23. A Wager

Today proved to be another hot day, and it was still morning. By noon the sun would most certainly blaze scorching heat upon us all. For this reason, I eagerly dashed out of the sun's harmful rays, escaping beneath the large, cement archway that loomed over me. But although the structure offered a shady reprieve, it did little in terms of my overall temperature. I wiped at my perspirating forehead with the back of my wrist, glancing about myself.

I'd passed through one of the many entrances of the Konoha stadium. Often used for contests and sporting events, today, the large stadium would become the battleground of the Third Exam. The entrance lobby was bustling with people. Citizens and guests of all ages were milling around, purchasing their tickets to the bloodbath and stopping at vendor carts for various treats.

I wrinkled my nose, partially over the crudeness of the affair, partially over the many odors that wafted through my nose. The mix of cooked food, foreign aromas, and the body odor of too many people packed together, sent my stomach churning uncomfortably. I tried to focus on something else.

My eyes caught a large poster hanging on a far wall. It was an enlarged representation of the bracket system that depicted the matches. My eyes scanned the names automatically, though I knew every opponent. Other posters depicted advertisements for local and foreign products.

I wish they'd been more specific about where the contestants were supposed to meet…

I frowned, glancing about myself for any such sign. Or perhaps someone was supposed to tell me and forgot.

"Nakao!"

The call of my name cut through my thoughts and I pivoted to find an orange blob pushing through the throngs of eager patrons. I smiled in relief to see a friendly face. I stayed where I was, waiting for Naruto to break free of a cluster of people and jog the rest of the way towards me.

"Aren't you dying in that?" I asked, aghast, as my eyes raked over him. He was still the same old Naruto, in the same old outfit; orange sweatshirt and all.

I couldn't understand how he wasn't already dying of heatstroke. In an attempt to make myself more comfortable in the insufferable heat, I'd replaced my quarter-sleeve black shirt for a pastel purple, cotton t-shirt. My arm-guards were breathable and stuck to my skin, appearing more like long sweatbands than arm-guards. My olive green cargos had been exchanged for black shorts that ended mid-thigh, just above where my kunai holster was strapped.

But Naruto ignored my comment as he glanced excitedly around himself. "Look at this place!"

I did not share his enthusiasm. I was beginning to feel cramped and overheated. "Do you know where we're supposed to go?"

"Huh? Oh yeah! We're supposed to meet out in the arena," Naruto answered, nodding his head eagerly, glancing over his shoulder.

Over the heads of the spectators, I spotted the archway that led into the actual stadium. Bright sunlight was spilling through the entrance, making me cringe. I was not excited to return to the blinding rays so soon. But Naruto was already on his way.

I quickly followed him, side stepping individuals when appropriate. "Have you seen Sasuke?"

Naruto shook his head, but kept his eyes focused on our path. "No, I haven't. But the tournament is about to start so I'm sure he'll be here soon. We should head straight down to the arena."

I nodded, following Naruto as we weaved through the crowd. We found a set of descending stairs and hurried down them. The stadium was constructed like a coliseum, with the arena at the bottom and in the center. The ground of the battlefield was dirt and grass with a smattering of trees dotting the landscape.

As we joined the other contestants, my eyes darted up to the stands. The stadium was packed, seemingly every seat filled. I pulled my attention away, diverting my gaze back to the handful of people I'd joined down here on the arena floor. My eyes darted over each face and a frown etched itself onto my face.

"He's not here…" I muttered to Naruto, glancing over my shoulder to check if Sasuke had followed us. "Do you think he's alright?"

After all, it wasn't like Sasuke to be late.

Or absent.

As we drew close to the participants, everyone seemed to fall into a horizontal line. Everyone was silent, their gazes set anywhere but on their opponents. My eyes slipped over everyone in turn. Neji, Gaara, Temari, Natsuo, Kankuro, Shino, Shikamaru. My eyes lingered on Natsuo for a long moment before Naruto and I joined the line, standing beside Shikamaru.

