"Royal flush," Naruto said pleasantly, placing his cards down to the floor. Sasuke and I both groaned in unison as Naruto won yet another game of poker. As Naruto hoarded the makeshift chips—candy and other treats we had managed to snag at the tower in the past four days—Sasuke and I exchanged glances.

"I'd accuse you of cheating, but both Miwako and I shuffled the deck and you let me play with my Sharingan activated. I would have seen you cheating," Sasuke muttered dryly, staring accusingly at Naruto.

Naruto just gave us a foxy grin, unabashed by Sasuke's ruffled temper. "Heh."

"Another round?" I asked.

Before either boy could reply, there was a soft knock at our door. The door opened, revealing Kakashi. My eyes lit up at seeing our sensei and my lips twisted into a bright smile. "Shisho!"

Kakashi gave me an eye-smile. "Maa. Everyone needs to gather: bottom floor, room three."

"Hai," we chorused.

Kakashi smiled again at us before he flickered away. The three of us exchanged glances before we hurried behind him.

('･ω･')

"... And so now, we shall start the preliminary matches. The computer will now randomly select two names," Hayate said, coughing slightly towards the end.

The Genin all looked up at the computer screen and I shifted nervously. I hadn't caught sight of Orochimaru, but that didn't necessarily mean he wasn't there. Everyone who had originally made it to the preliminary matches was here.

The screen flickered to life, and it wasn't long before two names popped up.

Nara Shikamaru

Vs.

Kankurō

I blinked at that, surprised. My eyes trailed down to the arena as both boys moved into it.

Wait... so the preliminary matches were actually randomized?

Probably for most of the matches. But I can almost guarantee that there was at least one rigged match.

... The Hinata / Neji one?

Undoubtedly.

Probably. Still, it's surprising to see this turn of events. I'm curious to see who will win.

I already know who will win.

Who?

Isn't it obvious? Kankurō is far too arrogant at this stage, too conceited. Not to mention his tactics are hardly any good, or at least good enough. Whereas Shikamaru...

I see your point. I would have guessed Shikamaru as well, but it would have been a reflexive guess as it would be a little weird for him to not face Temari in the tournament.

Hmph.

Naruto tugged at my hand, pulling me away from my thoughts and dragging me up the stairs. Shikamaru was a little battered from his time in the forest, but his team had managed to make it in a full day before the preliminaries, so he was probably okay. Shikamaru let out a small sigh while Kankurō openly sneered at him.

"Kick his ass, Shikamaru!" Ino shrieked from her place not too far from us. In fact, she was kind of inching closer. Sasuke was quick to notice this, as he forcibly moved Naruto between him and her.

Kakashi flickered up to us and stood behind me.

"Begin!" Hayate coughed.

Kankurō sneered. "This won't take long. You might as well forfeit while you can."

"I would if Ino wouldn't be so troublesome about it," Shikamaru muttered, eying Kankurō. "If I don't make it to the Third Exams at least, both my mom and Ino will be twice as troublesome. I can't let that happen. Oh well. At least I'm not fighting a girl."

Kankurō chuckled, letting out a humorless laugh. "Well. Let's just see who will be advancing now."

Shikamaru's hands moved up into his kekkai genkai's handseal. His shadow twitched before lurching out towards Kankurō. Kankurō laughed at the attempt, merely jumping back and away from the shadow. "Is that really the best you have?"

"Not quite," Shikamaru muttered, moving his shadow further to the right and forcing Kankurō to jump in the opposite direction. His shadow split then in two and Shikamaru's brow furrowed. My eyes narrowed slightly as I further examined him.

I could see that splitting his shadow had already placed a strain on him. Perhaps his chakra reserves weren't as ready as I had thought because of the forest?

Kankurō continued to half-heartedly dodge Shikamaru and Shikamaru continued to—I could see it now—half-heartedly attempt to capture him.

I see, Kurama commented, a vague note of interest in his tone.

See what?

The shadow-brat knows the make-up boy is underestimating him. He's lulling the puppet-user into a false-sense of security. And haven't you noticed? His third shadow.

What? What third... Oh.

On the same wall that the computer rested on, the shadows were distinctly darker; the line of blackness could be traced back all the way to Shikamaru.

So that's what's straining him. He's controlling a third string of shadows... and leading Kankurō straight into it.

