-A/N-

Yes, it's been too long. Have no fear, the story is not dead. Apologies to any fans *all three of you ;)* that have been let down by the delay. Times are hard insert typical excuses, I know but in all seriousness, I hope this story is still entertains you as much as it does me.

Recap: Inora wiped the floor with Datsu, despite him leaving terrible scuff marks and sticky spots on it. Datsu's proud of his effort, shocked by his defeat, and getting major heals after. Inora herself has a leg injury. But what exactly did Naruto want with Isami, and what does Isami need to talk to Naruto about?

Chapter 19: Ready, Set, Stop

The door was propped open, and Isami entered to find Naruto by himself. His father signaled him to have a seat, but remained leaning against the wall. "What's wrong? I haven't detected anything suspicious about the exams. No one's really caught my eye."

Naruto put a quick smile back on, moving the conversation. "No, it's nothing. I would really like to hear you opinions about these fights, that's all. More along the lines of who's promotable and who's not." Isami looked critically at his dad. Naruto stared right back. "And I'm not looking for limits on how many are promoted."

This caused Isami to expel a sigh. "After all, you really don't want to deal with unsupported controversy is what you're saying. I know you saw the matches as well as I did, so you're asking to confirm if you could possibly be justified in promoting in bulk, correct?" Naruto remained still, but this all but confirmed Isami's worries. "I'll start by suggesting none of the first round losers be qualified to make chunin. Now that we've set the obvious aside, let's look at the potential assets in fire power we'd need in the case of a coming crisis." Naruto twitched his eye subtly, making Isami close his eyes. "First, Kaito and Datsu should both be promoted for displaying survivability and being superbly specialized. Moving on, we have Tsumi. While she clearly made the wrong decision, we know she was looking at it like a friendly spar, rather than a real fight. However, you cannot ignore her chakra levels and knowledge of unique techniques, as well as the byakugan. Next is Nagi. Byakugan with impressive skill and speed, ninja tool master, and great insight. The remaining victors have been even more surprising: Shikamira managed to out maneuver a superior foe using her high level of intellect. Inora managed to prepare accordingly and exert the most overall ninja ability throughout her matches thus far. Takeshi has shown himself to be quite crafty, fast, and versatile. His statistics are third overall, and at an eight out of ten." Naruto seemed to have already considered these details and sighed once more. "But you already know who the most powerful asset to our force is in this exam. Yuuki showed a whole other level of clone organization, and this time, control of her jutsu combinations. She even invented a new clone technique, new gentle fist move, as well as stood her ground against Kaito with a blade. When isolated, she can command a small platoon and generate devastating tidal waves. You already know where her stats stack up, and even her lowest ones are high for genin usually. As much as it bothers me, you will have to promote her. Even her leadership as a whole is admirable. No one will accept it if they are promoted and she is not." Naruto ran his hand through his hair and sat down himself. Isami sat back and crossed his arms. "Stop giving me the run around. Something's happening, isn't it? Something we're going to need chunin to do, and jonin to keep Konoha safe, isn't it?"

Naruto hung his head, speaking softly. "You've really become a great man, son. Here's what I know: Rural towns have been disappearing recently. Investigation teams from other nations are vanishing without a trace. Only now, we've received intel: A grand bird soaring through the air and raining infernos from the sky."

Isami slammed his hands down as he rose. "Hell's Phoenix! Tamer of Hell's Phoenix…Guden Utsushi! This matter is far more serious than the exams. Why haven't the ANBU been informed of this yet?" Naruto raised a hand, signaling him to calm.

"I have no doubt you are correct. However, our information needs to be accurate, and the nations need to pool resources. Guden is not the leader of Hell's Phoenix. In fact, he may be a rouge member like Biton. We need to keep a calm front in the village so we don't scare the daylight out of everyone with potential war. I made a vow to stop one at all cost." Isami sat back down, now considering what the chunin may get caught up in. Hell, even he wasn't sure what an all-out war would be like. His face sobered.

Naruto put a hand on his shoulder. "I know it's hard for you. It's even more difficult for me. Consider the ANBU informed, but that's where this information stops. However, there's something special I need Yuuki to do. She won't be one of the chunin sent out in an investigation squad."

"Chuunin investigation…" Isami's eyes grew wide as he listened to the Hokage's plan.

OoOoOoOo

"I just can't believe most of what I've seen." Yuuki had been chatting with Tsumi for some time now, breaking down every fight. "I've gone to fifteen exams, and I actually only remember like eleven of them. Think about it: How many exams have had genin at this level of competition in one tournament? Did you see how fast everyone is? Or how about the people using two different natures in the same match? I've seen dad having a really good time, so I think there might be a lot of promotions. But doesn't it seem likely that they're preparing everyone?" Tsumi cocked her head to the side and considered it.