"There you guys are," Shikamaru muttered irritably. "Shino's practically mute and everyone else is…well…"

I caught his drift. Naruto opened his mouth to reply, but stopped when the sound of approaching footsteps caught his, and everyone else's, attention. Our eyes found the proctor of the Third Exam as they entered the arena, moving to the center and standing before us. His eyes swept over the genins before he turned his back on us, facing the audience.

I was scowling as he did so. My fuse with him had been particularly short as of late and it turns out my brother had yet another secret he'd been keeping from me. I trained a glare at the middle of his jounin vest, hoping he'd feel the heat of my gaze. But if he did, he paid me no mind.

"Welcome!" Keitaro greeted the crowd and I heard his voice amplified through the stadium. He must have been wearing an earpiece that transferred his voice to speakers. The audience erupted in applause. "Thank you for coming! Let's get on with it, shall we?"

I watched Keitaro sourly as he turned to face us. I nearly scoffed when he had the nerve to glance at me casually as his eyes trailed over the faces of my opponents.

Keitaro tapped his ear, and his next sentence was not amplified through the stadium. "Neji, Naruto, are you ready?"

A grin broke out across Naruto's face. "Believe it!"

Keitaro glanced at Neji, who only nodded. Keitaro mimicked the gesture before addressing the group. "While each pair of opponents battle, the rest of you will wait on that balcony."

My eyes followed Keitaro's pointing finger to the balcony in question. Several yards from where we stood, a staircase led up to a balcony a few stories off the ground.

Keitaro turned his eyes back to Naruto and Neji. "You two stay, everyone else, balcony."

My attempt to catch my brother's eye was futile. I was hoping to let him know just how irritated I was, and how it was not lost on me that he continued to betray my trust at every turn. He, however, seemed to care very little, if at all. Annoyed, I followed my fellow genin up the staircase to the balcony.

I was the last one to step onto the balcony. I was pleased to see it was a large, open area and that we wouldn't be piled on top of each other. It was also covered by a roof, offering us shade. Gaara, Temari and Kankuro occupied one corner of the balcony. Natsuo was leaning against the back wall behind them, hands in his pockets. As I appeared from the stairs, his violet-shaded eyes flickered in my direction.

I tore away my gaze immediately, ignoring the unsettling feeling of his eyes on me. I moved over to the balcony railing, where Shino and Shikamaru had stationed themselves. They stood several feet apart from one another and I chose to occupy the space between them. I had no intention of leaving one side of me vacant where Natsuo could slither into to taunt me.

I glanced down to the arena. Naruto and Neji were facing each other, several feet apart. Keitaro stood between them, but his attention was on the audience.

"First match: begin!" Keitaro announced, raising an arm and then dropping it to signal the start of the match. He quickly retreated against a far wall beneath the balcony.

Neji wasted no time in sliding into a battle stance. He activated his kekki genki; the Byukagan. Naruto watched Neji carefully for a long moment. The audience was silent, and that included the seven of us on the balcony.

Finally, Naruto withdrew two kunais from the holster on his thigh and threw them straight at Neji. Neji took out two kunai of his own, using one to knock down one of Naruto's. Neji use the hole in the handle of his other kunai to catch Naruto's second kunai by its tip, effectively blocking it. But no sooner had Neji done this when Naruto was charging him.

I was frowning, unsurprised, but still worried. I know he's rash but how is he still so moronic? What on earth would prompt him to charge a Hyuuga? Idiot.

As predicted, Neji dodged, catching Naruto from behind and throwing him into the ground. Naruto hopped right back to his feet, sending a series of punches at Neji's head, all of which Neji dodged with ease.

"This is useless," Shikamaru half sighed, half muttered.

I slouched forward, dangling wrists off the railing. I tilted my head in Shikamaru's direction. "What's that?"

Shikamaru's eyes lazily shifted over to me. "The worst possible thing he could do is charge a Hyuuga, and that seems to be his only strategy."

It was true, and my lips twisted into a deep frown. Neji's Byukagan allowed him to see the chakra points in his opponent's body. By hitting those points, he could effectively cut of the flow of chakra through the body. And as I watched, Neji began to do just that.