Shikamaru's plan proved sound the moment a shadow snapped out from behind Kankurō and grabbed his 'puppet's' shadow. The 'puppet' was actually the real Kankurō, and Shikamaru evidently knew it. The fake Kankurō stiffened once its master lost control, and slumped down.

"I have you now in my shadow-possession," Shikamaru said, straightening up and recalling his first two shadows. "Forfeit now, or I will make you."

Kankurō glowered fiercely at Shikamaru, the bandages that had kept the boy concealed giving away. "... I forfeit, you little brat."

"Whatever," Shikamaru muttered, releasing his hold on Kankurō and glancing at the proctor.

"Nara Shikamaru is the victor," Hayate coughed. "Both participants, please evacuate the arena. A new pair will now be selected."

Uchiha Sasuke

Vs.

Yamanaka Ino

"Forfeit!" Ino immediately squealed, her eyes wide with absolute horror at the thought of having to face Sasuke.

Sasuke blinked once at her.

"... Really?" Sasuke asked incredulously. "... We've graduated from being academy students, have faced and will continue to face a number of dangers as shinobi, and you're automatically forfeiting because of a silly school girl's crush that I have no intentions of returning?"

Ino flushed brightly, opening her mouth to reply, but Hayate coughed.

"Uchiha Sasuke is winner by forfeit; a new match will begin now."

Sasuke shook his head, scoffing at Ino. "Pathetic."

Aburame Shino

Vs.

Tsurugi Misumi

Misumi gave Shino a sneer while Shino calmly walked down into the arena. Misumi followed suit, and soon the two stood face to face.

"Prepared to die, little boy?" Misumi sneered.

Why must these pathetic little cretins insist they are superior? This one is... Well, certainly not a teenager anymore and is still a Genin, and yet insists he is superior?

I'm not sure, I confessed. It does seem very silly though, especially when you compare this one to someone of the same age in the Akatsuki. Honestly, I don't know what he must be taking to feel that confident.

Who can say? Kurama muttered.

"Begin!"

Misumi lunged forward first, his right hand outstretched into a fist. He aimed a punch at Shino's neck, but Shino raised his left arm up, effectively deflecting the attack. Misumi sneered at Shino again before his arm began to snake around Shino's, successfully wrapping itself around Shino.

Shino's brow furrowed ever so slightly and my nose crinkled at the display. Misumi was capable of essentially acting as a rubber man... Misumi's other arm moved forward to itself wrap around Shino, but before it could, Shino dissolved into a swarm of bugs.

The bugs quickly latched on to Misumi, wasting no time in draining his chakra. Meanwhile, the real Shino appeared a little ways from Misumi.

I didn't know Shino could do that...

All he did was use a replacement jutsu coupled with a body flicker using his insects.

I know. It's just that I don't recall him doing that before Shippuden. It surprised me, that's all.

"Your chakra stores are relatively low," Shino stated calmly. "It will be a matter of moments until my colony has completely depleted your chakra, and you will die. Forfeit now and I will spare you from that fate."

"F-Forfeit!"

Shino withdrew his colony, his bugs disappearing back into him. Beside me, Naruto winced.

"That has to feel weird," Naruto muttered.

"More than likely," I conceded, "but he's probably used to it by now."

"What's wrong, Do—Naruto, scared of a few bugs?" Sasuke smirked.

"As if, Teme!"

"Dobe."

Abumi Zaku

Vs.

Temari

"Go, Temari-senpai!" I immediately cheered, causing the blonde kunoichi to glance up at me. Much to my surprise—and admittedly pleasure—she rewarded me with a sly smile.

Zaku smirked, hopping down from his place to the arena floor. Meanwhile, Temari took her sweet time strolling down, brimming with confidence.

"Kick his ass, Temari-senpai!" I cheered again, clearing rooting for Temari.

Ah, that's right. You two were the only ones talking on the way to the tower, back in the forest.

Mm-hmm. Temari was a favorite of mine before, and she's really cool. I'm kind of envious of her. I like her confidence, and that she can back up that confidence with such ease.

"I plan to," Temari replied, smirking.

"Do you know her?" Naruto asked, and I noticed that Kakashi and Sasuke had turned to look at me as well.

"We met up in the forest," I confessed. "And a few times while we were staying in the tower."

"Is she any good?" Sasuke asked curiously.