"Yeah, like, ever since the incident, it feels like they're pushing everyone's abilities to the limit. Uncle Konohamaru didn't have to do that with us, but I did hear there were a lot of famous jonin giving specialized lessons. What if something bad is going to happen soon?"

Yuuki looked over the cheerful group of genin and sighed. "Isami said three years, right? But recently, it seems like dad is becoming tenser. He hasn't been stalking me as much." Her face scrunched slightly. "Well, that's a good thing really…" She stared down in thought before speaking softly. "This is why I've been training so hard. I haven't taken any time off so I could prove to dad I wasn't the average genin he had to worry about."

Tsumi looked around, making sure no one was near. She looked back to Yuuki, who was still sweating from her match against Kaito. Her breathing seemed less stable. "Yuuki, you've done enough." She put her arm around her sister's neck and spoke away from others. "I don't give a damn who you are. You just became a genin not long ago, and yet you think you can train like the Hokage." Yuuki shoved her arm off and crossed her arms, but still willing to listen. "You've been called a genius, but even a fool knows when to take a break. No matter how special you think you are, your body can't keep going through this and survive. Maybe you should call off the next match." Her sister stared at her, mostly annoyed. However, Yuuki knew all too well the truth she spoke.

"I can't fool everyone, I suppose. Lately it seems like my body is struggling to recover from fatigue, and I'm responding worse and worse, pushing it into overdrive like I'm invincible. I'm not feeling as sharp outside of battle either." Yuuki shook her head, turning away. "We'll see. Just give me some space. I've got some thinking to do." Tsumi rolled her eyes as Yuuki sat alone and began scratching plans on the ground. I think I need to give Isami or dad a heads up on this one.

"Hey, Tsumi!" She turned to find Kobi approaching. He smirked as he reached her. Then he shot a look at a disgruntled Yuuki. His body loosened and he turned back to her. "Did you two get in a fight or something? She looks…uncomfortable."

Tsumi narrowed an eye. "Uncomfortable? What kind of description is that?"

Kobi began to sweat. "Ugh, well you know…she's fidgety, making weird faces, and it looks like she's worked up a sweat. Maybe I could say anxious?"

Tsumi glanced back at her sister. "Yeah, she does." It's like there's more to it than what I can see. I didn't even consider it, but maybe she's trying to hide it. Now I'm actually getting more concerned. Tsumi looked back to him with a smirk. "See what a small amount of thought can do?" He laughed before she shot a look back at Yuuki. "Wait. Of course, she's anxious! Does that mean I only pressed her on something she knew? And since I noticed something she was hoping to hide…did I make it worse?"

Kobi shifted his eyes between them and waved his hands. "Hey, if you two need to talk, I'll butt out. It looks important, man."

Tsumi shook her head. "She needs to be alone now. I hope she can figure it out." Kobi nodded, clearly not certain what he was agreeing with. "Anyways, where's Ripper? You're not hiding him from me, are you, man?"

"Hah, maybe he's hiding from you!" Tsumi twitched her eyes with a smile that made her look even more threatening than normal. He wiggled around. Man, just when you think a girl is warming up to you…

OoOoOoOo

"That was quite unexpected, Inora." Nagi congratulated the blonde as she walked in with a slight tense in her pained leg.

"What, you didn't think I could be so awesome and now you want my babies, right?" His composure busted as he struggled to rebuttal. She waved her hands in laughter. "Oh, it's too much fun making you lose composure like that!" As anger ticked on his forehead, Shikamira stomped his foot.

"I see your ankle is better, but how's your chakra level?" Nagi's glares were unnoticed.

Her friend admittedly shrugged. "I'm pooped honestly. I'd imagine between the two of us, an academy student would have a larger pool."

Shikamira nodded. "Figured as much. Even with a longer break, I don't see us really putting up a good fight against those two. Pretty much to the point of it being futile."

Inora smirked in somewhat agreement, but seemed to considering options. "I'm not sure about Takeshi, but Yuuki might be feeling it a bit. I saw her after that first fight, and she looked like her body was shaking."

Nagi chuckled, almost impressed. "You really have become quite perceptive recently, but I'm afraid it's not that simple." The girls leant him an ear. "My cousin was never always so focused on training and fighting, but she never knows when to call it quits. Any spar we'd partake in, every meal we'd eat, even when it came to getting good grades, Yuuki never gave herself rest. Her body is used to being taxed, and even though she's seemed a bit shaky of late, I don't think she's even tapped a third of her chakra in that last fight." The trio's eyes drifted to the girl drawing up ideas in the dirt and thinking hard about something. "Suggest her body movements become sloppy and her mind dulls in the next fight; I can just tell she would account for that and compensate with sheer numbers and jutsu combinations." Yuuki glanced a look over to them, making them turn away. "Besides, I've heard her father has driven her into a habit of constantly being aware of her surroundings."