Naruto was hit repeatedly, but in true Naruto fashion, he gritted his teeth and activated his Shadow Clone Jutsu.

Naruto was engulfed in a cloud of smoke. When is dissipated, five Narutos were standing in the arena. Each Naruto took out a kunai and leapt towards Neji. Neji leapt back, dodging the clones; but he was so preoccupied with the clones, he'd missed the real Naruto. Before Neji could react, Naruto was upon him, his foot connecting with Neji's chin. Still shocked, Neji flew backwards, slamming into the ground.

"Yes!" I screeched in excitement, triumphant fists clenching before me.

That was amazing! I wish I'd made a bet! If Sasuke was here-

But my thoughts trailed off and the excitement leaked out of me. I'd completely forgotten about Sasuke's missing status. I wondered again where he was, what he was doing, if he was okay. Sasuke would never jeopardize something like this. But yet, he was gone. And his match with Gaara was scheduled just after Naruto's. If he didn't show, he'd be disqualified. Where on earth was he?

Arms loaded with shopping bags packed full of groceries, I huffed down the dirt road. When Keitaro had granted me an afternoon free of training, I couldn't believe my ears. I was exhausted and running on fumes and I'd visualized a bathtub full of steaming hot water. But my foolish dreams were short lived once Keitaro informed me I'd be spending my afternoon shopping instead.

I rambled off complaints in my head. The descent of the sun signaled to me that it was now late afternoon. My already punished muscles were sore from the weight of the groceries. After this and Keitaro's training, I wouldn't be able to lift my chopsticks. Which meant, whichever way you sliced it, Keitaro was going to be the death of me.

"Hey! Hey Nakao!"

"Huh?" I blinked and stopped, glancing over my shoulder. The new arrival caused a smile to slip onto my face. "Naruto!"

The blonde ran over to me, waving and grinning. I only continued to smile, as my facial muscles were the only ones available at the moment. I was pleased to see Naruto, considering I hadn't seen any of my teammates for the past week and a half. I wouldn't say I missed them. But there were considerably less shenanigans in my current everyday life.

"Hey Nakao!" Naruto grinned, skidding to a stop beside me. "I haven't seen you around!"

I shook my head. "No, you wouldn't have. Unless you've started spying on my backyard, that is."

"I've been training too!" Naruto grinned, shoving thumb into his chest. "I've been working my butt off!"

"Oh yeah?" I shifted the groceries in my arms. "Who've you been training with? Kakashi-sensei?"

Naruto's lips puckered in a pout, arms crossed sourly over his chest. "No; he's training Sasuke."

I blinked. "Oh? He couldn't train the both of you?"

"Apparently not," Naruto scowled.

"Sharingans only, huh? Well, whatever. You don't need his help. The both of them are too broody anyway."

This caused Naruto's face to brighten. "You bet! I'm going to beat them all!"

I laughed. "Nice try, Naruto. But that would mean you'd have to beat me too."

Naruto's eyes gleamed. "You think I can't beat you?"

"Wanna place a wager on it?"

The memory floated from my mind and I wondered if Kakashi-sensei had anything to do with Sasuke's tardiness. But it was still odd. Even Kakashi-sensei would understand the necessity of the day. Right…?

I could only hope this was the explanation because the thought that something might be wrong wasn't something I wanted to entertain right now. Especially when I realized Naruto's match had been carrying on while my thoughts and attention was elsewhere.

I focused my eyes back on the match. Both shinobi were on their feet, though Naruto's balance was wobbly. The back of his hand pulled against his face, wiping blood from his chin. The pair exchanges words I could not hear from my position but whatever it was, Neji did not look pleased. He rushed forwards, plowing a hand into Naruto's chest. Naruto cried out and flew backwards until he hit the ground, hard, on his back.

I bit my lip as I realized Naruto wasn't getting to his feet. Neji turned towards my brother, probably telling him the match was over. I leaned heavily over the railing, heart beating. Come on, Naruto! Get up!