"She's not a fan girl," I said immediately—to which Sasuke nodded in approval. "She's really strong, too, very smart, as well. If you do fight her in the tournament, don't underestimate her."

"Begin!"

Temari smirked at the same time Zaku did.

"Ready to play, girl?" Zaku called.

"Playing is for little children, boy," Temari taunted. "Well then? Are you coming at me or not?"

"You'll regret giving me the first move."

Zaku raised both of his arms, his palms outstretched as he aimed towards Temari. "Decapitating Airwaves!"

Pressurized air burst out of his palms and headed straight for Temari. Temari noticed this immediately and her smirk widened even more so.

Just before the air was about to hit her, she moved. It was just a slight, but if I hadn't been watching her closely, I doubt I would have noticed. She had merely waved her hand up in front of her before relaxing it again.

The air split off and away from her, slamming into the wall behind her and cracking it.

Zaku gaped at Temari, his eyes widening and she chuckled at his face.

"I—I don't get it. What happened?" Naruto asked confusedly.

"Don't you see her fan, Aniki?" I asked. "She's a wind user and that was a wind technique. She only proved that she was a superior wind user, by using her own wind style to deflect and control his."

"I—I didn't even see anything," Naruto confessed.

"You would have to have watched closely to see it in the first place. Sasuke, do you think you could use your Sharingan to watch this fight?"

"Why? I'm not wind-natured, so I can't use any of these techniques," Sasuke replied.

"But Naruto is and if you can figure out how to use them and relay the instructions..."

Naruto's face lit up and he looked excitedly towards Sasuke. Sasuke scoffed, looking away.

"Fine. Whatever," Sasuke mumbled.

"This is just too easy," Temari laughed. "Is that the only thing you can do? Very well. Do you see this?" Temari presented her fan, opening it to display the first moon. "You have two more chances to attack me, as I'm feeling very generous; but after that, I will finish you... in one move."

Zaku scowled darkly at her. "Take this! Extreme Decapitating Airwaves!"

Just as before, Zaku released a high pressurized attack. Only this time he doubled his chakra usage into it, strengthening the attack. Temari's smirk never wavered as she swung her fan. Her wind attack completely threw off his, allowing Temari come out completely unharmed.

"One more try," Temari cooed, seeming to love his expression of absolute loathing.

"Extreme Decapitating Airwaves!"

Temari laughed, once again deflecting his attack. "You sound like a broken record. Oh? It seems that was your last move. Playtime's over, little boy. And now... Wind Scythe Jutsu!"

I watched as Temari swung her fan one last time, winds rushing out and diving towards Zaku. Zaku could only watch as they reached him, throwing him up into the air before completely devastating him. Cuts marred his body from the harsh slices as Temari watched while refolding her fan. When the attack was over, Zaku fell to the floor and Temari sneered.

"Winner, Temari," Hayate coughed.

"Good job, senpai!" I cheered.

Temari gave me a little wave before making her way up the stairs.

"And now..."

Uzumaki Miwako

Vs.

Akadō Yoroi

My eyes widened and I had to forcibly stop myself from laughing out loud. That didn't mean I wasn't howling with laughter in my mind along with Kurama—though Kurama gave more of a chuckle than a laugh.

"Good luck, Imouto!" Naruto cheered. "I know you can do it!"

"Hn. Make it quick."

"Be careful, Miwako-chan," Kakashi added, giving me an eye-smile.

As I headed down the stairs, I noticed Temari giving me a wink. I beamed at her and gave her two thumbs up. She wouldn't verbally cheer for me like I did for her. It wasn't her style and I didn't expect her to, but it was nice that she was rooting for me.

Th-This guy... is the one who sucks chakra. Oh, this is just too easy.

I know. First we actually manage to get away from Orochimaru, and now this... instant victory.

I'm a little scared for what's going to happen next. This much good luck... that's gotta mean something bad is going to happen.

Don't worry so much. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

I was originally planning on having him just suck away my chakra and give him chakra-overload... but that would probably take too long. So I was wondering... Kurama...

I gave him a mental picture of what I had in mind. Kurama snickered.

Doable. Not to mention it will certainly be... quick.

"This won't take long," Yoroi sneered. "Just one touch from me, girlie, and this match is mine."

"Why? Does your touch cause instant death?" I inquired politely.

"I can suck out your chakra," Yoroi bragged. "This match is as good as mine."

