Genin Takedown - 4

Chouji munched furiously on a bag of chips, unable to believe that Shikamaru of all people had won his match. Ino stood beside him raving, pleased with the outcome.

"Who knew that lazy guy could actually pull it off." Naruto muttered, completely baffled.

Haku nodded in agreement, also not expecting it, "His strategy was impressive! Maybe he has more skill than he lets on."

"Feh! Yeah right!" The blonde snorted in reply, doubtful.

Shikamaru returned up to the balcony, not very proud of his victory.

Without further preamble, the score board selected the next pair of combatants, whose names Hayate read aloud as he resisted a loud cough, "Hm...the next match will be between Yamanaka Ino and Temari."

Shikamaru, who had just reunited with his team, gave her a troubled look as she patted his shoulder. She grinned and then proceeded down to her own match. Ino was to say, quite confident after seeing her lazy teammate come out victorious in his battle and had few worries.

The Nara glanced over at the kunoichi of the Sand village who also went down to the main level, having a dark, merciless look in her eyes. He didn't like that look.

Gaara stared unblinking as his sister descended, unsure of what to think.

"Gaara-kun has been acting strangely ever since we reached the tower, haven't you noticed?" Haku asked in a nearly inaudible voice to Naruto.

The blonde nodded, "Yeah. I can't say I know why."

Haku and Naruto found Gaara's lack of communication more irksome than usual. It was still a mystery to them what had been bothering their red haired friend for so long. Gaara, when asked about it, denied there ever being a problem.

Temari, at first sight of Ino, concluded that she wouldn't be much of a threat, 'I'll finish her fast, there's no point in dragging the fight out...' She looked up at Gaara and jumped when their eyes met, 'Just don't take this personal baby brother...I didn't ask to fight another Leaf ninja.'

Hayate began the fight, but Temari hadn't been paying much attention.

"If you're not going to start then I will!" Ino declared, beginning by hurling a hail of kunai and shuriken.

Not much bothered; Temari reluctantly took her eyes away from Gaara and replaced them on Ino. Her fan, almost reflexively, deflected the projectiles with ease. Ino, greatly dismayed, came closer while throwing more weapons, only for them to be blocked time and again.

As seconds evolved into minutes, Ino's apprehension grew, 'I can't get close with her using that big fan of her's...' She frowned to herself, 'I'm just going to have to try something else then!'

Ino, reasserting her confidence, formed hand seals, "Here's something you can't block with a fan!"

Sakura observed the fight from above and held her breath, hoping Ino could pull it off, 'She better win this match so I can face her in the next round!'

Temari narrowed her eyes at Ino, not understanding her aim, 'What's she babbling on about? There are few jutsu she can use that will harm me...'

Ino was glad to see that Temari had no knowledge of how to avoid her attack and didn't bother to try to dodge it, "Mind Body Switch Technique!"

Temari had only thought to move too late, but she froze an instant later.

Ino's team watched anxiously as she fell to the floor limp, leaving them to hope that she hadn't missed her target.

"Did it work?" Chouji asked lowly. He and his teammates were unable to tell.

Kakashi glanced down at his pink haired pupil, seeing how she was more attuned to the current battle than she had been to the first. He smiled beneath his mask, knowing a healthy rivalry would do her good.

Temari's eyes opened and she smiled, "Gotcha!"

"What's going on?" Kankuro muttered, noting the change in his sister's behavior, "Something definitely just happened here..."

"I think that goofy Leaf girl got her." Miosuke mumbled, finding it difficult to believe, "It's not like she saw it coming, the fool."

Kankuro flashed his teeth angrily at his pessimistic teammate, not wanting to hear any of his derogatory comments.

Ino, once inside Temari's mind, set straight to work, 'Alright! I'll just end this match and head back to my body! This was a total cake-walk!'

To her surprise she detected a very ominous presence that she had not anticipated to find. This mind, unlike others she had seen, was deep, dim, and pained; swirling with thoughts and dark memories as she tried to establish an influence in the foggy realm, 'Wow...it's pretty creepy in here.'

'What do you think you're doing?' Temari's voice came clear as a bell from behind her, and Ino lost focus once she spun around, horrified.

'You! But how? I thought I suppressed you completely! You shouldn't be able to-!'