Much to my relief, Naruto finally moved. A relieved grin broke out across my face as I watched Naruto struggled to his feet. Neji whirled around, stunned to find Naruto standing there. How could Naruto move when all his chakra points had been shut off? I had no idea. But it didn't matter. Because if there was anything Naruto had taught me since we'd left the Academy, was that as long as Naruto was on his feet, we were going to win.

"Naruto's in way over his head; he should just give up," Shikamaru suddenly said from beside me.

"What?" I glanced over in surprise. "Why would he do that?"

Shikamaru gave me a pointed stare. "If he continues, he'll be killed."

I chose not to comment and switched my gaze back to the arena. Naruto was facing Neji, fingers in a handseal. My eyebrows crinkled in confusion. What was he playing at? There was no way Naruto would be able to pull any chakra if his points had all been shut off.

Before my eyes, rocks on the ground began to shiver, as though the ground was shaking. The rocks then lifted off the ground and soon, larger rocks followed, until Naruto was completely surrounding by swirling rocks and debris. Neji watched on with wide eyes, mouth slightly open in shock.

This…this is impossible…!

With agility Naruto didn't even seem to have at the beginning of the battle, Naruto rushed Neji. Before they collided, he jumped into the air. Naruto took out several shuriken, throwing them down at Neji. Neji's eyes narrowed and he spun around rapidly, creating a barrier with his chakra that deflected the weapon. Free of the danger, Neji stopped spinning, the barrier disappearing, and he took several kunai from the holster on his thigh. He threw them at Naruto.

Naruto dodge each kunai with ease, never slowing in his pursuit of Neji has he fell from his spot in the air. Neji barely managed to dodge as Naruto came down on him, fist pulled back. Neji stumbled backwards as Naruto's fist dove into the ground. He quickly stood, whirling to face Neji.

Neji's teeth clenched together as he took out a kunai. Naruto took out one of his own and both boys threw their weapons. The kunai canceled each other out. Both boys now ran forward, catching their kunais and leaping away, skidding back on their feet and spraying dust into the air.

Both opponents stowed away their weapons and began to focus on powering up their chakra. They finished at the same time and I held my breath as the pair rushed one another. The two met and there was a great flash of light that engulfed the arena. The light seemed to implode, sending debris flying in all directions. I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing my face away in an effort to protect it.

I waited countable moments to breath before slowly turning back to the match. The debris was settling, revealing the outcome of the attack. Two, large craters were now dug into the ground. Slowly, from one hole, a hand reached out, seemingly grasping at nothing. My heart skipped a beat, muscles tensing in anticipation as I gripped the railing before me.

But my heart sank when Neji crawled out of the crater.

A visibly wounded Neji shakily got to his feet. Wiping at his chin, he stumbled towards the second crater. I could now see a flash of orange clothing that was Naruto lying in the crater. Breathing heavily, it appeared as though Neji had begun to speak, when the ground directly in front of Neji began to shake. The ground crumbled inward and Naruto flew out of the newly formed hole.

"Naruto!" I gasped excitedly.

Naruto flew out of the ground, his right hand curled into a fist. It drove right into Neji's chin with such force that blood flew from his mouth. I watched in awe as Neji flew backwards, hitting the ground on his back. Silence passed through the entire stadium as Naruto approached Neji, sprawled on his back.

"Incredible…" I murmured, my mind still attempting to understand what it had witnessed. How had Naruto managed to trick Neji? How had he managed to pull this off when Neji had deactivated his chakra?

Keitaro carefully walked out into the arena. He stood over Neji, eyes assessing him, before he turned to Naruto. Finally, Keitaro grabbed Naruto's left wrist, raising it in the air. "Winner: Uzumaki Naruto!"

Stunned silenced followed the announcement. Everyone, it seemed, was grappling with the surprise and amazement of Naruto's victory. I snapped to first and leaned over the metal railing, cupping hands on either side of my mouth to project the noise.

"Way to go, Naruto! Woohoo!"

Naruto glanced up at me, his face almost as unsure as those in the audience. But then, the rest of the stadium erupted into cheers and applause. Confused, Naruto moved his attention from me to the rest of the stadium. He seemed stunned at first as the cheers rained down on him but, suddenly, he began to laugh, running a lap around the arena, waving to the audience.

