AN: Chapter title: An Unwelcomed Distraction Part 1

"This is nonsense."

"Definitely."

"And I have no choice?"

"Got it in one."

"Any advice?"

At the question, the bearded Jonin honestly considered what to say.

"I've been in this situation more than once. One of the old Twelve Guardian Ninja gave me a piece of advice the first time that I always hand out myself: Instead of fighting to win, this is the time to put on a show. None of the people watching this are Shinobi. It's the upper-class. To them, you're the Hidden Leaf's Last Uchiha and she's the Tsuchikage's Granddaughter. Impress clients, impress the Daimyo, and take care of yourself. Your audience is expecting a spectacle so give them one."

"…I'll do my best."

The Uchiha's red and black eyes cut across the courtyard to where the Kunoichi from the Hidden Stone he would be facing stood waiting with two others. He didn't need his Dojutsu to see the impatience all but radiating off of her. A white tiled arena had been made by someone, the Sharingan showing Chakra having shaped the ground but the Chunin couldn't tell who had done it. To counteract the darkness, dozens of lanterns had been strung diagonally across the courtyard and four large braziers had been lit and placed at each corner of the arena. Directly in front of him, a pristine white cloth was stretched between two poles and was marked by the drawn symbol of the Hidden Leaf Village in black ink. His opponent had the same banner, the only difference being the emblem of the Hidden Stone marking its center.

'I'll need to be careful.' He hadn't faced a Shinobi from the Hidden Stone before but he wouldn't put it past them to rig the arena. 'My Earth Release remains basic. I shouldn't rely on countering any traps. I'll need to focus on avoiding any pockets of her Chakra.' He spared a glance around the covered halls lining the courtyard, that already held dozens of spectators.

Directly across from him, Kakashi offered a wave from where he stood when the Dojutsu they shared met. On his left the Hyuga stood with Guy, the Taijutsu expert seemingly involved in one of his personal challenges judging by the handstand he was in and two of the Daimyo's army of attendants seemed to have been enlisted as weights judging by how they both precariously balanced on his sandals. Hana was on the side opposite the Hyuga and Guy with Muta with her, the Haimaru Brothers sitting at her side. Kurenai stood at Sarutobi's side behind him.

'It looks like I shouldn't be concerned about foul play.' Kakashi's unveiled Sharingan was a blatant warning to anyone who would attempt it. Between him, Ko, and the Aburame, any Chakra used from a third party would be obvious and the user dealt with. 'I'll just have to worry about her.'

His eyes turned back to the Shinobi he would be meeting on the field.

He didn't have much on her: Kurotsuchi. Granddaughter to the Hidden Stone's Tsuchikage. Chunin. He would've wanted to learn more about her but the option wasn't available on such short notice. He hadn't even bothered ordering the Praetorians or Legionnaires in the city to investigate her. There hadn't been enough time to mobilize any of Caesar's Legion.

'At least I've done this before.' He had entertained Caesar during the Second Stage and the Third Stage of the Chunin Exams. He almost winced at the memory. 'And I've learned my lessons since then.' His match with Yamanaka had been an unpleasant experience.

He wouldn't rise to taunts in this one. He doubted Kurotsuchi could say anything to get a rise out of him.

He would do his best to control the pace of the match. That was one of his failings against Yamanaka. He had become reactive to her, had played right into her plan.

Although, his role wouldn't be the same.

"The 'Last Uchiha'." He didn't know if he was annoyed or not at being called such a thing, that he was expected to take up such a title. Over the past months, he had become Caesar's Legate above all else. He fought for Caesar. Bled for Caesar. Would die for Caesar. His loyalty to Caesar laid above everything now.

For others to know him as anything else was irritating. Their ignorance of his true title was almost insulting.

'It can't be helped.' He would see it changed in the years to come. 'But that can't be my focus now. I can't act as Caesar's Legate in front of the Daimyo. I have to be the 'Last Uchiha'.' Sarutobi had told him to impress so he would make an effort to do exactly that.

A plan was coming together.

'They expect to see the Sharingan in action. They expect to see an Uchiha.'

If he didn't have to bother with winning, he could take risks he would normally avoid. It would be a good idea to surprise his opponent if she had any knowledge on how he fought.

'Let's see what I can manage to do.'

He wasn't surprised that he was approached by the Shinobi from the Hidden Mist. He spared her bodyguard a single look before his dark eyes settled on her.

"You're far from home."

"A necessity if I'm to liberate the Hidden Mist Village from a tyrant."

Asuma kept his thoughts on foreign affairs to himself. The Hidden Mist Village had this coming for a long-time in the eyes of many. Mei Terumi only smiled at him, a dangerously hollow smile.