They remained quiet until Inora broke it up. "Well I'm not throwing in the towel yet." Shikamira and Nagi looked at her like she was stupid. "Aww, come on! Anything could happen, and I think a tough loss where you gave it your all is a good thing. Datsu showed me that, and the audience almost liked that more than the other matches."

Shikamira smirked. "You may have a good point, but don't be afraid to let down the audience when you need to. It's not like we owe them anything." Before Inora could agree, Shikamira pointed and pushed Inora's face lightly. "Oh my god, that creepy guy just took off his mask." The girls' jaws dropped and Nagi grunted.

OoOoOoOo

"See, it's not that bad, right?" Vin grunted, shifting his eyes around and seeing everyone's eyes glued to him. He bent slightly to get to equal latitude with Nezero.

Speaking through a clearly angry and forced quiet, he responded. "Why did you make this the condition of the bet?" He rubbed his now exposed facial scar that extended from the right side of his nose and continued clear to the edge of his jaw. "Look, they're all wondering what kind of a monster I am and probably readying to defend themselves. Just let me put it back on."

"No way! A bet's a bet; you shouldn't have been so quick to assume Datsu would win." Vin gripped the red-heads shoulder quite firmly, indicating he was too loud. "Come on, just roll with it. I know you have a lot of pain from the scar, but you need to make more friends in your age group. The mask is really what scares others." Vin dropped his grip, seeing everyone drift closer from curiosity. "See? It doesn't matter if you think it's ugly or scary, it's something that defines you from others."

Kankiri nudged in with a blush and agreed. "Yeah. You look good."

Now, a voice rang in nearby. "Good? That's an understatement." The sand siblings raised an eyebrow and Vin's face reddened. Inora was staring awkwardly long at him, and he noticed further all the other girls staring in a similar fashion, scratch for Yuuki, who only bothered to glance. As it turns out, Vin's face was the best quality on him, so much that the guys had taken it as a threat to their shot at a girlfriend.

Tsumi judged him closely, even touching the scar. As he quickly withdrew, she chuckled. "Why don't you talk more? You would definitely get more attention from the girls that way. The scar is what gets me." Simultaneously, Kobi and Kankiri jumped in front of their perspective crushes.

Kobi spoke up. "He doesn't need to. A pretty boy with a scar and inability to talk means he's had a rough past, man. Give him space before he's traumatized."

"Yeah." Kankiri blandly stated.

"Oh, I get it now! This is the boyfriend you were trying to tell me about, right Kankiri? Why did you two breakup though?"

She quickly retreated and both their faces flushed red. "No, he isn't. My ex had short brown hair, not mid length black hair! And he wasn't nearly as well built or tall as Vin! I thought I made this clear when we talked about relationships. Were you listening at all?"

Now just about the whole group stared at Kankiri's unusually long sentence. "Sorry, but even I can't put together a good image from your typical one-word responses. You only make sense when you're worked up about something." Shikamira smiled, half-amused at her cousin's obvious crushing. "Are you worked up because you suddenly feel threatened?"

Kankiri reddened more, but regained composure. "No."

"Hey, what about me? I'm the one who made him take the mask off! Show me a little love here!"

Before Nezero knew it, he was struck to the ground by the whole mob. "Stay out of this, weirdo!"

As they proceeded to bash him, he moaned out of pleasure. "So much…love!"

A new voice entered the break room as Datsu entered. "Yo! I'm back on my feet everyone! No need to worry about-"

"Shut up, Datsu!" As the whole mob screamed at him, Datsu hugged his knees in a dark corner.

A gloomy atmosphere hovered around him. "Has everyone forgotten about the main character?" He murmured to himself.

"About that, can you cry in a different corner? I can't think with you being so annoying near me." Datsu turned to Yuuki, who was giving him a cold stare.

"Cut me some slack, I'm going through an emotional crisis here!"

Yuuki continued on to what she was doing. "Lost interest. Don't care." The boy became a floor mat now and almost appeared to have given up on his life. Cruel…the world is so…cruel…

OoOo

"What's this about now?" Hitomi held the note firmly to combat the wind. Wait for me to get home. She folded up the slip of paper and sighed. "Jeez, always so vague." She crossed her arms and continued to monitor the surroundings. "Why does he get to prance around like an idiot and I'm stuck patrolling anyway?" She quickly shook her head. Can't be like that, something can happen at any time. The ANBU agent regained her vigilance and continued her watch.

