ninja. As she expected, he evaded it, but that meant he couldn't see the other kunai she'd thrown immediately after. Now that he was engrossed in the taijutsu and weapons fight it didn't matter that her Chakrakontorōru no jutsu was wearing off… Did it? Just to be on the safe side, she made sure that she could see both the ninja and the puppet: she had no intention of being caught off guard. Taro noticed the caution and so tried to re-connect the puppet strings; to his delight, he found that some of his control had returned, not all of it, but enough to operate his puppet. Hotaru scowled when she saw the puppet become active again. How she hated fighting a genius. She glared at him. Two on one was not good odds for her – she was a defensive type, her offense had always been shaky, so having to defeat two opponents was not good. As the Karasu hurtled towards her, she made the sign for her defence jutsus. Doton: Doroku Gaeshi! The wall of earth surrounded her just in time – she could see the puppet's blade poking through it. Now that she had immobilised the pesky puppet for a bit, she could focus on the pesky puppeteer. Doton: Tsuru no kubi wo shime! She could HEAR his distress at the jutsu that was curling up his legs.

Taro sighed. She was a defensive type, he could tell, but that didn't stop her from being annoying. Those creepers around his legs were a testament to that. And she'd managed to surround herself with that skilful defence. He couldn't get at her… He grinned. Wait a minute. If I direct my chakra along these pesky vines, not only can I get inside her defences, but I can loosen her defences, so that Karasu is released. Then I can finish her off before she has a chance to recover. His chakra seeped through the ground… slowly… he didn't want her to realise that it was coming until it was too late. However, Hotaru was fully aware that the chakra was creeping towards her. Cursing, she cut the vine and hoped it wasn't too late. Taro realised what she had done and sent a surge of his chakra. It worked and he managed to affect her before the vine had completely separated. Her movement jarred and she cursed. He had got her. She sent her chakra back at him and got the satisfaction of hearing him scream, but he didn't release her. Her Doroku Gaeshi no jutsu crumbled and Karasu rushed in. She dodged but it still scratched her as it passed. A scratch was all that was needed and Hotaru quickly passed out, and her jutsus all crumbled. Shino stepped up, realising that the kunoichi was defeated.

"The winner is… Taro no Sunagakure." The puppet master grinned and 'packed up' Karasu before heading back to rejoin his squad. Itachi watched in silence as his team-mate was carried off. He glared at the sand shinobi as he came up, and got a smile in return. With difficulty, he restrained himself as the cheeky puppet master walked right past him and whispered:

"She was weak." Hiroshi laid his hand on Itachi's arm, just to ensure his best friend didn't lose his temper.

Shino coughed, just to create variety.

"The next pair of competitors is Usagi no Sunagakure and Hyuuga Hidé no Konohagakure." The two kunoichi glared at each other before running down to the arena. "Aren't we eager...?" Shino said. "Begin." Grr. He was REALLY starting to hate that word. Immediately, Hidé activated her Byakugan. Usagi groaned inwardly. Great, she's got a kekkei genkai. That's just what I need. Kamaitachi no Jutsu! Thanks to her Byakugan, Hidé saw the attack and dodged, rolling behind the other kunoichi and throwing kunai. Her infallible accuracy was somehow wrong as all of the missiles missed their target. That Kyodai Sensu of Usagi's was open and showing one moon. Hidé shrugged.

So that didn't work. Big deal. I'll just have to throw a few more. True to her thoughts, she multiplied the number of weapons that she threw tenfold. Again, they all missed. Her opponent's Kyodai Sensu had opened a bit farther, revealing a second moon. Fine. Hidé thought, taking out some scrolls. I'll just have to use that jutsu mum taught me the other day. Sōshōryū! Two dragons made of smoke rose into the air from the scrolls and she jumped between them. They transformed into summoning scrolls and she drew hundreds of weapons. Let's see you avoid all these! When she returned to the ground, she gasped. Not one of her weapons had hit her opponent. Her opponent had fully opened her Kyodai Sensu, revealing a third moon.

"Pathetic," Usagi said. Tatsumaki no jutsu! She swung her Kyodai Sensu and a tornado was created. Despite her Byakugan, Hidé couldn't avoid it and it sucked her up, soon making her pass out.

"Pathetic," Usagi repeated as the unconscious Hidé fell to earth with a thump.

"The winner is… Usagi no Sunagakure," Shino said. That was almost an exact replica of their mothers' fight in the Chuunin exams, he thought. Interesting. Usagi used her Kyodai Sensu to make a flashy exit, floating up (A/N:?) to where her teammates were waiting. Medics assessed Hidé's condition and carried her to the infirmary. Shino looked at the next pair of names and his eyes, hidden behind those dark glasses, widened with interest. Hah! Déjà vu, I think, he thought, amused. He glanced up at where the Hokage and Kazekage were sitting.

"The next pair of combatants is…" he paused. "Mamoru no Sunagakure and Uchiha Itachi no Konohagakure!"

Thanks for reading!

Tsari