He had met Terumi before she had lit the spark that had exploded into the Mist's civil war. He still couldn't believe that she was the one to do it. The Jonin Commander turning traitor, leading an attack on the Mizukage that had nearly claimed his life, and declaring that she would only stop once the Hidden Mist was free of his tyranny had been news across the Shinobi world.

Mei likely remembered him.

He had already earned acclaim as one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja and that fame had only grown after the "battle" that had depleted them from twelve to a mere two.

There was a reason she had personally met him when he had traveled to the Hidden Mist seven years ago. Terumi had gained renown far beyond the Hidden Mist for her sheer skill, for the astounding fact that she possessed two powerful Kekkei Genkai, and could claim to have mastered both. Before her rebellion, most had considered her one of the most dangerous Shinobi to not bear the title of Kage.

She stood on equal grounds to Kakashi of the Sharingan, Pakura of the Scorch Release, the legendary Sannin, and more that made up the select group.

"You've been saying that for close to, what, four years?" Asuma's words brought an unmistakable tightness to her smile. Her bodyguard, Ao, made to take a step forward.

Asuma wanted him to make a move. Even if he wasn't a Hyuga, the flagrant boasting of his stolen Dojutsu was enough to draw his ire. He almost didn't need an excuse to strike the man.

A single raised hand was enough to draw his uncovered eye, make him take control of himself. He stepped back.

"I held no illusions it would be quick to bring Yagura to justice." Mei's eyes were hard, her smile gone. "But I refuse to live another minute under his regime. Questioning nothing. Allowing atrocities to go uncontested. I won't let the Hidden Mist be run by a sadistic maniac."

'Huh. I wish we had someone that decisive.' Mei's decisiveness, willingness to fight, was something he wished his old man had more and more these days. 'I'd hate to take things into my own hands but…' It had tempted him before. He knew plenty of Shinobi, could round them up given a few days.

Jonin. Chunin. ANBU Black Ops. All of them had come to him, had asked him what his father had planned in subtle ways all the way to the blatantly obvious probing.

People were getting worried.

"Still, it's a difficult fight. Yagura earned the title of Mizukage through his power. He's a dangerous opponent. Not to mention all of the Shinobi who've stayed on his side."

"Part of the reason I'm here is to search for new allies."

The Sarutobi almost wanted to laugh at how direct she was.

Most Shinobi, even when desperate, wouldn't petition foreign Shinobi for aid. Mei had done it and somehow made it sound casual.

It was always dangerous to show your hand.

"You should be getting out there." Asuma made a point to turn away from the Hidden Mist rebel, settled in to watch the show.

Mei Terumi didn't frown at him ignoring her, didn't take it personally. She chose to watch the Chunin from next to him for a moment longer. Ao was tense at her side, the pronounced veins showing he had activated his transplanted Byakugan. He couldn't stand the eyes of the Hidden Leaf ANBU Blacks Ops on him.

She had accepted their watchers when she had first noticed them. She was used to eyes on her.

With all the festivities planned by the Daimyo's court for his return, she had days to speak with not only Asuma but the rest of the Hidden Leaf Shinobi as well. With the exception of the Hyuga among them. Just because Asuma Sarutobi didn't want to speak with her now didn't mean that all the Hidden Leaf Shinobi would do the same.

"Of course." Her smile was pleasant but hollow. "Don't worry, I'll take care of your Shinobi."

The two Shinobi who would be "fighting" had met in the center of the prepared arena. She offered a practiced smile as she walked to her place between the two. The sway to her hips was to draw eyes just like how her dress exposed just enough to draw eyes. She had forgone the mesh she normally wore underneath while in the capital for the same reason: It drew eyes.

"They've got you refereeing?" Kurotsuchi made a face at her appearance once she was close enough. "You haven't won your war yet, have you?"

"Not yet." The two had shared a handful of conversation, bonded via their shared Kekkei Genkai. "But soon." The granddaughter of the Tsuchikage nodded before the leader of the Hidden Mist rebels turned her eyes to the younger Shinobi. "So, you're Sasuke Uchiha?"

"Zabuza's mentioned you." The Uchiha seemed set to say nothing else.

"I see." Mei would send a message to the wielder of the Kubikiribocho once she was done here, learn what exactly he had told the Hidden Leaf Shinobi. For now, she would see to her job as the referee to this impromptu match. "This is an exhibition match. It isn't to the death. Don't kill each other or I'll intervene with prejudice. Am I clear?"

"Crystal." Kurotsuchi smile told Mei all she needed to know.

"I had no intentions of treating this that seriously." Sasuke seemed to know that would draw a glare form Kurotsuchi, a glare quickly replaced by a dark grin that promised pain.