OoOoOoOo

The conversations died down in the break room and it seemed only a few whispers escaped. Who was going to go to the finals? How long could the combatants stand? "Alright guys, only fifteen minutes until the semi-finals." Isami popped in surprisingly more casual than one would expect. "You've all been great, so let's finish this night with a good show!" Tsumi glanced around to notice everyone go back to what they were doing before subtly slipping up next to her brother.

"Hey, have you been paying attention to Yuuki?" he dipped his head, matching her soft tone as he looked at her.

"She's been a little funny, but I'm sure it's just jitters. Why the concern?" Isami's eyes became intent with focus.

"I remember what it was like being with Yuuki every day. There were a lot of times she felt bad, but was able to mask it behind something else. Like when she would suddenly stop playing because she was 'hungry', when she was feeling a little ill." The young man narrowed his eyes more. "Look, what I'm getting at is she usually will allow you to 'catch' her in a moment of weakness, but most of the times, she is hiding something more serious. She's panting more after her fights, losing focus outside of battle, and worse, didn't lash out on me when I told her to consider throwing in the towel."

Isami glanced over to his sister, who gave him a dirty look. Isami put on a giant grin, making her roll her eyes back down. "I'm not going to force her into anything, but thanks for the heads up. I'll need more information from you later on that, but unless I have absolute proof she can't win, there's nothing I can do about it." Isami smiled at her, and she gave a slick grin right back. He stood. "Don't assume I haven't had my share of hidden concerns too." He ruffled her hair and turned around. Tsumi raised an eyebrow. "In all honesty, I've already told dad something's off about her." Tsumi opened her mouth in surprise at how thorough Isami always was. How much does anyone really understand my brother? He's an iceberg when it comes to what he chooses to show.

OoOo

"Seats, people! Seats!" They idle chatter left the stands as the host of the show arrived. "We appreciate the support you've shown us and hope the semi-finals will be enough to top of the day. The first match of this round will showcase Takeshi and Inora." Applause rang out, but subtle confusion echoed amongst the fans. "Wow that went better than I thought. No one said the semi-finals were predictable, and no contender was as unpredictable as our new fourth seat Akamichi Inora!" With a grand cheer, the energetic blonde walked on the field, waving in acknowledgement.

After the crowd noise died down, Isami quieted his tone. "But, what's her next obstacle? The clan that has been the crowd favorite since the joint exams have been held. A boy who looks quite comfortable with his now second seat title. His perfect defense is a relentless offense, Uchiha Takeshi!" Takeshi entered swiftly and took his place with marginal acknowledgement to the roaring crowd.

Inora smiled excitedly and fiddled with her hands. "Don't be afraid to do your best! I hope I can last longer than Nagi did!"

Takeshi sized her up before grinning back. "I'm just happy to fight such gifted ninja. I hope I can last long as well."

Perfect, I should be able to start with the advantage. "Oh, stop being so modest."

"Semi-final's match number one: Uchiha Takeshi Vs. Akamichi Inora. Good luck and begin!"

-Match Twelve: Eye Candy-

"Kokuangyo no jutsu!" The familiar brilliant light it up the space between her and Takeshi. "Sorry about this!" Inora quickly called forth her calorie burning technique, but almost screamed when a powerful knee to the chest sent her flying. She rolled over to look at Takeshi. How did he… As she stared at him, she was shocked to find his eyes had been shut. "How did you know?"

"You aren't the type to fiddle with your hands without reason." Takeshi took his forehead protector and tied it over his eyes. "Genjutsu works in interesting ways. Be it anything from sound to sight, there has to be a trigger. What kind of genjutsu would I use against someone who relies on sight?"

OoOo

"Wow, what a flashy start." Tsumi pointed as Kobi scratched his head.

"I don't understand genjutsu at all, but it looks like Takeshi was able to counter it pretty well. I'll have to be sure and fight Inora blindfolded, man."

Tsumi shrugged. "I don't think that would be a good idea for you Kobi." She turned to him and saw that he had mimicked Takeshi. Tsumi's face dead-panned. With a stern flick to his nose, Kobi jolted in pain.

"Ah, that was mean! Hey, you can't fight like this! You can't see, man!" He raised his blindfold to see a crowd of people giving him a baffled stare.

Tsumi tightly wrapped an arm around his neck and whispered in his ear. "Remember what I said about thinking before acting or speaking? You can't just let completely obvious observations come out of your mouth."

"But why would Takeshi blindfold himself?"

