The waterfall glimmered. Sunlight splashed against the water, a ripple spreading from the shining depths. The water rippled.

Kiba grinned. Well, here goes. "Red Claw!" he shouted. The pair's hands altered into claws. The claws glistened a deep, blood-lit red.

Sakon and Ukon smirked. The pair folded their arms across their chest, their face distant and uninterested.

"What good will that do?" the left head asked.

"You're doomed no matter what technique you use," the right head agreed. "How should we eat this guy?"

The pair fell into a debate, discussing matters with a detailed degree of thought. The argument grew louder, echoing through the cave, as the pair grew more heated.

Akamaru barked fiercely.

"That technique will use all our chakra, but it might defeat them," Kiba pointed out, growling at Akamaru. He sighed. "Still, it's way too damned dangerous. You can't take that kind of risk, Akamaru. No, more to the point, we can't take that kind of risk! If we screw up, we'll have practically no chakra left for any techniques!" He gritted his teeth. In the worst case, we could die from overusing our chakra! Sure, it's the type of technique that finishes things straightaway. But if we miss or use it wrong, it's over for both of us.

Akamaru growled in low tones.

Seemingly having come to a decision, Sakon and Ukon turned, letting their hands fall to their sides.

"We'll take 'em cooked," Sakon decided, his voice calm.

Ukon nodded. "In pieces," the right head agreed.

Akamaru barked at Kiba insistently.

Kiba shook his head. "It's too risky!" he told Akamaru firmly.

Akamaru barked again, his voice loud.

"We can't lose our chakra again. In the worst case, it could kill us," Kiba stated, his voice worried. He drew back his hand, looking worriedly at Akamaru. His eyes glanced upward after a moment. "Maybe if we use this." His eyes widened. Wait. Thinking back, maybe even that isn't enough. They beat Shikamaru somehow. Somehow, they moved in the shadow mimic technique. From that, maybe it's the case that I can't handle them alone.

"It seems you've figured out my brother and I's little trick." Sakon grinned. "Ukon-kun can move his body from any part of mine." He extended an arm from his foot swiftly. "Like this!" The arm punched Kiba's form.

Kiba groaned in pain. "How?"

Sakon grinned again.

"Not much time left in this form," the second head remarked.

The cursed seal shimmered again, growing across Sakon's body.

Kiba gasped.

Power radiated from the pair. Horns grew from their foreheads. Dark grey skin characterized their countenances.

A deep silence fell over the river.

Kiba took a step backward. His brow dripped with sweat. I feel like I'm going to die. This chakra is too weird.

Grinning, Sakon's hands extended swiftly from his body. "Double Sword!"

Kiba flew backwards into the stone of the waterfall, dazed by the repeated impacts. The hands spun a moment longer, and then fell still.

Ukon recovered first. "Damn you," he muttered, his eyes furious. He rushed forward.

Kiba grinned. He raised a finger.

Akamaru leapt in the air, yellow fluid issuing from his body.

Ukon shook his hand in anger. "Dog piss?!" he complained loudly. He drew back his hand again.

Kiba delivered the seals, his eyes bright. Animal Clone! Akamaru's right. At the moment, we can't afford to hold anything back. If we do, we'll definitely die! We have to finish this in one shot!

The two's bodies became surrounded by smoke, rising around the pair in a great sheet.

"Red In Claw and Fang!" Kiba shouted.

Two enormous wolves appeared from the smoke. Saliva dripped off their sharp white teeth.

"All of that for a pair of drooling dogs?" Sakon asked, his awareness slowly returning.

The wolves twisted their grip, spinning into a column of whirlwind destruction.

Sakon and Ukon, swiftly realizing their danger, ran away into a maze of burning trees beneath the waterfall.

Ukon noticed first. "Sakon-kun! Three o'clock!"

The wolf sped into the pair with infinite force.

Stunned by the blow, the brothers flew apart.

"How's that?" the white wolf snarled. The white wolf examined the separated brothers with a smirk. "Red in Claw and Fang is quite fast—it's a super spin, even. Even if I don't injure you directly, the shockwaves hurt a bit. If dead on, you're cut in half."

The two brothers slowly extended pseudopods from their body again.

The white wolf's eyes widened. Shock held it in place for a crucial, fatal moment.

The brothers slowly forced themselves upright. "It's done."

Ukon nodded. "And now we fight as two." The two extended their arms.

One more shot. The white wolf gritted its teeth. Its body glowed, light surrounding the white fur. "Red Claw!" It lunged at the brothers.

Sakon and Ukon both ducked behind rocks.

The white wolf barked, "There's no use in hiding!" It circled, locating the targets again. "I already told you we're not using our eyes!" The cyclone aimed again at the brothers.

Sakon bit his thumb. First.

Second. Ukon bit his thumb as well.

The two plunged their hands to the ground. Summoning Technique: Rashomon!

An imposing set of doors formed directly in front of Kiba.

Shocked, Kiba and Akamaru spun into the doors, unable to stop. Staggering to the ground, the twin wolves collapsed, whining.

To injure Orochimaru-sama's greatest defense this much, most impressive. You're not the same as an average person, or an average human. But now, this is the end. Sakon leapt at the wolf.

The wolf blocked the strikes, transforming again into a small dog as he fell to the ground.

Kiba gasped. Akamaru-kun—you took that blow for me. He rested on the ground, his hands clenching. His knees shook. If I were stronger.

"That piss again! My eyes!" Sakon screamed, covering his face.

The other one, where is he?! Kiba looked around, his eyes narrowing. His nose wrinkled.

"Looking for me?" Ukon inquired, his demon face twisted by hate. He rose from Kiba's shoulder.