Unlike with the Chunin Exams, there was no need for the Seal of Confrontation or the Seal of Reconciliation.

"Begin!" Mei leaped back a fair distance with that, allowed the two plenty of space to clash.

Kurotsuchi didn't waste time, the Sharingan showing him the Chakra she flowed and molded in her hands.

"Doton: Kaido Shokutsu!"

The technique Kurotsuchi had chosen to open the "spar" with was versatile. With enough Chakra, Earth Release: Opening Earth Rising Excavation could create what amounted to a volcanic eruption. It could reveal underground water, rain boulders down on the battlefield, or unveil enemies hidden below ground. Of course, she didn't use the technique with its maximum Chakra output.

It could destroy the Daimyo's estate at that level, rain boulders down across the capital.

With the level of Chakra she had given it, the spread of it, the technique only created dozens of stone pillars using the arena around her.

'That's one of my quickest attacks.' She had trained for speed with all her techniques but it was still in her top five. 'And he avoided it.'

The Uchiha's Sharingan had played a role but his reaction time couldn't be ignored. He had seen the attack but he had also moved in time to avoid being thrown in the air. He had also concealed himself, throwing a smoke bomb to shroud the pillars. She would almost be impressed if he wasn't an enemy, if she wasn't aiming to humiliate the brat before she beat him in front of the Daimyo.

'I'll have to use something else.' She was wary as she watched the smoke mixed with the dust her attack had unleashed. She was waiting for retaliation, expected a Fire Release technique of some kind.

Only nothing was happening.

"Is that all you can do?" The Uchiha waited for the smoke to dissipate before speaking, made a show of leaning against one of the pillars. "I'm disappointed."

She almost heard the whistling of blades through the air too late.

"Not a chance." She was definitely going to hurt him now as she threw herself into the air to avoid the pair curving giant shuriken coming at her on each side. She spotted the wire strings he must be using to direct them and threw a kunai to sever them. The four shuriken aiming to trap her were sent crashing into a pillar of stone. "Did you really think a simple trick like that would get me?"

She didn't want to make use of her Lava Release just yet, settled for a new plan as Chakra poured into her mouth, was rapidly shaped.

'I'll borrow your technique Akatsuchi.' She spat out a glob of rapidly growing rock. The Earth Release: Golem Technique was already rapidly ballooning in size, turning into a creature more than twice the height of the towering Monga. It wouldn't be fast but that wasn't her intention. It would be a large target and let her get a feel for the Uchiha's ability.

Taking it down wouldn't be easy.

"Finally. Something interesting!" The Uchiha didn't draw his sword from his side. He instead brought his fist into his palm. Kurotsuchi landed on the closest raised pillar of stone, stuck to the side with Chakra from her feet as she settled in to wait for the opportunity to strike.

She wasn't the only one to be surprised when he charged the stone golem.

'Alright. He's stupid.' She was almost disappointed that the fight would be over this quick.

Sasuke could almost read her thoughts from the look on her face, chose to focus on the stone golem she had created instead of his opponent.

'Fire Release won't be of much use here.' He didn't have the prowess to burn stone. 'It would be easy enough to cut this thing down but that wouldn't be a show. But this? I'd be surprised if people don't talk about this.'

"Leaf Rising Wind!" He had seen Rock Lee use the move, had modified it for the situation. Instead of a single leg, he used both, incorporated a handstand instead of simply relying on the body control of Lee throwing himself back to fuel the power of the kick. He aimed for the core of the golem with both feet when he pushed off the ground. The power wasn't the same as when Lee would use it, his training nowhere near as intense as the Taijutsu expert, but it was strong enough.

The golem was launched off its feet, was fumbling through the air. He was knocked back to the ground, landed on his hands, coiled his body like a spring, and pushed off of the ground again. He struck the golem once again in its core. He managed to launch it higher into the air but frowned.

'Not high enough for what I intended but it'll have to do.' He had managed to get the golem above the pillars but he had aimed for double that height. He had prepared the seals he wore for this part at least. A chain appeared in a cloud of smoke with the weighted ends in the palms of his hands. 'I only saw him use this on a dummy but it'll have to do.'

He threw first one and then the second, wrapped the golem's stone body up and down twice over. He couldn't copy all of Lee's moves but he wasn't aiming to match the Chunin's every move or unlock the Eight Gates any time soon.

"Impressive." Gai had watched Sasuke's combination with an almost grin. "He's accomplished plenty for someone without a teacher." The Taijutsu master could see the holes, the signs of what an untrained body attempting Strong Fist's more physically taxing moves showing. 'He's lucky his physical training is intense enough to let him copy Lee's moves. But his fundamentals are lacking. And his body won't hold up if he's trying to copy the entirety of the Front Lotus.'