"I thought the same thing when I saw him for the first time." Akano leaned against the wall, still watching the fight. "There's no point in explaining it, since you're about to see it, but I assure you, countering it is beyond simple."

Everyone let their eyes shift back to the fight. Kobi crossed his arms. Too much smart talk flying from everyone now-a-days.

OoOo

"Clever, Takeshi. I should have guessed you'd have a trick up your sleeve." Inora bent her legs and pushed off at blinding speed. As she approached, her fist already moved forward to strike him. Takeshi quickly dodge jumped to the right and attempted to deliver a second knee to her chest. Inora was forced to contort her body with a spin to shave most of the damage. As Inora deflected off, she prepared hand seals. "Suiton: Suishouha!" A large pool of water cushioned her fall and halted Takeshi from advancing further. Inora took the chance to throw kunai at him. Takeshi avoided them, rolling towards her. However, he took a strong kick to the face and was launched backwards. Takeshi flipped himself up as Inora closed in, this time catching her kick with his arm and tossing her like a ragdoll. Inora hit the floor, slowly getting up.

"You seem to be doing pretty well. I wonder how long things will stay that way." Takeshi took off his forehead protector and gave her a smirk. Inora let the sweat trickle down her face as she saw the crimson eyes.

"How can you be fine after taking such a strong kick to the face and be fine?" Takeshi moved his jaw loose and gave it a rub.

"You've definitely got some strength behind it, but just one kick won't be enough to undermine the training I've endured. That is, if the kick was as held back as that one." As he spoke, Inora quickly mover her hands.

"Kirigakure No Jutsu!" Takeshi quickly countered to move in on her, but she had already become mobile with her next jutsu. "Hareyakana Kirigakure No Jutsu!" His eyes stung from an intense light being flashed off the mist, quickly causing him to rely on his hearing. "Gloves are off this time!" With a swift reaction, the Uchiha prepared a jutsu of his own.

She's desperate now, but I need to watch it. "Katon: Komakai Kaki!" A swift fire ball spewed towards the sound as he heard a loud sizzle from the impact. A water clone too?

"Katon: Bakuhatsu Enhogan!" Coming swiftly, violent fireballs came flanking from Takeshi's left. There were several skimming by him, but he managed to dodge most of them. However, as one impacted the ground, it exploded viciously and sent him airborne. Inora grunted as she gave an onslaught of power punches. Takeshi parried off the majority of the assault, but lost his breath when she landed a blow to his side. Now taking the opening, Takeshi was pulverized by a full force chakra enhanced fist to his gut that sent him bolting to the ground. The mist cleared and Inora lost her aura. Fatigue swept in, and she knelt to the ground. Everyone gasped as Takeshi was crawling out of a crater and Inora was relatively unharmed. Inora smiled as he stood up, decently staggered. "You…are well put together." Her pants grew heavier as she made another jutsu.

"I guess so." As he finished, the ground beneath Inora burst open.

"Suiton: Mizu Kuri No Yaiba!" A blade of water formed in her hand as she jumped, slicing Takeshi as he rose from the earth. He winced, clinching his chest in pain. "I could see your clone over there from a mile away!" As she landed, the earth under her feet pulled her down swiftly.

"Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu!" As Takeshi emerged, his shadow clone released. Only Inora's head remained above ground, leaving her shocked. "I have to admit, I felt that one pretty well." He rubbed his stomach with a smirk.

"Inora has been incapacitated in a thriller round! Uchiha Takeshi is going to the finals!" The crowd ignited in cheer and showed no sign of letting up. Isami quickly excavated Inora and spoke to her alone. "Inora, I think that was a fine match. However, you need to be careful with your kekkei genkai. The exploit is fine, but not three times in one day. Go relax for the remainder of the tournament. You're going to need to regain a lot of chakra." She appeared a little more frail than normal, but she was still in a manageable condition as far as Isami had saw. The Hokage's son put his mouth to the mic and finished off the closer. "Takeshi is now one step closer to joining the chunin exam champions. Reserve your seats now if you want to see him battle the finals in three days." The audience gave the teen a final show of appreciation as he headed to the combatants box.

OoOo

"Yo, I can't decide who was more impressive that round, ma-…" Kobi felt a glare run up his backside. "ma-ybe I'll just congratulate them both?" Ripper tilted his head as Tsumi nodded in approval.

"Ah yes, that reminds me." A familiar duo showed up and quickly honed in on Inora as she got back.

"Takeshi, who exactly are these two?" The Uchiha glanced up with a straight face.

"I don't know…never seen them before." The girl that was there dropped her jaw with tears and the guy sighed. Takeshi grinned and put his hands behind his head. "Nah, just kidding. The girl's name is Karui, and the other one's name is Zente. They're from the River Village."