I chuckled myself, shaking my head. And he still has energy. That's Naruto…

The applause lasted for several minutes before the cheering began to die down. Keitaro directed Naruto to the balcony while medical personnel rushed onto the field, pulling Neji onto a stretcher. But the sound of pounding footsteps tore my attention away from Neji and towards the stairwell.

Naruto bounded onto the landing, his face as alit with as much excitement as I'd ever seen it. He grinned as he ran over to me. "I won! I won!"

"Good work," Shikamaru congratulated as Naruto came to a halt in front of me and Shikamaru patted him on the back.

I playfully slugged Naruto in the upper arm. "Glad to see you won in a cooler way than you did during the preliminaries."

Naruto smiled sheepishly, rubbing at the back of his neck.

"Hey! When is the next match going to begin!?"

"Bring on the next match!"

The three of us blinked in surprise before we turned our attention to the stands. The audience was buzzing irritably, demanding the next match to begin. The match between Gaara and Sasuke.

The joy that had accompanied Naruto's success bled from me immediately. I turned a worried look on Naruto. "Sasuke's not here…and it's his turn."

I was sure Naruto's concerned frown mirrored my own. As the audience continued their protest, I glanced down to the arena. Keitaro stood in the center, conversing with another jounin. If memory served, I recalled the jounin to be one of the Hokage's favored escorts. I watched curiously as Keitaro nodded.

The jounin took his leave and Keitaro returned his attention to the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, the examinee for the next match has yet to arrive! Therefore, the match will be delayed and we will move on to the next match."

A relieved laughed left my mouth unbidden. "That lucky bastard. Only Uchiha Sasuke could pull that off."

"Next match: Kankuro and Aburame Shino. Come down," Keitaro called, pivoting to face the balcony.

"Examiner, I give up!"

My head snapped to the left, and Shikamaru's and Naruto's surprised expressions mirrored my own. Even Shino glanced over, though his eyes remained hidden behind his sunglasses.

"I quit! Go to the next match!" Kankuro repeated, his face set and unreadable.

Protests roared from the stands. Angry patrons demanded the blood-shedding battles that many of them had paid to see. Keitaro, too, was gazing up at the balcony, his lips stretched into a thin line. It didn't take years of experience looking into his face to recognize the accusation and suspicion.

"Kankuro has given up; Shino wins by default," Keitaro finally called out, hesitantly turning his gaze from Kankuro. But he didn't look to the crowd; he looked at me. "Next match: Makase Nakao and Makase Natsuo."

Every muscle tensed on cue. Due to all the distractions, my impending match had somehow slipped my mind. My match had suddenly gone from fourth to second. A wave of apprehension slammed into my gut and I momentarily felt light-headed. This was it. It was time.

I sensed the gazes of Naruto and Shikamaru. I met their stares and offered a shaky smile, that more than likely came out as a grimace. I could see Naruto's face grow troubled and I glanced away, not having it within myself to withstand the doubts of others while wrestling with my own. I turned away, about to move towards the stairwell when a deafening BOOM brought me up short.

My head whipped back towards the arena below, where the sound had seemed to originate from. But my view was obscured by a whirling vortex of wind, disturbing the dust and dirt of the arena floor. I threw an arm over my face to protect my eyes as the wind rushed through the bodies on the balcony.

The surge last countable moments until I was free to lower my arm. Myself, and the other participants, peered curiously to the center of the field. And I couldn't help the smile that formed on my face. Two individuals stood near Keitaro, green leaves swirling around before they fluttered to the ground.

A moment of silence and Keitaro smirked. "Uchiha Sasuke. You're fashionably late."

Sasuke glanced up to meet my brother's gaze. If he replied, I did not catch his words, for movement from behind me drew my attention. Natsuo was calmly walking towards the stairwell, disappearing into its depth. The relief I'd felt at Sasuke's arrival left as quickly as it came. I glanced back to the arena to find that Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei had disappeared. His match would probably begin after mine.