"Really? Well... aren't I the lucky one?"

"Begin!"

Yoroi lunged forward and I sidestepped him with practiced ease.

It's a good thing I don't have to showcase anything in these preliminaries. I don't have to prove anything. I just need to win.

Yoroi followed my movement and reached out to grasp my arm. With my right hand, I placed it over his palm, just as he began to suck away my chakra.

Ready... Kurama?

Yoroi's eyes widened and he gave a strangled gasp, falling to the floor and convulsing. I took a step back and looked up at the proctor, ignoring the seizing man.

"I think I win. I also think he needs a medic."

"Wh..." Hayate stared at the now unconscious Yoroi. "... Very well. Uzumkai Miwako is now the winner."

"Huh?!" Kiba howled from his place in the stands. "What the Hell was that?! She just touched him and he went down!"

"I guess she's just that good!" Naruto crowed, beaming happily as the medics rushed in to carry out Yoroi.

"Yoroi is unable to battle, therefore Uzumaki-san has won," Hayate said plainly. "It is as simple as that."

"But—But—"

"A new match will now be chosen," Hayate interrupted, coughing slightly.

I looked up to see Temari smirking at me—she probably figured out what I had done—before I flickered up to Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi.

"So what did you do?" Kakashi asked curiously.

"Oh... um... I knew that, um..." I leaned in to whisper, making sure my voice was low enough so that only us four (five including Kurama) could hear it. "I knew that demonic chakra was... sort of... um... painful to absorb. Naruto and I have had a trickle of it constantly running through our system since we were little, because that was the nature of the seal, so we have a built up immunity. But he didn't. I just built up that specific chakra in my hand and placed it over his, allowing him to absorb it."

"Can you do that often? Call upon it?" Kakashi asked, his gaze seeming to pin me for the moment.

"I don't know how to call upon it at will," I answered truthfully. I can only rely on Kurama to give me what I need. "What I used was already in my system. I just singled it out and focused it to one point."

"Interesting," Kakashi demurred.

Uzumaki Naruto

Vs.

Tenten

"Yahoo! It's my turn!" Naruto cheered.

"Tenten, huh? She's a long-ranged weapons-mistress, okay, Aniki?"

Naruto gave me his patented grin. "Gotcha!"

Sasuke rapped the top of his head, causing Naruto to wince and scowl irritably at Sasuke. "Dobe. Think first. Think clearly. She's not a rookie. So don't act like one either."

Naruto opened his mouth—probably to retort something a little less than nasty—before he closed it abruptly. His brow furrowed and he glanced at me. "Long-ranged weapons-mistress? Like... throwing kunai?"

"Among many other things," I clarified. "But yes, essentially throwing projectile weapons. Lots of them."

"... Hmm," Naruto hummed, his brow furrowed as he started to make his way down the stairs. His face contorted into a thoughtful one, and he hummed a tuneless song under his breath. Unbidden, he looked up at the rest of the Genin. His eyes slid over most of them—lingering on us a bit longer—before his eyes settled over Temari and clarity washed over his features.

He was practically beaming as he made his way to Tenten.

"May the best shinobi win!" Naruto declared, offering his hand out to Tenten.

Tenten gave him a small smile, returning his handshake. "Or kunoichi."

"Or kunoichi," Naruto allowed, "but don't feel too confident!"

"Miwako," Sasuke murmured beside me, keeping his voice low. "How did you know she was a long-ranged weapons-mistress?"

"Oh. See the bulges in her pocket... her back one?" I pointed at them. "You know I'm studying in fūinjutsu, so I can tell when someone is carrying a scroll from a mile away. Her pocket is filled with them, but I didn't see a single weapon bulge, like kunai or shuriken."

"Not to say she doesn't have any, but the fact that the scrolls kind of dominate the space in her pocket means that she uses them more often. My first guess would be weapons of some kind. The long-ranged part was sort of a no-brainer as she's on the same team with Gai. Two of said team are kind of blatant close-ranged fighters, not including Gai, so she would kind of have to specialize long-ranged to balance the team out."

"I see," Sasuke said. "When you point it out, it does seem kind of obvious."

I shrugged. "I was kind of pleasantly surprised when I found I could see the scrolls from a distance." Then again, I was kind of looking for them. I was actually looking for ways to be able to explain my knowledge on all of them. It wasn't really a lie, but it was definitely close.