Kiba blinked. He looked surprised at his body's possession.

Ukon's head stretched from Kiba's shoulder.

"Ukon!" Sakon bellowed, his voice furious. "You used me as a shield! Damn it! This isn't ordinary piss. It burns my eyes like acid."

Ukon shrugged. "It's over. Go wash your eyes in that stream." He pointed at the waterfall.

Sakon walked away.

Kiba prepared to punch Ukon. His arm drew back, forming a fist.

Ukon stretched an arm out of Kiba's chest, stopping the attack by catching Kiba's hand. "You should probably know this already. If you don't, I'll be forced to assume that Hidden Leaf training is even worse than I thought it was. Nonetheless, chakra is closely connected to your organs; it's a product of your body," Ukon lectured, switching his side to the other shoulder. "In short, your organs are connected to chakra and tissues, and the proteins in your cells. With my level two curse active, I can change these things at will. Well, change gives it a certain connotation that doesn't involve the butchery it is." He smirked. His hands glistened. "Now, inside you I can control my own cells, and therefore destroy your proteins. In other words, I can destroy you piece by piece, ripping away your flesh." Ukon gestured to Kiba's hand. "That, for instance, I can remove easily."

Pieces of the hand slowly flaked off, beginning with the first layer of skin.

Kiba gritted his teeth. He lifted his knife. "I'll have to take you with me, then."

"Huh?!" Ukon's eyes widened.

The knife stabbed into the body.

Ukon vanished.

Kiba's eyes widened.

Have to get away. Too dangerous.

The air glowed.

Ukon drifted into the stream. Blood trailed from the wound. He rushed downstream, his wounds seeping blood. He frowned. This seems familiar.

The air glimmered. Blue light flickered around the water.

Ukon gritted his teeth. The hell?!

"It seems I wasn't very fortunate at all. If my destiny was good, I could have avoided this end." Neji reached sideways. Staggering, he hurled the golden lance into the water.

Ukon's head shifted locations. He drew in a gasping breath. Too close! Way too damn close! This bastard is seriously something else. To come so close to hitting me using what amounts to a single throw with a damaged shoulder, he's too much. He lifted his arm, his body shifting rapidly. I need to get close to him. However it happens. I need to enter his body. He lunged forward, his body shaking.

Neji stumbled back against the side of the rock, his arm falling to one side. Blood oozed from his shoulder.

Now! Ukon lunged forward. His arm slashed down, piercing into Neji's body.

Neji regarded the arm with indifference.

"What the hell's wrong with you?"

"Didn't you receive data on our abilities?" Neji questioned, his eyebrow rising.

Ukon's eyes widened.

"My family can project energy very precisely, right down to the individual point you've attacked me from. Naturally, you aimed for an open wound." Neji's eyes narrowed. "From what my guess is telling me, your ability has something to do with joining your cells with mine. Am I wrong?" He held out his hands to the side.

"That's correct," Ukon admitted reluctantly.

"In that case, you were the weakest opponent I could have been put up against. I will excise these cells of yours from my body." Blue light built around Neji's body, spiraling upward around his hands and arms.

Ukon's eyes widened in shock.

Radiant blue light surrounded the arm, forming a cone of energy around the skin and breaking open the blood vessels.

Ukon screamed. The arm split apart, flesh falling rapidly from the injury. "Ah! DAMN!" he shouted, biting his lip as he fell backward. "Damn you, damn you!"

Neji grasped the golden lance. He hurled the lance through Ukon's heart, his expression stern and without emotion.

Flight

The river rippled. Splashing echoed from the river nearest the waterfall, bouncing off the walls within the cave. Clouds passed over the sun.

I can get Sakon, at least. Kiba cradled Akamaru in his arms. We're still all right. Sakon-kun can't find me for right now; that dog piss is still in his eyes. Using that, there's a slight chance. But if I can do that. If I use the right method, I win. I can beat him. Though it's one hell of an action to take. A smile crossed his face. He took out a container shaped like Akamaru, opened the mouth, and began to fit in kunai as quickly as his hands would move.

At the edge of the river, Sakon rested his head in the water. He looked up after a moment to see the Inuzuka standing on the other bank.

Growling, Sakon straightened, preparing to strike. His arm extended, the tips of the fingers twisting outward.

Kiba grinned. He pulled the Akamaru-shaped container out from his bag and tossed it at Sakon. "Catch!"

Sakon blinked. "Wh—"

The doglike container burst apart, releasing roughly twenty kunai from its zippered top.

Sakon grasped his eyes, his voice injured. "You blinded me!"

Kiba moved backwards slowly and quietly into the Hidden Leaf woodlands.

Sakon fell to his knees. Blood oozed from his sternum and leg. "The, the hell is this supposed to be?" he whispered, clutching his bleeding eye. "The hell?"

The kunai glowed. The tags at the end of each kunai glowed, energy gathering at the seals on the ends.

Sakon gasped.

The exploding tags resonated with booms.

The last of Sakon's advanced bloodline tumbled over, his blood seeping into the stream.

Kiba fell motionless. Breathing heavily, he stared at the trees above him. Holy shit. I won. He grinned, his expression growing brighter.

A/N: Wow. It really is a lot of work putting out so many chapters so quick. I don't know how some people do it all the time.

Anyway, let's address the usual in order:

Neji's Involvement:Essentially necessary. I didn't want Hidden Sand getting involved for reasons I'll elaborate on in a later chapter. Basically, though, the changes to the Exam Arc meant that it wouldn't be realistic to have Hidden Sand involved. Thus, someone else needed to step in and help Kiba out.