Glancing back to the stairwell, I straightened my shoulders, drawing forth any resolve that I had. I did not glance back, and I showed no doubt as I made my own way to the stairs and descended.

The stairwell was covered on all sides by concrete walls. It was dimmer and cooler in here, a slight reprieve from the summer heat. The staircase was fractioned by several landings. My footsteps echoed off the walls as I made my way down. I rounded a corner, stepping onto a landing, and stopped short.

On the next landing stood two people. Natsuo and Sasuke stood shoulder to shoulder, Natsuo facing down the stairs, Sasuke facing up. Their heads were bowed, eyes covered in shadow, and Natsuo seemed to be speaking to Sasuke in hushed tones. Though I could not see the top part of Sasuke's face, the bottom was enough to reveal the hatred and anger that took over his features.

A long moment passed as my mind wondered what Natsuo could be saying. Finally, Sasuke raised his head, his onyx gaze catching mine. I realized, then, that my breathing was shallow and irregular. Now aware of the fact, I forced myself to breathe easily. As I did, Natsuo moved, casually continuing his descent down the stairs.

I put a foot onto the next step, heartbeat beginning to quicken as I urged myself forward. At the same time, Sasuke resumed his ascent. We met in the middle of the stairs, myself facing downwards, him upwards. But unlike Natsuo, I looked over at Sasuke.

"I don't think you should hang out with Kakashi-sensei anymore if you're going to start picking up his bad habits," I said, more softly than I'd intended.

Sasuke slowly turned his head to look at me. I waited for a reply, an insulting name to be thrown in my direction, but it did not come. When he did answer, his gaze bored into me. "Do you have any idea what you're getting yourself into?"

The question caught me off guard, though I did not show it. I looked at Sasuke for a long moment, but his intensity did not falter. Finally, a disbelieving laugh, sharp and crisp, jumped from my lips. I glanced down, shaking my head. What a question.

Did I know what I was getting into? Surely. I was walking towards my possible death. I was walking towards a man I knew little about, whose adoration may very well fuel him greater than my self-preservation did. I was facing my biggest fear head on, with no idea of my chances. I'd trained for hours, days, weeks. I'd pushed my body to extent of collapse, only to force myself back to my knees. I'd bled and sweated. And yet, at night, I lay awake, wondering if any of it would make a shred of difference.

"Maybe not…" I finally replied softly. "Not completely. I do know one thing though…"

I broke off. Had I ever admitted it out loud? I glanced up, finding Sasuke's eyes still set on me. His lips were set in a thin line, though his face portrayed no hint of his thoughts.

"…Only one of us is walking out of here alive."

I was pleased to note my voice sounded even, devoid of emotion. Small victories.

On the inside, however, my anxiety raged. I'd been hoping it would be drowned out, buried beneath the anticipation of battle; the fight for my life. Maybe it would soon, but it hadn't started yet. Unconsciously, my right hand moved to the bracelet that rested on my left wrist. My fingers fiddled with the metal charm that lay between two beads.

Sasuke's eyes wandered to my wrist. "What is that?"

Momentarily confused, I followed his gaze. I immediately stopped, letting my right hand fall back to my side. But I felt a bit calmer now, the memory of Kiba's protectiveness and caring a shield against my raging doubt and fear. "Kiba gave it to me…for good luck."

Something flashed across Sasuke's face, like a twitch, but it was gone as soon as it came, much too quickly for me to decipher. He did, however, look as though there was something he wanted to say and I watched him carefully.

"Good luck," Sasuke replied, however, his voice as even and detached as it always was. And I refused to admit the sudden, confusing, deflation I felt. Without another word or glance at me, Sasuke continued to climb the stairs. He turned a corner and was lost to my sight. I took in a deep breath, took in the silence of the stairwell, and walked towards my fate.

The blinding sun pelted me with its rays as I stepped out into the arena. I threw a hand over my forehead, blinking away the spots that assaulted my vision. Through squinted eyes, I found Natsuo standing before my brother. Keitaro's eyes were narrowed in rage, his cheeks flushed red, but not from the heat. Natsuo stood at ease, smiling cockily.