"Hey, quit being lazy Zente! Start writing this: First impression of the Uchiha is a crude sense of humor and distasteful fashion of battle attire!" Takeshi sank his head. Why does everyone bash my clothes?

The man sighed once more. "Look, I'm not fond of being a stenographer as is, but I refuse to put stupid observations down. And why do I always get stuck with the paper-related job?" Karui slapped at his face to signal him to shut up.

"So, Inora, are you feeling well enough to give us a brief summary on the battle?"

The tired girl raised an eyebrow at the two. "That depends on who is reading."

Karui bit her lip in thought before having an idea. "A lot of single guys in the River Village that look about three times better than Zente!" The victim of the comment was muffled as Inora contemplated.

"Oh, alright. You and I speak the same language. What do you want from me?"

Karui smirked in victory as Zente grunted. He readied his ink. "We want a breakdown of the entire fight through your perspective. What you thought, what you noticed, things like that."

A group gathered around as the interview commenced. "Well, the preparation before the fight is where it starts. My success revolves around Takeshi's mother believe it or not. She created a nutrient bar that ultimately was a very bitter and unpopular product, due to its insanely high amount of calories. I eat these before big fights, allowing me to burn through calories while still maintaining my girlish figure."

"Takeshi, do you have any opinions on your mother's experimental diets?" She pointed a microphone at him.

"Why do you even have a mic? It's not even hooked up. And no, no comment."

"Anyways, I noticed first thing that Takeshi tended to start his matches with the momentum, and targeting his eyes would be the smartest route to take. I attempted to disguise my genjutsu hand seals before the match so I could ambush him from the start. He caught it, gave me a pretty painful knee, and blindfolded himself. It still led me to believe I could still manage the upper hand. Obviously I was shocked as he countered my punch and almost obliterated me. So I now knew he was able to hear me quite well, but when I cushioned my fall, I noted that he didn't attack. That told me he listened and needed me to hit the ground before he would attack. So, throw kunai, and silently launch towards him with a kick to the face. The kick wasn't as hard because I had to keep it quiet, but I'm still amazed he recovered and caught my next kick."

Zente was frantically scribbling down the summary and Karui continued. "Now, Takeshi threw you pretty hard at that point and lifted his blindfold. Why do you think he responded in this manner?"

Inora sighed. "I had been pressing him pretty hard, but it seemed like he was comfortable with fighting blind. I believe once I landed the kick, he had decided he would use the sharingan when he had a guaranteed opening. When I went down, I knew the eyes were coming out."

"No genjutsu at this point?"

Inora shook her head. "That's pointless against the sharingan. For one, the sharingan can see through genjutsu. I wasn't sure if it would affect him, but he wouldn't know either. That brings me to the second reason; I knew I couldn't get those awkward hand seals off before he would be on me. So naturally, we go to the back-up plan. Takeshi can be pretty chill, so I obviously prompted a question and used the hidden mist jutsu. Definitely had to get moving to avoid getting punished after that."

"Your next move was pretty clever. What exactly was that?"

Inora smirked. "Well, it's a secret, but basically it's maneuvering the outside light so it's reflected right at your opponent. I'm not certain if it's been used before, but I just added 'radiant' on it to spruce it up. Takeshi's eyes were having trouble, but they were still open. Using this gave me time to create a water clone. Takeshi would be using his hearing, so I hoped he would use a massive jutsu when he heard my clone taunt him. Guess he was suspicious, 'cause all he used was a dinky fireball to test the waters."

Now Zente dipped his head in for a question. "It seems like this triggered you to pull out the heavy stuff and try to throw out everything you had. Were you getting concerned with something?" Karui stomped his foot.

"At what point would you fight an Uchiha and not be concerned? No, his fireball was weak, but it showed me exactly where he was and my next jutsu was already locked and loaded. This fire jutsu was B-rank and would leave me drained for chakra, but allows you to shoot a few exploding fireballs from your hands. I charged Takeshi while aiming in the area he was, and the last one managed to hit the ground and catch him off guard. I laid everything I had into the punches, and a lucky shot gave me the opening I needed. Turns out even a shot to the solar plexus wasn't enough to stop him. At this point, my chakra is low, and I'm feeling adverse effects from the butterfly form."

"Alright, so you believe Takeshi's pretty hurt after that. Bring us to the end."

"The first thing I noticed was the lack of shadow Takeshi had. I knew he was an earth-jutsu user as well, so I thought of various techniques, like the decapitation jutsu or just doing what he did against Nagi. I used that D-ranked water jutsu when he attacked; hoping that slash would give me enough to win, the last thing I expected was it to be shadow clone. That's all it took to lose. I'm just glad I hit him a couple times."