The Jonin had seen the way the Uchiha had winced at the second Strong Fist attack he had unleashed on the stone golem. He was straining himself already with the stress of the copied movements, wouldn't be able to manage the full technique if he wanted to walk out of the arena.

Sasuke clearly seemed to know his limits, didn't try to follow through on the Front Lotus any further. He used the chains wrapped around the golem to pull the two of them together, plant his feet on the side of Kurotsuchi's creation, and throw himself back with a shout.

'I'm going to need to up my training.' Explosive tags planted on the golem blew it apart in the middle of the air, unleashed it as a rain of rock and dust to the ground. 'Another thing to do once I get back.'

He landed outside the field of pillars of stone his opponent created, focused on where his opponent was still waiting for him.

She wasn't ignorant of what he had just pulled off. Strong Fist style Taijutsu was almost as famous as Maito Gai himself and the Hidden Stone Shinobi could more than likely recognize the basics of it.

Her pink eyes were measuring him, questioning him.

She also finished her hand seals.

"Doton: Chidokaku!" Sasuke kept on the move when the ground suddenly rapidly collapsed around Kurotsuchi. No. That was incorrect. The ground simply rapidly sank in square plots around the Kunoichi from the Hidden Stone. Just as quick as it had lowered, more of the ground was rising as stone towers.

'What is she doing?' He figured it out almost as quickly as he asked himself. 'She loaded the ground around her with her Chakra to shape it.' He already hated this technique. His Sharingan could see Chakra but he couldn't make out the depth, didn't have the Byakugan to see everything around him. 'I can't see her anymore.'

To his eyes, the entirety of the ground was one solid sheet of Chakra.

'And she used the moment when she moved the earth in front of her to hide.' He couldn't find her hiding spot underground with her Chakra everywhere.

With Earth Release: Moving Earth Core, she had managed to not only wildly alter the terrain, no doubt keep the ability to raise and lower the ground at her leisure, but also avoid easy detection as she planned her next attack.

'I guess I'll skip to another part of the 'show'.' He had copied this one the same he had Lee's techniques.

He let out a pitched whistle.

Hana looked at the two ninken still at her side.

"And when did he learn my whistle?" The oldest Haimaru Brother offered a lick of her hand as his answer. The middle brother only barked, wagged his tail. She turned her eyes to where the youngest Haimaru Brother had joined Sasuke. "If he knows my moves you're all getting shaved."

That made both ninken whine, look up at her with the clear idea of 'That's too far!'.

She glared right back.

She had developed those Beast Human Taijutsu moves with tireless effort and a healthy amount of blood shed on training grounds and battlefields. If the Uchiha showed even one of them off, she was making good on her threat.

"Beast Human Clone!" It wasn't perfect. The ninken was about half a centimeter too short and looked far too feral to ever pass as the Uchiha. There were even hints of his fur color in Sasuke's dark hair with a trio of gray streaks sweeping through it from front to back.

Sasuke remedied the discrepancies by applying them to himself using the Transformation Technique.

"Sniff her out." The Four Legs Technique was easy to copy but even with a catalog of copied movements, it would be difficult to pull off. 'These movements aren't natural for me at all. No wonder the Inuzuka focus so much of their early training on using this. It becomes second nature to them that way.' The best comparison he had to the sensation was learning to write with his left hand. Even then, that was only one limb moving awkwardly. His entire body was involved now. 'I won't be able to use this long.'

He risked making a mistake he couldn't afford. As it stood, the only reason he was using it now was because of the crowd.

He was lucky Kurotsuchi wasn't fighting to kill. At least not now.

With a snarl, the transformed ninken launched himself over the ground on all fours. Sasuke followed after him, copied the unnatural movements courtesy of the Sharingan. Even with a target right in front of him, it was difficult to manage.

He recognized the change to the ninken's snarls and barks, knew he had found the hidden Kunoichi.

She was already on the move, using some type of technique to move through the ground like it was water.

"Let's go!" He found himself snarling the words, finding a rhythm in his steps as he darted forward. The ninken that copied his appearance let out a matching snarl before Kurotsuchi was bursting through the ground with another use of the Earth Release: Golem Technique. This one was much more refined, identical to her save for being the color of stone.

It was quickly remedied when she used it as the medium for her Earth Release: Shadow Clone. Both had their arms covered in stone to enhance their striking power, another Earth Release technique.

She seemed set to meet him in a clash of Taijutsu.

He was almost happy to meet her as he threw himself off the ground with a leap that even impressed him. The transformed ninken joined him, read his attack rather well.

"FANG PASSING FANG!"

Stone met Chakra enhanced claws.

The battle had only just started.

AN: 2/6 chapters for this update.