I really hate lying to them.

Unless you're able to trust them all the way with your knowledge, you better keep on lying to them.

I still didn't like the minor guilt that gnawed at the pit of my stomach. Kurama apparently didn't like it either.

Oh quit your moping. I hate it when humans get all self-pitying and guilt-ridden. It's pathetic and I simply refuse to have someone I associate with on a daily basis stoop that low without good cause!

... And even then... They would do the same thing in your place. You know it. I highly doubt they would mind you keeping this information to yourself. You don't see the Uchiha princess admitting his desire for his own brother's demise. You don't see your idiotic brother... Well, okay, he's kind of painfully honest with you, but he's too much of an idiot to do otherwise.

He is not an idiot!

Then why don't you tell him?

Because it would seem unfair to tell him and not tell anyone else... any other humans I should say, really.

Kurama was silent for a moment before he snarled, That's a lie, you little brat. I don't care if you lie to others, but don't you dare lie to me—to yourself!

I flinched, ever minutely at this.

... You wouldn't like my reasoning.

Give it anyway.

I don't want him to change his opinion of me.

... What?

I'm Miwako to him. That's how I've always been. His baby sister and he... he loves me. When I show him my memories, if I show him my memories, he won't just see me as that.

He'll see someone far older than him who isn't his little sister. He won't see me as Miwako anymore and I don't want that. I don't want to ever stop being his sister and I don't want him to think of me as anything less. It's stupid and selfish of me, but I... I don't know if I can handle being rejected like that by him.

It was an irrational thought. But it was a true one.

That's completely stu—

You changed. When I showed you. You changed. I'm not Miwako to you.

That's diff—

Is it?

Kurama grew silent.

I hated this life, sometimes. I hated being loathed for no reason. I hated not being able to trust good people, and most of all, I hated the blatant mistreatment. There were few things in this world that I loved and cherished and Naruto was definitely one of them. The very idea of him changing... even only silently... his opinion of me in a less than positive way scared me. I knew no matter what he was still my brother. I knew he would always love me; but that didn't mean he would always love me.

It was so, so silly.

But I wanted to keep being Miwako for him. I didn't want to have to grow up before his eyes, just like I didn't want him to grow up before my eyes. I didn't want to seem like a whole other person to him, like a stranger, and I definitely didn't want our tight bond to loosen in the slightest.

... Whatever.

"Begin!"

"Kick ass, Aniki!" I cheered immediately.

"Don't make an idiot of yourself," Sasuke muttered, loud enough for Naruto to hear.

Naruto and Tenten both leapt back at the same time, and Naruto's hands went up to form his signature move. Six more Naruto-Clones popped into existence and all of them formed a straight line. Tenten eyed them openly.

"The first move is all yours!" Naruto surprisingly declared. "I'm ready for yah!"

I blinked in surprise, and warm pride rushed over me at this. Back at the academy, Naruto would have undoubtedly made the first move, blowing caution in the wind. This time though, he seemed to have a plan up sleeve. I was unsurprisingly proud of him for this. He really has grown.

"Okay, if you insist. Remember, you asked for it," Tenten said, a smirk etching her face before she threw herself in the air, launching four shuriken that had appeared in her hand too quickly for me to notice.

Four more clones popped into existence right after Tenten's shuriken destroyed four of them.

Naruto's face mirrored Tenten's smirk.

"Is that all? I might be a fresh graduate, but don't underestimate me! That's a warning!"

"Alright, try this on for size!" Once again Tenten leapt up into the air, rather gracefully, I might add, twisting around before pulling out a small scroll. She unrolled it with practiced ease and Naruto braced himself. She twirled the scroll around like a long ribbon, forming a small, loose cocoon around herself.

Almost too fast for my eye to follow, her hand slammed on a small part of the scroll, revealing a kunai. Again she moved, to reveal another weapon, and another, and another, and another.

The overall effect was a large barrage of weapons hurtling towards Naruto at an amazing speed. But Naruto was prepared and his hands were already moving.

"You can't create enough shadow clones to shield yourself from this!"

"Who needs 'em?!"

Naruto finished his handseals just as the first barrage came down. He, along with all his clones, held their palms outwards.