"Very great analysis of the fight, and hopefully these accounts of that fight can help young ninja aspire to look at their spars more progressively. Is there any last notes you'd like to add?"

Inora walked over to her seat and plopped down, sighing. After that, she sharply looked up at Zente with a wink and a smile. "I'm cute and single; let me know if there are any hot guys that want to 'spar' with me!"

Zente put his ink away. "I'm not writing that. Let's wrap it up, Karui." Inora puffed her cheeks and Kobi quickly jumped up.

"Hey, how about you interview me now?" Karui placed a finger on her lips, but Zente pulled her away.

"We're only supposed to get the insight on semi-finalist, and I don't like writing as is. Back off and save me as many seconds of my life I can get back as possible."

As the duo left, sweat dropped from everyone's head. Kobi dipped his head. "…man…"

OoOo

Meanwhile, Yuuki prepared herself to enter the battlefield. "Not in over your head as usual, are you?" The voice made her turn to find Noriko.

"Of course not. I've done all the planning I could, so I should be able to give it a good shot."

Noriko shrugged. "Whatever. I don't need to tell you you're not in peak condition, but be sure to watch that chakra. It's going to be your ace in this one." Yuuki nodded as she went to leave. Once more, she was stopped. This time, it was Takeshi.

"Yuuki…" She waited for him to speak, but after he looked around he sighed. "We need to talk later, but for now…good luck." Yuuki gave it an afterthought, but decided to keep focused on the fight. "Go on, looks like Shikamira is already waiting."

Yuuki sprang down and made her way to the middle. Tsumi walked up alongside Takeshi and rested her forearm on his shoulder. Her byakugan already monitored her sister's chakra, but she was content with a smile. "Don't get worked up over her. She looks pretty stable and her chakra is looking good."

OoOo

"…So after hearing that, how can you defeat such a gifted mind like the Nara clan? Well, how about our number one seated, arguably my favorite sister, Uzumaki Yuuki!" The introduction warranted a couple chuckles amongst a deafening crowd as Yuuki was mid-way to the center.

OoOoOoOo

That's when it stopped; everything. Isami, Shikamira, her friends, and even the entire crowd. Not a single noise or movement. The wind was non-existent, aside from the shortened breaths Yuuki let escape. She turned to find herself frozen in place as well. What the hell? Release! Two loud claps echoed through the silence. She quickly let her byakugan activate, finding the culprits already jumping down.

"There's no need for that, sweetie." The two were dressed in a full attire of black-hooded robes with a vibrant orange flame covering the bottom and flickering to the top. This isn't good. I'm on their terms right now. Well, looks like one women and one guy.

"Who the hell are you?" Yuuki smirked. "You caught me at a bad time; I'm itching for a fight!"

"Oh, what an annoying little-" The woman's hand silenced the deep voiced man.

The woman brought down the hood, exhaling in relief. "Ah, that's much better. Why's it gotta be a spooky hood we wear anyways?" She made her silk white hair look as neat as possible as it settled to her shoulders. "I miss my long hair…how long has it been?"

"Enough! Answer me before I get angry!" The woman gave her a gaze that made Yuuki shiver. Her face was rather pale, but the dark make-up around her eyes added a very eerie touch to it. It didn't match her soft voice at all.

Now the man stepped forward, letting his hood down. "You're as head strong as the reports suggest. Just like your idiot father. Is your mother the only one with a brain in the family, or is your…brain the only…one…fablahbah…" The woman narrowed her eyes at him as he murmured the rest of his thoughts off and looked the other way.

Yuuki scanned over the man. He was completely bald on the top, but had bushy, scarlet mutton chops. What an idiot. These two should be in the circus.

The woman stepped forward. "Let me apologize for my friend here. He's not good at speaking complete thoughts. I am Luna. He is Osamu. First, we come here with peaceful intentions. Next, we are members of Hell's Phoenix."

Yuuki's heart pounded. Hell's Phoenix? Not good! I was hoping I was wrong! "Hell's Phoenix? So, you're part of some bird?"

The woman covered her mouth. "Oh my, you really are slow. I don't understand why our leader was concerned about you." Good, looks like they don't have much dirt on anyone, but they know of us. "Yes, one of our more hot-headed members has decided to take his own interest over the faction's interest. He was the one who attacked you a little while back. I've had a chat with our best source, and he has made mention of your skills thus far. We would like to extend an invitation to you. Join Hell's Phoenix."

Yuuki clinched her fist. This is getting dangerous. "You've got a lot of guts targeting the Hokage's daughter. Do you really think you'll make it out of here, or be able to know what I'm capable of?"