Eyes adjusted to the brightness, I stepped over towards the pairs. Both glanced at me as I neared. Keitaro's features morphed, softening, his eyes radiating concern. Natsuo's eyes followed me lazily as I stepped directly in front of my brother.

I locked my eyes on Keitaro's. "No matter what happens, do not interfere with this match."

"W-What?" he looked taken aback.

"Do not stop this match, Keitaro. Do not intervene. Promise me."

"Nakao…"

"Promise me."

His coffee-colored eyes bored into mine, taking in the stubborn set of my jaw and shoulders. I could visibly see the internal struggle that played in his mind. With a look of defeat, he conceded. No words needed to be said; he'd said it all with his eyes and the droop of his shoulders. He gave me a jerky nod.

I gave him a nod of acknowledgement before stepping away, turning my attention on Natsuo. He stood only a few feet away, his same, cocky smile dominating his face.

"You may regret doing that," he smirked.

I said nothing; my body showed nothing. I let the silence fall over us, settling over my ears with a deafening roar.

Finally, Keitaro's voice broke the silence. "Next match: begin."

Keitaro retreated to the far wall of the arena, beneath the balcony. I could feel his eyes on me, but I did not take my stare from Natsuo's face.

"We met again, little cousin," Natsuo grinned wickedly.

Unbidden, the memory of his lips of mine came to my mind and the nerve endings of my lips. It made my stomach roll, but I refused to show that he bothered me.

"You're going to die here," I said simply.

Humor decorated his face. "You so remind me of your brother. Cocky, arrogant. Perhaps Keitaro might be able to back up those words. But you carelessly throw them around with your death two feet in front of you. You are in no position to be offering threats."

"Not a threat. A wager."

"Oh?"

"A wager. My life against yours."

Natsuo remained highly amused. "And you're placing all bets on you, I suspect."

I said nothing.

"A wager it is then," his eyes gleamed.

Natsuo slid a foot back, positioning it perpendicular to its twin. I subtly took in a deep breath, trying to coax a sense of calm. My fingers brushed against the clan symbol charm resting on my wrist. This was the battle for everything. A fight to see Kiba again, and Keitaro, Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi-sensei.

I glanced up to the balcony. I was too far away to make out the faces, but I counted the bodies that stood there. I saw Sasuke and Naruto, standing close to the railing. I peeled my eyes away, focusing back on Natsuo.

He watched me smugly, appearing far too relaxed. "Ladies first."

I shrugged. "Okay, go ahead."

Irritation flash across Natsuo's face, but it quickly vanished. The smirk remained on his lips, though his eyes were now narrowed. Without breaking eye contact, he began a string of handsigns. I followed suit, feeling the sensation of my kekki genki flow from my skin. With it activated, not only was my chakra-laced wind visible to me, but Natsuo's was too. While my wind was a translucent blue shimmer, however, Natsuo's was purple. A color that reminded me of Sasuke's in the Forest of Death.

Natsuo began to mold his wind, and I watched him carefully. While Natsuo had the luxury of watching me battle in the preliminary matches, I knew nothing of Natsuo's techniques and abilities. Aside from the fact that he exercised firm control over our bloodline ability.

His wind took the form of spears, not visible to anyone watching aside from myself. With a blast, he shot them straight towards me. He was testing me. I built a wall of wind, which sucked in the spears upon impact. I dropped the wall.

As I did so, Natsuo leapt forward with amazing quickness, swinging a kick at my head. As he neared, I felt a rush of air precede his movement. It sliced at my face, my cheek stinging before I managed to pull up the wall again. Natsuo's foot connected with the barrier and my wind circled him, trapping him in a vortex.

I constricted the airflow, meaning to squeeze the air from him lungs. With incredible speed and a burst of energy, Natsuo managed to expand his own wind around him, pushing against mine. Our wind collided with a howling sound and a great blast of wind swept through the arena, nearly bowling me off my feet.

I began to slide backwards, losing footing, but I backflipped, landing several feet away. Natsuo copied, making a clean landing. Breathing heavily from the adrenaline coursing through my veins, I brought a hand to my stinging cheek. Several dots of crimson appeared on my fingertips.