Scowling, Temari glared at the invading Leaf kunoichi, 'It isn't very polite to intrude in other people's minds and you...' She paused, livid, 'You dare enter my mind? It's private and it's strong. It isn't something that a half-baked ninja like you could overpower...'

Ino was upset to find that she hadn't so much as raised Temari's arm in the air before things went downhill.

'You're leaving now and once you're back where you belong, I'm going to crush you,' The Sand ninja announced, Ino backing away in terror, 'Out.'

The astral form of Temari backhanded Ino in the face, sending her crashing out of her body and back from whence she came. With a jolt, Ino's once-limp body gained a consciousness, and she wobbled awkwardly to her feet, her brain reeling.

Sakura frowned, knowing something went wrong, 'What happened? I thought for sure Ino-pig had her...'

"No way!" Shikamaru and Chouji were as equally stunned as Ino, never before seeing a mind that she could not gain control over.

Asuma sighed, fearing what would happen next.

Once Temari was back in control of herself, she opened her fan fully, glaring at Ino, "Cutting Whirlwind!"

The blast of wind hit Ino with incredible force, knocking her against the back wall as the gale sliced deep into her skin. The attack was vicious and intended to be so. Temari would not stand for her mind to be violated.

Ino fell, unable to fight.

"Temari is the winner." Hayate found her technique impressive and even more so, the power of her own mind, which could fend off intruders.

With a disheartened sigh, Shikamaru went below to retrieve her. Though she weakly protested his help and refused to raise her eyes out of shame, he gave her a soft word, commending her for her effort. Chouji was relieved that it hadn't gone worse, and offered her a snack when she had returned to her team, scratched and bruised. She accepted it, unwilling to look at them.

Sakura felt something constrict in her stomach: pity and a mix of disappointment. She had hoped to be the one to defeat Ino, but at the same time hadn't expected her to be beaten so badly.

Hayate called out the new names the board displayed, "The fourth match will be between Kanosuke Nari and Kankuro."

Gaara's light eyes followed after his older brother nostalgically.

Kankuro frowned, hoped to have had more time to congratulate his sister, but proceeded down anyway, hoping Miosuke wouldn't act like a jackass around her. He found it curious that he would be facing a Cloud shinobi even when Kumogakure had been allied with Sand and Sound for the upcoming invasion planned for the end of the exam.

Ally or not, he refused to hold back.

"You may begin when ready." Hayate stepped back again, allowing the fight to commence.

With no hesitation, Nari took the chain-scythe that had been waiting at his side and flung it with a cry at his opponent. Kankuro could not dodge easily with his cumbersome puppet still on his back and only managed to avoid the sickle.

Nari pulled back, looping the chain around Kankuro's arm and attempted to drag him nearer. A moment later he formed hand seals while still gripping the chain, sending an electric current through the metal towards Kankuro.

He had seen it before and anticipated this new Cloud nin to have a similar strategy to the ninja they had encountered in the Forest of Death. The shock, much to the Kumo nin's astonishment, had not effected Kankuro at all.

The henge fell and what the young Cloud shinobi thought he had been attacking was in actuality the puppet that had been carried on Kankuro's back. Logic then proved that the person emerging from the bandages beside Karasu must have been the real Kankuro.

He smirked, his face paint making his face look more aggressive than he truly was, "Surprised?"

With a sudden tug, Kankuro directed Karasu to pull back on the chain tangled around its forearm, yanking Nari forward, his boots scraping against the floor. Unable to free his scythe in time, the blue haired ninja was enveloped inside the battle puppet, finding blades waiting inside that would shred him at Kankuro's whim. The boy cried for help, acknowledging his defeat.

Hayate called the match, not wanting it to end in an unnecessary death, "The winner of the match is Kankuro."

Temari smiled, glad Kankuro was able to overcome the Kumo ninja which had been a difficult task for them days earlier. Even Baki was pleased as he stood and observed, noting that there wasn't a scratch on him.

Miosuke wiped his nose, unimpressed, "Cloud shinobi are bogus!"

Temari restrained the urge to punch him full in the face. Their days as teammates, two years earlier even, had not been happy ones. Miosuke was always provoking them, causing trouble, and certainly not very worried over anyone other than himself.

So she wouldn't go as far as to say that they were friends. More like associates. Disdainful associates.