"For god's sake-" Luna silenced her partner once more.

"We are not foolish, nor do we intend to stay around. The Hokage is already treating us as a threat, so now the feeling is mutual for both parties after so long. Of course we don't expect you to just up and vanish with us, and that is why Osamu is going to try to kill you." Yuuki's hairs rose and her heart sank. It's got to be a bluff. She said peaceful intentions. "I'd do it myself, but my hands are sort of tied at the moment."

Osamu stepped forward with a wild grin on his face. Yuuki grabbed a kunai. This is gold as far as information goes. I can also make them think I'm still as weak as I was. She put her fingers together and summoned two clones. Her hands are tied? I assume she has to maintain this time stop, so Osamu must fight. Okay…think stupid.

Yuuki bolted off towards the decent sized man with her clones, weaving in and out of each other's paths. Finally, she allowed her two clones to attack while she performed a weak fireball jutsu. Osamu smirked, grabbing her two clones with both hands held out and taking the fireball to the chest. To Yuuki's surprise, it didn't leave a mark and her clones were effectively defeated. Yuuki gasped at the information. He absorbs chakra? I only got a tenth of what I put in them back! The young Uzumaki panted and wobbled, causing Luna to signal a halt. Osamu gritted his teeth, kicking Yuuki to the ground hard. "The hell was that crap?"

"It would appear you are tired from these exams. I'm not sure how you made it, but you will find wasting your chakra before the match was foolish. You are weak, yet strong enough to fight a superior foe. If you join us, you will learn the potential such a technique and bloodline have."

"You didn't kill me? Why? Why would you attack me, and not the frozen in time Hokage?" Yuuki cringed. That kick he gave me seems to have really shaken around my chakra. Is that a side-effect of his too?

Luna chuckled. "You're so cute and ignorant. You see, I am the One for Paradox. I choose who I want to be aware in this realm, and omit the rest. We simply waited for the signal and made our move. The frozen people are not part of this realm, so we may not conflict with them. You see, once we're done here, you will be right there where your body is frozen."

"I'm the One for Affliction! Point is you're supposed to join us so we can avoid conflict. We should help each other out…or you could help other…each…your face, what? You tryin' to make fun of me?" Luna shook her head.

"We always have some sort way to reach you, as a person of interest. Our guy is good, he knows if you're sincere or not. Just ask for Hell's Phoenix to help, and he will find you. He has a way with words, you see…anyways, we've done our research. If the boss likes you, we'll be keeping tabs on you. If not, well…you might die, or just be written off as non-threatening. Usually they die…Good luck!"

OoOoOoOo

"ugh…" Yuuki wobbled a bit, thrown off by the screaming of the crowd. Isami's eye's jolted, but casually approached her.

Isami muted the mic, ruffling her hair to put on a show. "Yuuki! What just happened? Your chakra plummeted and is a little stir-crazy! Are you ok?"

Yuuki glanced around and gave him a massive grin. "I need to talk to you and dad after this. I don't think it's necessary anymore, but put the ANBU on high alert. I just encountered time stopping Hell's Phoenix members." Isami's face froze and eyes opened wide. Yuuki elbowed him in the gut. "Play it off, idiot!" Yuuki approached Shikamira and prepared for battle.

"Haha, that's what I get for teasing my sister I guess! Ladies and Gentlemen! I give you a battle of wits, technique, and overall ninja goodness. Third seat Nara Shikamira, Vs. First Seat Uzumaki Yuuki. Who will join Uchiha Takeshi in the finals? It gives me chills of anticipation. Hopefully we'll see a great fight breakout that gives them both excellent looks for the audience to enjoy!" The crowd died down, giving him a menacing glare. "And yes, I am stalling. Don't shoot the messenger folks, I have to wait for the man in charge to give me the ok, but trust me, this is going to be great!"

-A/N-

I must say, it's a huge relief finally completing this chapter. I kept looking back through this, and until 9/25, I was still only at 2k words. Frustrating times at home make writing less of a priority, and it's still not looking good for some of my family. I only say this as it affects my writing speed and ability, but I still hope to produce quality work. On the other hand, I know you think you know who goes to the finals, but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised…okay, probably not. I tried to tone back the fighting to get you ready for a lot of story progress coming. Hopefully you'll see Chapter 20 sooner than later!

Trivia fact: Osamu is the lost name I intended to give Guden in the first chapter. It took me 2.5 years to find the original first few chapters, and boy were they raw. Damn it I really did like the name though, and I just couldn't remember it. I'm talking 1 chapter = 9 paragraphs vs. my current standard, which averages to about 130 paragraphs. (This one is 166 FYI) I'll include more trivia next chapter!