"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"

My eyes widened as the effect of multiple Gale Palm's combined to create an impressive wind display, completely throwing off Tenten's aim with all of her weapons and rendering their attack useless.

Tenten fell to the floor, her eyes wide as her scroll fell beside her.

"You're a wind-user?" Tenten demanded, clear frustration on her face.

"'Course I am!" Naruto boasted. "I'm gonna be the next Hokage, and to do that I need to have the best chakra-nature possible, which is obviously wind, dattebayo!"

"You can do it, Tenten!" Lee shouted from his seat. "I know you can overcome this obstacle!"

"Hmph, this match belongs to the dobe," Sasuke muttered. "Never mind that he's a wind-user. He's already proven that he can just use his shadow-clones as shields and that Tenten girl is going to run out of ammunition eventually. He just needs to wait it out."

I nodded my head in agreement, still surprised at Naruto's strategy. It was very much like what Temari did when she first fought Tenten. Then again, it was an effective strategy to begin with.

Tenten seemed contemplative for a moment before she pulled out two more scrolls, holding them out to Naruto. Naruto blinked in mild surprise at her, but he and his clones braced themselves. He held his hand up and popped in seven more clones, this row standing in front of the ones before.

Tenten placed both of her scrolls on the ground before her hands moved into handseals.

"Rising Twin Dragons!"

The puff of smoke was large enough to cover the entire arena, obscuring all vision. And when the smoke cleared, I saw that the two scrolls were circling each other with Tenten in the middle, high up in the air. Just as before, she summoned and threw her weapons, but Naruto was ready.

"Wind Style: Gale Palm!" Naruto's first row shouted out, effectively deflecting all of her attacks. Tenten landed back on the ground.

"I'm not done!" Tenten said fiercely, lurching back up into the air, her hands pointed towards the weapons that lay discarded. Her fingers twitched and Naruto watched with wide eyes as the kunoichi used chakra strings to bring to life her weapons and launch them at Naruto. Naruto didn't have enough time to use his Gale Palm so he instead brought to life even more clones, and formed an effective dome of them around himself to shield him.

I had to admit, that I was very much impressed by Tenten. I knew all too well how hard that must have been to use. I was also rather impressed by her will to not give in, even if it was very obvious who the victor of this match belonged to.

"I guess now it's my turn to attack," Naruto said, all his clones popped away.

Tenten gave him a glower, clearly irritated that her attacks weren't effective.

Naruto summoned up twenty-five more clones and they moved in synch, going through the handseals of the Gale Palm.

"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"

The effect of twenty-five Gale Palms joined together was overwhelming; the force was enough to have my eyes reflexively close and hold my arms up in defense. Never mind that it wasn't even pointed in my general direction.

When I opened my eyes, I found Tenten slumped unconscious against the wall. There was a rather large hole in the wall and I had to wince.

"Victor, Uzumaki Naruto," Hayate coughed.

Tenten's eyes blinked open blearily as Naruto cheered happily and I beamed at him.

But... I had to give props to Tenten. It was just a horrible match up for her.

Tenten shakily stood up, her eyes moving up to the Genin above her and I managed to catch her eye. Hesitantly, shyly almost, I gave her a tentative smile. I held up both my hands and gave her a thumbs-up mouthing, Good job.

Tenten seemed surprised at this, but she returned my smile good-naturedly.

Naruto finally stopped his cheering, beaming at Tenten. "Good match!"

"... Yeah. I definitely need to start thinking about how to counter-act wind-type users," Tenten said.

"Could both participants please clear the arena, as a new match is to begin?" Hayate inquired. Naruto and Tenten both nodded and Naruto hurried up to us.

I opened my arms as Naruto tackled me into a hug. I laughed, hugging him back. "That was a wonderful match, Aniki! I'm so proud of you."

"Yahoo! Did you guys see that? I'm just that awesome, dattebayo!"

"Hn. It was acceptable," Sasuke grunted.

"Maa, not bad, Naruto. Not bad," Kakashi added.

Naruto was practically beaming.

"And now, the next match..."

Hyūga Neji

Vs.

Hyūga Hinata

I froze, the hairs on my neck stiffening. It was not for the upcoming grudge-match. Nor was it from the chilliness of the arena. It was from the new scent that penetrated my nose.

In the back of my head, Kurama mused softly, So he finally deigned to show up.

Because flickering right next to his Oto Genin, was him.

Orochimaru.