I glanced back to Natsuo, who stood across from me, analyzing. My own mind was racing. The element of surprise would not aid me in this fight; not when Natsuo could see my chakra. The fact that I could see his was of little comfort.

"You know, Nakao," Natsuo's voice cut through my thoughts. "I do fear for the audience. This must be terribly boring for them to watch."

I narrowed my eyes, goosebumps rising on my skin.

Natsuo grinned wickedly, his eyes flashing dangerously. "Perhaps we ought to…let them in on the action."

I could feel Natsuo drawing forth his chakra. In response, his wind began to billow from his body, swirling around him, climbing ever higher into the sky. He was growing a twister, a very large one; large enough to- My breath caught in my throat. Enough to harm, even kill, the entire audience.

Alarmed, I glanced fearfully to the stands. Hundreds of unsuspecting ninjas, nobles, Hokages, civilians and children. My eyes darted back to Natsuo, who gazed at me through his swirling twister. With a large blast, his twister broke free from his flow of chakra, headed straight for the stands.

Eyes wide in terror, I acted on impulse. I drew forth a huge portion of chakra, forcing wind from every pore on my body. The speed at which it blasted forth sliced at my skin. It billowed out of either side of me, rushing around the circumference of the arena. Forming a circle, the wind climbed, forming a great wall of my wind between the stands and the arena.

The twister collided with the wall, threatening to blow apart the section of stands before it. Hats and papers and litter flew from the stands, people clenching onto their seats. The impact of the twister against my wall physically slammed into me, almost knocking me off my feet. I cried out, summoning more chakra to reinforce the affected area. I could feel sweat forming at my hairline, beads of blood dotting my arms. I was using too much chakra.

With a fresh surge of chakra, the wall bowed outward, swallowing Natsuo's twister. My feet slid across the dirt at the force. I squeezed my eyes shut, biting down hard on my lip. With a cry, my wind completely consumed the twister and I immediately let the wall fall. My knees buckled, my strength fleeing me, and my kekki genki flickered and deactivated, as though it had needed to reboot.

My knees crashed into the ground, and shaking arms shot out to catch my fall. My body heaved as I attempted to fill my lungs with air. I heard footsteps approaching and glanced up just in time to see a hand shoot out. Natsuo took in a fistful of my shirt collar and he yanked me upwards. I got a brief look at his eyes before he chucked me away.

I flew to the side, striking the ground; shoulder first, head second. Dust rose up around me as I made impact and rolled until I lay on my back, the vast blue sky above me. I tried to catch my breath, which had deserted me when I hit the ground. I'd barely succeeded when Natsuo's smug face infiltrated my vision.

"Well aren't you noble," he mocked me, looking as amused as ever. But then his face changed into an ugly sneer. "You are weak, Nakao. You don't even deserve to be here; even less than you deserve Orochimaru's notice."

I coughed, lungs straining against the dust I'd inhaled. Fear coursed through me over the fact that I lay on my back, Natsuo looming over me. Anger quickly followed, humming in veins like an angered rattle snake. I spit at him. With an angered hiss, Natsuo yanked back, hand flying to his cheek to wipe away my insult. I took the chance to roll away, hopping to my feet.

"He clearly thought I was deserving," I narrowed my eyes at him, letting the anger fuel my words. My eyes darted across his face. "Apparently all he thought you deserved was that scar."

I'd never encountered such dark rage. His face contorted, his eyes darkening to a deep purple. I swallowed against my throat but kept my gaze steady.

"You little bitch," Natsuo spat the words out, his voice hovering on hysteria. "You did this to me! You and your degenerate brother!"

I felt a shock race down my spine but I didn't let it show. "You're mad. We've never even met you!"

Natsuo nearly snorted. "Keitaro doesn't tell you anything, does he?"

I felt as though I'd been dunked in ice water. There was no control over my emotions now. "W-What…?"

Natsuo's eyes flashed. "Oh, I get it now. He never told you how your parents actually died, did he?"